Merkinė

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Orthodox church in Merkinė. Converted into a museum.
Orthodox church in Merkinė. Converted into a museum.
Bend of Neman River in Merkinė
Bend of Neman River in Merkinė

Merkinė (Polish: Merecz) is a town in Dzūkija National Park in Lithuania, located at the confluence of the Merkys and Neman Rivers.

First mentioned in 1359, Merkinė is one of the oldest Lithuanian settlements. It received the Magdeburg rights in 1569. The town is the location of "The Mount of Queen Bona", a mound which was the site of an ancient hillfort overlooking the rivers. Situated on a historic Warsaw-Vilnius trail, the town was also the place where King Wladislaus IV of Poland died in 1648. The remains of Jewish people murdered during World War II are buried in mass graves in the forest behind the town.

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Coordinates: 54°09′45″N, 24°11′08″E