It is a town, the history of which has barely matched nine volumes to describe. It is a town visited by Vikings and the Crusaders. It is a town where unprecedented innovation began to emerge. It is Viešvilė, located on the right bank of the Nemunas. This small town founded in the then Lithuania Minor was flourishing: bustling people in the lot of shops and pubs, sounds of tinkling metal from the workshops and forges, and voices of two and a half hundred of workers echoing from the sawmill. The growth of this town was determined by water, an inexhaustible energy source.

The first water mill emerged on the torrential and watery streamlet of Viešvilė, while in the 18th century there were already five hydropower plants operating. They turned not only grinders of the grain mill, but also the equipment of the sawmill. Viešvilė has become a small industrial centre. The oil mills, the leather workshop and the paper factory had their own power plants and ponds. The latter one was ruled by the Rydelis family, while the northern part of the town where the mill was located, was called "Ridelkanis". However, in 1944, after an incorrect identification of the location, the name of "Ridelkalnis" was given to the South-West side of the town. Iron mints were not the only factories that operated in Viešvilė.

In 1768 the then landlord Domhardt, founded a copper forge that was rare in Lithuania. The town authorities ordered the residents to hand over worn out copper items, and would mint copper plates from this scrap metal and ship them as raw materials to factories. The copper forge was not the only novelty in the area. During ruling of the innovative King of Prussia Prichkus Frederick the Great, cultivation of previously unknown potatoes and exotic fruit trees was started. In the 18th century silk trees were planted in Viešvilė, which where used to attempt silk production, and subsequently – even tobacco. It is difficult to believe that so many innovations could fit into the small Viešvilė. The engineer H. E. von Knobloch, who was born next to this town and in the post-war period left for Germany, set out to capture the growth and development of the town. When organising authentic stories, photographs and archives together with co-thinker fellows, even 9 volumes were created and called "The Chronicles of Viešvilė".

Until now, there is a spectacular Court Palace in Viešvilė, that was built in 1902 and became an architectural monument. The local people go out for a quite relaxation towards the Viešvilė streamlet where a fishpond has been installed. It helps to restore the fish resources in the streamlet by opening up a wonderful valley for dream-like walks at the same time. Viešvilė is really worthy a 10th volume.