Vecanbek Palace
Vecanbek Palace (Vyvlander: Palac Vecanbeks or simply Vecanbek, pronounced /vɜːtsn̩bek/) is the royal palace and official residence of the monarch of Vyvland. The palace is located in the suburban town of Vecanbek, eight kilometres the south of the former capital of Vlud, and next to the River Fule. It is also notable for being the location upon which the Esquarian Prime Meridian is based.
Vecanbek has been the official residence of the Vyvlander monarch since 1728, when they moved to Vlud from Lorence Castle, thereby separating the monarchical and parliamentary capitals. After the Vyvlander Civil War, the monarchy lost holdings in the newly-formed South Vyvland and thus began to spend more time in Vecanbek, with two other residences also being occupied by the royals; Prujerj Castle, a rural manor house in the historic Bajre-Mruk area from which the current house hail, and a winter retreat at Zwe. During times of unrest, Vecanbek's close proximity to the North-South border made it a target for occasional shelling, and the palace had to be activated multiple times during partition. Despite the reclamation of all powers from the monarchy in 1983, Vecanbek continues to be inhabited by the family.
For the past half-century, the palace and its grounds have been at least partially open to the public and tourists on most days of the year. The extensive grounds and parkland take up forty-five square kilometres of land to the south of Vlud, which are often used by walkers and those pursuing leisure activities. Vecanbek Palace can be accessed by Line T1 of the Vlud Metro, which terminates at a station on the northern edge of the palace's grounds. The presence of the palace has driven up house prices in the area, making surrounding towns such as Francia, planned by King Vrank in 1804, some of the most desirable areas in Vyvland, with many businesspeople and celebrities residing in the area. The Vyvlander government makes occasional use of some wings of the house for important international events, such as talks to discuss the formation of the Esquarian Community, which were held in the palace's Welelm II Wing.