PAJEVONIS (KUNIGIŠKIAI) HILLFORT

Pajevonis (Kunigiškiai) Hillfort, also known as Castle Hill, is an impressive archaeological and historical monument listed in the national Register of Immovable Cultural Heritage of the Republic. It rises between the Skardupis and Ėglupis streams on a large promontory with slopes reaching up to 10 meters high. The hillfort’s plateau is oval, measuring 150 by 76 meters, surrounded by massive ramparts and ditches reminiscent of ancient defensive fortifications. It is believed that people lived here as early as the first centuries AD – archaeologists have found Roman coins minted during the reigns of emperors Caligula, Tiberius, and Claudius. Excavations conducted in 1963–1964 uncovered bronze brooches, spiral rings, pins, and other jewelry, now kept at the Lithuanian National Museum. Around the hillfort stretched a 12-hectare foothill settlement, indicating a large and prosperous center of trade and crafts. At the path to the hillfort stands a sculpture of the ancient Krivis (pagan priest), seemingly guarding this place and its secrets. According to legends, lights still flash here at night, lit by the spirits of the Yotvingians guarding their sacred places. It is also said that in ancient times Kunigiškiai Hillfort had an underground passage connecting it with Žinyčia Hill in the town of Pajevonis, where a church now stands. Pajevonis Hillfort is a place where living history and myths merge into a mysterious landscape full of legends.