Medvėgalis Hill

Medvėgalis rises to around 234 metres, which in Lithuania counts as high ground, and it carries one of the more important hillforts of the Samogitian defensive line: a fortified settlement mound with earthworks, defended repeatedly during the medieval wars along this frontier and recorded in the chronicles of the period. The summit is open grass with a long view across the wooded uplands, and a stairway climbs the steep side. Around it are further mounds, a legend-attached stone and villages of the Šilalė district. It is a short climb and a quiet spot, part of a landscape of hillforts that runs across Samogitia and is the region's most characteristic archaeological feature.

What you actually see

• The hillfort mound - earthworks on one of Samogitia's high points.
• The summit view - wooded uplands stretching in every direction.
• The stairway - the climb up the steep side of the mound.
• Surrounding mounds - other hillforts and stones in the district.

When to go

May to October for the climb and the view; late autumn and winter give clearer sight lines with the leaves off. The site is open at all times and takes an hour.

Honest expectations

There are no structures, only earthworks and grass; the interest is the position and the history. Interpretation is minimal and in Lithuanian. Facilities are a car park and steps. Public transport is poor.

Nearby

Šatrija hill lies north; Šilalė is southwest.