The triple-walled fort of Baluošos

The triple-walled fort of Baluošos

Baluošos piliakalnis sits on a peninsula of Baluošų ežeras, a 65 by 43 metre oval of land that is a notable archaeological site. The site dates from the middle of the first millennium to the beginning of the second millennium.

This wasn't just a simple mound. To get inside, you had to navigate a series of ditches and earthen ramparts. There is a 150-metre-long rampart followed by another 165-metre-long one. In the southwest and northeast, a third ditch cuts deeper into the earth. It is a sophisticated bit of engineering with slopes standing 10 - 15 metres high.

Today, the fort is quiet. It is surrounded by a forest of spruce trees, tucked away near the village of Baluošos. It is a protected cultural monument, covering an area of 23,000 m2. If you can find the forest path through the woods, you can see the scale of the fortifications that protect the site.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons