Gėluvas Hillfort: Medieval Fortress and Hidden Stone Chamber

Gėluvas Hillfort, known as Birutkalnis or Birutė’s hill, is a medieval fortress located in Gėlūva village, Raseiniai Municipality, in the Dubysos region. It can be accessed by the Vilkija–Čekiškė–Ariogala road, turning left around a bend 200 meters away. The 1382-built Ariogalas castle was fortified with crosses. The hillfort was excavated in 1906 and later by archaeologists, with finds protected since 1980. In 1382, a legend tells that during pagan times, a maiden named Birutė burned a golden sphere on the hill. Today, the site where Birutė burned the sphere is marked by a stone cross. The hillfort's northern part hides a cave containing cultural artifacts from the Iron Age. 400 meters from the hillfort, a stone chamber dating back to the 3rd - 5th century AD was discovered.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons