A Wooden Castle Destroyed by Traitors

Legend tells of a wooden castle on the hillfort of Pakalniškių, which protected a ruler from enemies. According to folklore, traitors helped the enemy destroy the castle to its foundations, and it was never rebuilt. The hillfort is located in the Kaunas district, on the left bank of the Nemunas River, east of modern-day Zuikinė in Girionys.

Until 1958, the village of Pakalniškių sat at the base of the hillfort, but it was relocated due to the construction of the Kauno HE. Today, the hillfort sits on the shoreline of Kauno mariai, where reinforcement and maintenance work are being carried out. It is a hillfort paired with an opposing hill.

Visitors can reach the site from Didžiosios g. in Vaišvydavoja, about 300 meters away. It is believed that remnants of trenches from the I pasaulinio karo remain on the hillfort. For those who wish to explore further, there is a 3 km ecological trail nearby.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons