A hillfort on the banks of the Minija

Standing on the banks of the Minija river, Lekemės piliakalnis is a coastal-type hillfort situated on a high point. The slopes of the fortification reach 20 to 25 meters in height, with the southeastern and northwestern sides being washed by water. The site features a triangular courtyard measuring 24 meters long and 20 meters wide. At the southeastern end of this courtyard sits a fill measuring 3.5 meters high and 19 meters wide. Behind this fill lies a ditch 35 meters long, 9 meters wide, and 1 meter deep.

Preliminary archaeological research was conducted at the site in 1963. The hillfort is dated from the 1st millennium to the 13th century. A 1253 letter from the Livonian Order mentions a castle in Lekemės regarding the division of lands.

In the western slope, 16 meters below the courtyard, there is a terrace measuring 38x30 meters with a western end 5 meters lower than the ground. To the east of the hillfort lies a settlement covering approximately 0.2 hectares.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons