The hillfort with a dance floor

Rekčių piliakalnis, also known as Vinavos kalnas, is a fortification located in the Šiauliai district near the village of Rekčiai. It sits in a sharp bend of a river, where the natural terrain creates a bottleneck. The site features a nearly circular area measuring approximately 7 metres long and 6 metres wide, surrounded by a rampart of varying heights.

The rampart reaches 2 metres in height on the northern side and tapers down to 1 metre on the southern side. A 25-metre-long ditch, one metre deep, is excavated 4 metres below the northern rampart. On the southern slope, a triangular terrace measuring 9 metres long and 5 metres wide sits 6 metres below the top of the wall. The surrounding slopes reach heights of 8 to 12 metres.

Archaeological research conducted in 1966 dates the hillfort to between the middle of the first millennium and the 14th century. In 1995, the eroded northeastern slope was reinforced. Today, a dance floor is installed on top of the northern rampart, where the end of the northern ditch was covered with earth. To the northeast of the hillfort, a settlement covers a plot of 0.7 hectares.

The site remains a grassy area where linden trees and several oaks grow at the base of the rampart. It stands as a preserved example of an ancient defensive structure, reflecting the transition from a fortified settlement to a quiet historical site.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons