The second millennium hillfort of Vainatrakio

Vainatrakio piliakalnis is a hillfort and settlement located in the Taurakiemio eldership, between Vainatrakis and Vyčias. Dating to the beginning of the second millennium, the site is a state-protected monument covering an area of 10,600 square metres. It is situated on the right bank of the Vyčias river.

The fortification features a round clearing 28 metres wide, surrounded by a rampart that slopes down into a ditch 5 metres wide and 2 metres deep. Beyond this, a second rampart rises 2 metres high and 7.5 metres wide. To the northeast of this rampart, another 5-metre-wide ditch has been excavated. The slopes of the hillfort average 5 metres in height.

During the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, the clearing served as a cemetery known as Prūskapinės, where German landowners buried family members until 1921. After this time, treasure hunters began excavating the graves. Today, the site is overgrown with wild vegetation and thorny bushes, where the remains of old headstones can still be found among the thickets.

The site is reachable via a road through Patamulšelis, situated 150 metres from the gravel path in a north-easterly direction. Information signs are located near the stream and at the foot of the hillfort, though they are often hidden by dense vegetation during the summer months. The surrounding area consists of cultivated fields, while the area between the Striaunė channel and the hillfort remains wild.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons