Hotels near Bilionys Hillfort

Bilionys hillfort is one of the best-shaped mounds in Samogitia and one of the least visited, sitting in a pocket of forest and bog north-east of Šilalė. Its southern side holds a cultural layer and visible traces of earthworks, and local tradition, backed by some researchers, identifies it as Pilėnai - the stronghold whose defenders burned their castle and themselves in 1336 rather than surrender to the Teutonic Order.

That identification is contested, with Punia in southern Lithuania the more widely accepted candidate, but the claim is why locals call the mound Pilies kalnas and why Vytautas Klova's 1956 opera Pilėnai turns up on the information boards. There are no steps and no ticket office. A path leaves the roadside verge, climbs steeply through hazel scrub and comes out on a grass plateau with a clear view over the tree line.

Pro Tip: Combine Bilionys with the Aukštagirė tower. They are about 2 km apart on the same side road, and the 23 km Aukštagirė trail links them for anyone on a bicycle, which turns two short stops into a proper half-day.