Hotels near Medvėgalis Hillfort

Medvėgalis is the one unmissable entry among the best things to do in Šilalė District. At 234 metres above sea level it is the highest hill in Samogitia, and the hillfort on its crown was the region's main stronghold against the Teutonic Order. In February 1329 the army of John of Luxembourg, King of Bohemia, took Medvėgalis during a winter crusade, and thousands of Samogitians were baptised under duress before the crusaders withdrew and the locals returned to their old gods.

The site is an archaeological complex rather than a single mound. Medvėgalis stands with the Pilies, Pilorių, Alkos, Ąžuolų and Sumonų hills around it, linked by a kūlgrinda, a stone causeway laid under the surface of the marsh so defenders could cross ground that swallowed heavy cavalry. Wooden steps climb the steepest face from the Karūžiškė side. The summit plateau is bare grass with forest in every direction, and in winter the northern slope doubles as a sledging hill for half the district.

Pro Tip: Park in the marked lay-by on the Karūžiškė side and take the wooden steps rather than the tractor track that leaves from the field gate. The steps are shorter, and the track turns to slick clay for a week after heavy rain.