On the cape of the plateau of the left bank of the Nemunas River formed by valleys of the Upys (Palendris) and the Nemunas, a mound dated back to the 1st millennium – the early 2nd millennium, otherwise called Raguva mound, was set up. This is a site of the ancient Lithuanian wooden castle. For defence purposes, our ancestors cut off the natural cape from the plateau by digging a semi-circular ditch and banking a mound from the dug earth. This way a yard area was formed. On the other side of the area, a smaller mound was banked. A wooden defence tower was built on the big mound. The yard was surrounded by a defence wall. From the side of the valley the castle was protected by a terrace with a wooden barrier and steep 15-20 m high slopes.
According to a legend, in the place where the Upis flows into the Nemunas, a strong and virtuous tribe ruled by the giant, wizard Jadagonis, defender of Lithuania against the enemy, used to live.
Edmundas Mališauskas photos
