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Mačiūnai Hillfort

Archeology

When you drive the road from Kaunas to Prienai and almost pass the town, you will notice a hillfort with the slope reaching the roadside. We recommend stopping by to stretch your legs and climb the wooden stairs leading to Mačiūnai Hillfort. Locals call it the "Bride's Hill". 

Legend has it that once upon a time a young lady was carried through this hill who was supposed to be married to unloved men by force. When the carriage reached the top of the hill, a lightning strike occurred like a bolt from the blue, and scared horses turned over the carriage. The young lady disappeared, but people from surrounding villages could see her phantom on the hill. No one knows whether it is true or not, but the name of the "Bride's Hill" took hold for a long time.

Historians tell another story about this hillfort. It is believed it was formed in the beginning of the first-or the second millennium. Petras Tarasenka, one of the most famous archaeologists, explored the hill in the Interwar period. Its precise purpose remains unknown. The hillfort was listed in the objects of Cultural Property. Some slopes were locally damaged when building the grange, some of them during road construction and damming up the Morkūnupis River.

A panoramic view over Prienai opens from the top of it. Despite the fact that the hillfort geographically belongs to Suvalkija, the rock landscape that opens up is typical of landscapes of Dzūkija. Sandy hills, beautiful pinewood throughout the year. If you take a closer look at the fields, you will notice the stretching marshes named Tartokas and Velniabliūdis.

It is easy to reach the hillfort by car with parking available in front of the hill. The locality has a wooden marker. But if you happen to be somewhere nearby, there is a cycleway to reach the hill.  If looking towards Prienai you would wish to learn more about this town, visit the statue of the Grand Duke Kęstutis, or discover a wooden church in Baroque style hiding behind the bricks and Prienai Regional Museum.

Reviews

Gintautas 2019-02-02


Nuotakos kalnas yra aukščiau Mačiūnų piliakalnio , kitoje kelio pusėje, net ženklas ten yra. Be to archeologė B. Lisauskaitė rašo ,, Mačiūnų piliakalnio teritorijos ŠV riba eina Mokūnupio upeliu. Piliakalnį iš ŠV, V ir PV juosia šio upelio slėnis, o iš PR ir R – Nemuno slėnis. ŠR pusėje esanti dirbtinai suformuota loma skiria piliakalnį nuo toliau esančios aukštumos, kuri vietinių gyventojų iki šiol vadinama Nuotakos kalnu, matyt, nuo netoliese esančio Nuotakos upelio pavadinimo,,