Palemonas Hill

Palemonas Hill, also called the Seredžius Mound by the locals, is located in Jurbarkas district. The hill is 30 metres high and stands in a particularly beautiful and scenic place, in the valley of Nemunas and on the bank of Pieštvė River.

Visitors of the mound can use the stairs to reach its top which reveals a breath-taking view of the valley of Nemunas. There were once settlements built on the foot of the mound, the remains of which were discovered by archaeologists.

Seredžius Mound was renamed to Palemonas Hill at the beginning of the 19th century. Legend says that Palemonas, the ruler of Samogitia and Lithuania is buried here. According to the legend, duke Palemonas was persecuted by the Roman emperor, and reached our land with his family by sailing through the Baltic Sea. By sailing through Nemunas, he reached the current Seredžius area where the duke built a castle and stayed in it. 

Pieštvė Castle stood on Palemonas Hill in 1293–1363. It was attacked by the Crusaders at least six times from 1293 to 1357, and each time its outer baileys were burned down. In 1363, Pieštvė Castle was seized and burned down after negotiations, when its garrison left. The castle was rebuilt once again after the Battle of Grunwald, and was mentioned in 1412–1413.

It is said that Palemonas Hill, on which the castle stood, was a sacred place of ancient rites.

The mound was built on the cape of the upper terrace of Nemunas, formed by Pieštvė River. The mound is surrounded by Pieštvė River from its north-western side, and by the valley of Nemunas from the south. It can be accessed from the north-eastern side. The site of the mound is elongated and almost triangular.

There was once a settlement in an area of 1.5 ha on the eastern and southern foot of the mound where rough, thrown pottery, clay plaster and animal bones were discovered.