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Varniai regional park spans an area of 33 508ha comprising lakes, amongst them being lake Lūkstas - the largest Samogitian lake which also yields amber, swamps, and flat-top mounds formed back in the ice age. Atop of the mounds you can gaze at the hilly Samogitian panorama, observe the mounds of Medvėgalis, Girgždutė, Sprūdis, Moteraitis, and the unique urban centers of Varniai and Luokė. Amid all the mounds, the Šatrija mound dominates with its size and height. Considered to be the tallest and the biggest mound in Lithuania, it is also historically significant. According to archelogists, there was period when a wooden castle crowned the Šatrija mound. It is theorized that the first settlements nearby the mound were established as early as 2 centuries BC. It is also believed that the Šatrija mound might have been an important religious site for Lithuanian pagans after the christianization of Samogitia. This would explain the plethora of sacred monuments scattered around the Šatrija mound and all across the Varniai park.

Photos:

  • Tomas Viršilas

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