Kalniškė mound, located on the other side of Minija river in front of Gargždai town, is related to the Curonian Garisda fortress, which belonged to the lands of Ceklis, mentioned in the South Courland division act of 4 April 1253. These circumstances had Gargždai mentioned in written sources for the first time. The mound, protected by three ditches and four steep banks, is approximately 20 m high. It has a spacious trapezoidal top, elongated in the east-west direction. The foothill settlement used to be located in a 1 ha area at the foot of the mound. People refer to the surrounding fields as Raganinė, telling stories of an ancient worshipping place. Trimmed and tidied, Kalniškė mound is now a very attractive tourist location, offering views over the town of Gargždai.
The mound, established on a promontory on the left bank of Minija, dates back to the 1-13th c. The trapezoidal top is 100 m long, 13-30 m wide and 1.5 high. The sides unprotected by natural obstacles, were covered by 4 banks with 3 ditches in between. The slopes are steep and 20 m high.
The 1 ha foothill settlement dates back to the second half of the 1st millennium-early 2nd millennium, featuring a cultural layer with coarse, smooth and rimmed ceramics, stone grinders, a sandstone spindle, and a brass chain.
Some say that in the eastern part of the mound there was a brick-built cave, leading inside the mound. There are stories of immeasurable treasures, hidden inside and guarded by a master of the fortress, wearing a black top hat, and that there is a sunken manor inside the mound. There is also a legend of a young couple, who loved each other very much, but weren't meant to be together, so now locals keep seeing a young lad, clad in white, coming out of the underground and roaming around the mound, looking for his beloved. A maiden, clad in white, shows up on the other side of the mound. The mound then sparkles with candle lights. Unfortunately, nobody knows if they have eventually met.
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