One of the most mysterious and least known hillforts of the Klaipėda District is the Gerduvėnai Hillfort, which is hidden in the dense forests stretching along the banks of the Minija River to the north of Gargždai. Although visible from the highway, it is quite difficult to distinguish this green hill from other similar hills on the left bank of the Minija River without knowing the exact location of the hillfort. And it is not very easy to reach – you need to turn off the highway at Vėžaičai, drive towards Lapiai and follow the signs after descending into the valley.
The hillfort stands on the edge of the highland on the left bank of the Gerdauja River. The slopes are steep, up to 35 metres high, so those willing to go up them will have a difficult hike, which will end at the oval 95×70-metre site at the top of the hillfort. Unlike most of the hillforts in the area, on this one, it is difficult to spot actual defensive fortifications – only a connoisseur can notice the remains of two ditches and the bank between them on the south-east edge of the site, as well as the fore-work built on the higher ground and also fortified with a small bank and a ditch.
It is said that on Sundays, at midday as well as at midnight, an old man smoking a pipe appears on the top of the hillfort, or something rolls down the hillfort into the Gerdauja River with a loud crash. That is all that is known about this hillfort.
There is an old settlement in the fields at its western foot and 500 metres to the south, there’s a cemetery dating back to the 2nd–13th centuries. The hillfort itself should be of a similar period.
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