The Lapiai Hillfort, also called ‘Pilalė’, stands on the right bank of the Žvelsa River.
The hillfort is situated in the village of Lapiai, 0.95 kilometres southeast of the Vėžaičiai-Kartena road, 0.65 kilometres northeast of the cemetery of Lapiai, 0.6 kilometres southwest of the confluence of the Trumpė and Žvelsa rivers, 0.55 kilometres south of the cemetery of the village of Greičiūnai, and 0.1 kilometres northwest of the right bank of the Žvelsa River.
The hillfort stands in the valley of the Žvelsa River, in a place that is particularly attractive and valuable in terms of recreation. The hillfort is protected as an immovable object of cultural heritage.
The hillfort’s slopes are steep – about 10 metres high. The top site is oval, about 70x30 metres in size, oriented in the northeast-southwest direction. The northern slope is gentle and most suitable for climbing. Although the main access to the hillfort is from the south, the slopes there are steep and not suitable for climbing. So far, there are no recreational attractions at the top of the hillfort. The site, like the hillfort itself, is bosky.
At the foot of the hillfort, there is a traditional country-style residential homestead, whose owners take care of the hillfort’s surroundings.
It is believed that the hillfort was used as a hiding place during enemy attacks. It dates back from the first millennium to the 13th century.
Among legends circulating about the hillfort, there is one stating that it was created by the Swedes and another stating that the hillfort once swallowed a mansion with some Germans inside it. The local elderly used to say that there was a deep hole on the top of the hillfort filled with the remains of masonry.
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