Kernave

Such a lovely place. Kernave was the first capitol of Lithuania and the first settlement as well. The town is a quiet little hamlet most of the time. I first came here a few years ago before it became popular. The ancient hills continue to beckon.

There are no billboards announcing it. It is a walking village and not for the faint of heart. After parking the car, there is a promenade to traverse to the lovely church that celebrates 600 years of Christianity in Lithuania. The first time I came here two knights were guarding the entrance to the church grounds. There were quite convincing. A huge statue of Vytautas with his crown at his feet stands looking to the river announcing that this is the place for a church. Across the promenade is an iron wolf, much like the one at the Katedral in Vilnius. The church celebrates 600 years of Christianity in Lithuania. To the left of the church is the entrance to the archaeological site. The view to the river and beyond is spectacular. It is easy to see why it is such a treasure.

Behind the church are the hills. The first one is Castle Hill. Once there was a formidable wooden castle here. The ancients soon found that wood was not a good building material for castles when it was burned to the ground. Today there are many structures built of tree trunks for the many craftsmen who are here during festival days. I saw pigs roasting, linen being woven, and armor being hammered into shape here on another day. Today there are only a few others besides the four of us. We walk down Castle Hill and start the ascent up Mindaugus Hill. It is worth the climb.

It is easy to imagine the ancients living atop these hills. They are very close together and so the workload could be easily delineated between the hills. One for the men to hone their fighting skills, one for domestic arts. Next we walked to the top of Fire Hill, where there is an enormous fire pit. Although it is covered with vegetation, it is obvious that is deeper than a person can stand. I can imagine colossal fires raging through the night. I imagine they would be daunting to their opponents. I suspect that reputation had much to do with power during these ancient times. I can imagine outsiders seeing the fire for miles. This is the stuff legends are made of.

The land drops off from here to the river. This area is a Unesco World Heritage site. Archaeologists have found the remains of the first village on the banks of the Neirus River. It is easy to see the king and his warriors atop the big hills, scrutinizing the horizon for strangers.
From the top of Fire Hill, the landscape is that of fairy tales. The Neirus River winds its way through the countryside.

It is getting late as we gather to leave. The sun is beginning to set over the hills. Today has been another wonderful day in Lithuania.