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Mačiūnai Hillfort

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Legend has it that a young bride was being taken over this hill, forcibly arranged to marry an unwanted groom. When they reached the top of the hill, lightning struck unexpectedly, and the frightened horses overturned the cart. The bride vanished without a trace, but later people claimed to have seen her ghost on the hill. Although the true story behind this legend is unknown, the name Bride’s Hill has persisted to this day.

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On the journey between Kaunas and Prienai, as you enter the town, you will immediately see the impressive Mačiūnai Hillfort, with its slopes reaching right up to the roadside. Locals refer to this hill as the Bride’s Hill. It is a great spot to stop, relax, and exercise by climbing the wooden steps to the top of the hillfort. Legend has it that a young bride was being taken over this hill, forcibly arranged to marry an unwanted groom. When they reached the top of the hill, lightning struck unexpectedly, and the frightened horses overturned the cart. The bride vanished without a trace, but later people claimed to have seen her ghost on the hill. Although the true story behind this legend is unknown, the name Bride’s Hill has persisted to this day. Historians associate this hillfort with the end of the 1st millennium

and the beginning of the 2nd millennium. It was investigated during the interwar period by the famous archaeologist Petras Tarasenka. The hillfort is listed in the cultural heritage register, though part of its slopes were damaged due to the construction of a homestead, road building, and the damming of the Morkūnupis Stream. From the top of the hillfort, you can enjoy a scenic panorama of Prienai, with a landscape reminiscent of the hilly areas of Dzūkija, even though geographically this region belongs to Suvalkija. The sand dunes and pine forests are pleasing to the eye throughout the year. The hillfort stands on a hill on the left bank of the Morkūnupis Stream. Its platform is rectangular, oriented southwest to northeast, with ramparts and ditches, and the slopes rise up to 12 meters in height.

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