The old village of Giluičiai lies on the shore of Lake Giluitis, about three kilometres west of Simnas. The lake gives the location a clear connection to the landscape; at the same time, historical and archaeological monuments shape the village. This gives you two distinct themes to consider when planning your trip: the lakeside setting and the history of Giluičiai.

Hillfort: Location and Directions

You can reach the Giluičiai Hillfort from the Simnas–Kalvarija road by turning towards Šarkiškiai at the Giluičiai junction. The hillfort is difficult to find, so plan your route carefully. The road, junction and direction to turn are specific landmarks to use together, rather than planning your visit based only on the destination’s name.

Topographically, the hillfort is located on the left bank of the Kriaušys stream and on a spur of the Giluičiai Heights. Its slopes reach up to 10 m in height. The stream bank, spur and slopes describe different features: its position in relation to the watercourse, its setting among the heights and its relief. The height figure refers to the hillfort’s slopes.

Archaeological Traces and Dating

There are many historical and archaeological monuments within the village boundaries. The hillfort dates from the 1st millennium to the beginning of the 2nd millennium. This dating adds a historical context to the topographical description and applies to the hillfort.

The Giluičių settlement offers another archaeological perspective. It has a cultural layer up to 1.3 m thick, where striped, coarse and smooth pottery forms have been found. The measurement describes the thickness of the cultural layer, while the three terms distinguish the pottery forms. At the settlement, the focus is on the layer and the types of finds, while the hillfort is described by its location, relief and dating.

Human bones and ancient artefacts were unearthed during gravel extraction in the fields of Giluičiai. This is a different find context from the settlement, with its cultural layer and pottery: here, the focus is on finds from fieldwork, while there it is on traces of the settlement. These different clues broaden the view of the village’s history.

Stay by the Lake

There is a beach on Lake Giluitis where campervan travellers can stay overnight. If you are travelling by campervan, check in advance whether this option is available for your dates. The beach information applies to campervan travellers; the hillfort and settlement are a separate cultural focus.

For planning, you can consider two questions separately: Do you want to seek out the hard-to-find hillfort, and is an overnight stay at the beach relevant to the way you travel? This lets you weigh up the route to the archaeological site and your overnight stay independently.

Discover more destinations: Nemunaitis, Raitininkų eldership, Praniūnai, Tabalenka.

Return to the main travel guide: Alytus District Municipality.