What is "rambynas"

Rambynas - the last remaining sacred place of Balts. It is a hill on the right bank of the Neman River in western Lithuania ( Tauragė County, Pagėgiai Municipality). Across the river is Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast. The hill belongs to the territory of Rambynas Regional Park, Lithuania. The nearby cities include Pagėgiai and Tauragė in Lithuanian Republic and Neman (Ragainė) and Sovetsk (Tilžė) in Kaliningrad Oblast.

The hill is thought to have been the place of an ancient Skalvian fort, destroyed by the Teutonic Knights in 1276. Later it was used for the religious ceremonies of pagan Lithuanians. An old pagan altar stood atop the hill until the early 19th century, when the top of the hill was washed out by the Neman. In the 20th century the area was popularized by Vydūnas, who organized concerts of Lithuanian choirs. A number of legends concerning the Rambynas Hill exist. The place is still popular for Lithuanian festivals. Saint Jonas' Festival ( Rasos) is celebrated on this hill annually.

A large part of this hill is already washed out by the Neman River. Major conservation works were finished in 2003 to preserve it from further erosion. Now Rambynas is about 46 metres above seal level.