Rambynas

Rambynas is a hill on the right bank of the Neman River in Rambynas Regional Park, Pagėgiai Municipality, western Lithuania. The current hill, about above sea level and about above the Neman, is a remnant of the larger hill that was destroyed by erosion. The hill was known as sacred among locals and played a role in the ceremonies of pagan Lithuanians. It is featured in many local legends and is protected by the state as a mythological object. A large stone at the top of the hill, known as the altar stone, was destroyed by a miller in 1811. Rambynas became popular with Prussian Lithuanians at the end of the 19th century who organized various events, most notably celebrations of the Saint Jonas' Festivals or Rasos (summer solstice), on the hill. They rebuilt the altar in 1928. The hill is popular with Lithuanian neo-pagans and hosts the annual celebrations of the summer solstice on 23 June. Geography The hill is located between the villages of Bitėnai and Bardinai on the right bank of the Neman River. The nearest towns are Pagėgiai and Vilkyškiai. The river serves as the border between Lithuania and the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia. Rambynas is located about north of Neman (previously Ragnit, Ragainė) and east of Sovetsk (previously Tilsit, Tilžė). Geographically, it is part of the long moraine ridge known as Vilkyškiai ridge formed during the last glacial period. A large landslide in length and in width occurred on 12 September 1835. Smaller landslides occurred on 21 July 1878 (about in length) and in summer 1926. Today, only its northern slope survives. The remaining hill measures in length and up to in width. It rises about above sea level and about above the Neman.