Bišpiluikai (Kalnėnai CastleSite)

The survived German (Teutonic) mound in the Nemunas valley is called Bišpiliukai, or sometimes – Pipirkalniai. The hills are separated from each other by a ditch. Its current depth is 4 m, bottom width is 6 m. The slopes are steep, about 8 m high. Both hills extend in the east-west direction. A deep and wide ditch, which has already swallowed in places, surrounds the hill in a quadrangle. There could have been two or even three ditches here in the past. On this hill, people used to find bricks, chars and metal objects. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were buildings and vegetable gardens on it. The top of the hill has flattened out and its original height is unclear.

In 1337-1403 there stood the German castle Jurgenburg (Georgenburg) on Bišpiliukai.  Crusader castles of this type were built at the confluence of two rivers. At that time, the Mituva flowed into the Nemunas near Bišpiliukai. The name of Jurbarkas is derived from the name of the castle.

The armies led by the Grand Dukes of Lithuania tried to take Jurgenburg Castle. For example, in 1380 it was Duke Vytautas  “with many ships”; at the beginning of April of 1382 it was Duke  Kęstutis and   Vytautas  Kaributas; the ship, sailed to Jurbarkas and  shelled the castle with cannons and Lithuanians used powder bombards for the first time in history.  After fleeing to the Crusaders for the second time, in 1392 Vytautas also lived in Jurgenburg. Vytautas’ brother Žygymantas was also held hostage in this castle.

On October 22, 1919 at a secret meeting held in Bišpiliukai, the board of the Jurbarkas Riflemen Division was elected. The riflemen now look after this mound.