Bekešo kalnas

Bekešo kalnas is a historic hillfort in Vilnius's Pilių Reserve, located on the right bank of the Vilnia opposite Gediminas Hill. The site, which once had steep slopes up to 45 meters high, served as the burial place of Grand Duke Kaspar Bekeš in 1579. Because the clergy refused to bury him in consecrated ground on account of his heretical views, his relatives chose this hill instead. In the 19th century, flooding of the Vilnia severely eroded what remained of the rampart, so that today only a flat stretch of parkland exists at this spot. In the nearby Bernardine Garden, you can see an oak obelisk erected in 2009 in memory of the courageous warlord.