Kernavė Archaeological Site (Cultural Reserve of Kernavė)
The Kernavi Archaeological Site, located approximately 35 km northwest of Vilnius in eastern Lithuania, bears valuable witness to about 10,000 years of human settlement in the region. Located in the Neris River Valley, the site is a complex group of archaeological sites that includes the town of Kernavi, a fortress, some unfortified settlements, burial sites, and other archaeological, historical, and cultural monuments from the Upper Paleolithic to the Middle Ages. The site covers an area of 194.4 hectares and preserves traces of ancient land use, as well as the remains of five impressive hill forts that were part of a vast defense system. Kernavi was an important feudal town in the Middle Ages. The town was destroyed by the Teutonic Knights at the end of the 14th century, but the site has been used until modern times.