Svir. Castle Hill, or the Hillfort.

There are several monuments of architecture and antiquity in the ancient village of Svir, Myadel district. The dominant architectural feature is the Catholic Church of St. Nicholas.

        But if you want to see the entire panorama of the village and the huge Svir lake itself, then you need to climb the local Castle Hill, or else this archaeological monument is called the Hillfort, and there is another name – Dovmont Mountain.

           In order for you to climb the Hillfort, you need to wear comfortable shoes. And it is very easy to find the monument, since it is located in the center of the village at the intersection of the central streets of Sovetskaya and Naberezhnaya.

            Svir Castle, according to some researchers, existed in the 13th and 16th centuries during the era of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The castle was the residence of the Princes of Svirsky.

        Well-known and reputable historians Matej Stryjkovsky in the 16th century, historian Theodosius Safanovich in the 17th century, and Adam Honor Kirkor in the 19th century suggested that the founder of the town of Svir and the castle was Prince Dovmont, the legendary Prince of Nalshan. It is believed that Dovmont built his castle on the site of a pagan temple where Perun was. The castle fortifications were built of wood.

      There is a mountain near the village called 'Poklonikha', where merchants and passing people had to bow ('poklon') to the prince to allow him to stop under the protection of the Svir Castle. The importance of the castle in Svir decreased significantly after the construction of the stone castle in Krevo and Lida by Prince Gediminas.