Tērvetes pilskalni

Tērvete Castle mound
People have inhabited Tērvete Castle mound for more than a thousand years. We get to know about the ancient Tērvete, Semigallians’ life and battles till the 13th century from the archeological excavations. The mound had 2 outskirts and ancient town which covered the territory of about 9.5 ha. The found things prove that in the outcastles have lived craftsmen - there are found 4690 antiquities. In the 13th century Semgallians’ political and administrative centre was located there. Its governors Viestards and Nameisis have been among the best governors from the Baltic nations in military and political sense.

Klosterkalns (Convent Hill) had been inhabited since 1st century B.C.till the begining of A.D., it has been fortified with two parallel beam walls, at the sides of the square were hearths. Later there was found a stone axe, stones for grating corn, earthenmoulds for casting bronze objects, an iron knife and pottery with scratched surfice. There lived the ancestors of ancient Semgallians.

Svētais kalns (Holy Hill) is one of Tērvete’s fort - hills, a holy place of our distant ancestors. The Holy or the Swedish Hill is a castle mound.  In 1285–86 German crusaders built their castle there, but after the conquest of Zemgale they destroyed it. During the Northern War the hill was a stronghold of the Swedish army therefore it dot its second name – Swedish.