Aukštojas Hill
294 m
Lithuania
Also known as Aukštojas, Colina Aukštojas, +2Also known as
Aukštojas · Colina Aukštojas · Wysoka Góra · Аукштояс
- Elevation
- 294 m
- Prominence
- —
- Difficulty
- 1/10
- Easy walk
- Best Season
- May–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1A five-minute stroll of about 200 m along a footpath at the edge of a pine wood, from a small car park on the local road south-west of Medininkai to the summit boulder of Lithuania's highest point. A small wooden observation tower stands just below. Walkers can lengthen it by starting at neighbouring Juozapinė Hill, about 1 km away by farm track.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 0.4 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +6 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 295 m
- Time Up
- 7m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 7m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Vilnius drive about 30 km south-east towards Medininkai, then follow the local road (no. 5213) signposted to Juozapinė south-west out of the village. You pass the Juozapinė car park and the low summit of Juozapinė Hill with its King Mindaugas carving. Continue about 1 km across open farmland to a small car park by the trees, about 200 m from the top. In wet or snowy conditions, leave the car earlier. A built footpath follows the edge of the pine and planted oak wood for about 200 m to the summit. The top is marked by a large boulder and a concrete geodetic marker inscribed with the name and height (293.84 m). It also has the Balts' Sun Circle, a 2012 sculpture of a crown surrounded by four granite horse heads. A small wooden observation tower just below the summit lifts you to about 300 m above sea level, though trees block much of the southern view. For a longer walk, park at Juozapinė, cross its summit and follow the farm track about 1 km south-west to the woodland path. Allow about an hour for the round trip. Return the same way.
Start
Aukštojas car park284 m
- Suburban buses from Vilnius to Medininkai; the nearest stop, 3-ieji Medininkai on road 5213, is about 1 km east of the summit. Check current timetables, as services are limited.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aukštojas car park → Aukštojas | 0.4 | 6 | 0 | 7m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Aukštojas car park284 m
Small car park about 200 m from the summit; elevation approximate from DEM
- Summit: Aukštojas294 m
Summit boulder, geodetic marker and Balts' Sun Circle; observation tower just below
Key Passages
- Footpath along the woodland edge to the summit boulder
Equipment
0/1 packedDownloads
Route confidence 65%Overview
Lithuania's highest point (293.84 m), a gentle pine-topped rise in the Medininkai Upland 24 km south-east of Vilnius, a few kilometres from the Belarusian border. A summit boulder, a sculpture circle and a small wooden tower lie a few minutes' walk from the road.
Aukštojas is the high point of the Medininkai Upland, the north-western part of the Ašmena Upland. This old glacial landscape of rounded hills, ravines and dry valleys has no lakes. The summit is a barely perceptible top in a pine grove at the edge of farmland, within the Juozapinė geomorphological reserve and about 1 km south-west of Juozapinė Hill, which was the official national high point until 2004.
The visit is short. A small car park lies about 200 m from the top, and a footpath leads along the woodland edge to a large boulder and a concrete geodetic marker giving the height. Next to them is the Balts' Sun Circle, a 2012 sculpture of a crown surrounded by four granite horse heads. A small wooden observation tower lets you see over the fields towards Juozapinė and Medininkai, though trees block much of the view.
Most visitors combine the hill with Juozapinė, the restored 14th-century Medininkai Castle about 2 km to the north-east, and the village church. The Belarusian border and the Medininkai crossing are only a few kilometres away.
Climbing Notes
No preparation is needed; the walk from the car park takes about five minutes. A longer approach from Juozapinė over a farm track takes about an hour for the round trip and is easy enough for small children. The tracks are muddy in spring and late autumn, and in deep snow you may need to park further back. There are no facilities at the summit, so bring water. Take ID because the area is close to the Belarusian border, and follow any instructions from border guards.
History
Juozapinė Hill (292.7 m on most sources) was long regarded as Lithuania's highest point. In 2004 GPS measurements by the Institute of Geodesy at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University showed the neighbouring, previously unnamed hill was about 1 m higher. Its name, after Aukštėjas or Aukštojas, the supreme sky god of Lithuanian mythology, was proposed by historian Libertas Klimka and won a naming competition. The hill was informally 'baptised' on 20 June 2005, and the Vilnius District Council approved the name on 18 November 2005. The land was taken out of agricultural use for tourism and culture, and the Balts' Sun Circle sculpture by Dalia Matulaitė was unveiled in 2012. In 2006 about 300,000 'thank you' signatures collected here were taken to Iceland, the first country to recognise restored Lithuanian independence, and Lithuanian soil was scattered on Hvannadalshnúkur.
Season
Best May–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Snow may block the last stretch of road
- Feb
- Snow may block the last stretch of road
- Mar
- Thaw; muddy farm tracks
- Apr
- Muddy early in the month
- Oct
- Muddy after rain
- Nov
- Short, wet days; muddy tracks
- Dec
- Short days; snow possible
Access & Permits
- Rules
- The hill lies within the Juozapinė geomorphological reserve; keep to paths and tracks
- The Belarusian border is about 4 km away; carry ID and do not approach the border strip
- Getting There
Medininkai (about 2 km north-east); Vilnius 24 km north-west
Vilnius International Airport (VNO)
- Car: from Vilnius take the A3 / E28 towards Minsk, turn off for Medininkai and follow the signs for Juozapinė and Aukštojas on local road 5213 (about 30–40 minutes)
- Bus: suburban buses from Vilnius to Medininkai; nearest stop 3-ieji Medininkai, about 1 km east of the summit. Services are limited, so check current timetables