BLUE HILL (ALSO BLUE HILL OF PIKSTER)

In the middle of a field in Zilkalne, there is an isolated, tree-covered hill. It is one of the many Blue Hills in Latvia - the fabled Blue Castle Hill of Sunākste. From the top, you can enjoy a picturesque view of the Sunākste hills and the picturesque Pikstene Lake, which is a favourite place for Sunākstes to relax. The Blue Hill is 20 metres high, isolated, tree-covered, but on its southern side there is a plateau with a small kump.  On the eastern and north-eastern sides there are trenches from World War I. The mound has a cultural layer about a metre thick, containing fragments of rimless, plain, plastered, and streaked pottery, and a stone axe was found at the foot of the hillfort. No extensive archaeological research has been carried out on the hillfort. The first vague information about the hillfort at Pikster was given by August Büllenstein in 1882. Archaeological findings suggest that the Blue Hill at Pikster dates to the 1st millennium BC. A.D. and A.D. The 1st millennium and this period of occupation can be traced back to the culture of the Selonians and their ancestors The Cirši and Mazlāči ancient graves are in its surroundings. The hill is called Blue Hill because it looks blue in the morning. According to the legend, the hillfort was covered with hats and the hillfort-builders were slaves.