The hillfort rises on the right bank of the Nemunas, between the Stangė and Merkys rivers. It is the most significant witness to the past of this area. The remains of the steep hill show that the castle stood on a high promontory at the confluence of the rivers. Judging by the remains of an old settlement and the cultural layer found, an outer bailey is thought to have stood east of the hillfort, beyond a defensive ditch, on a large high hill between the Stangė and the Merkys. The hillfort that survives today no longer looks like the one that stood here a few centuries ago – a large part of it was washed away by the swift waters of the Stangė stream before the mid-20th century. In historical sources Merkinė is first mentioned in 1359 and is called one of the strongest and most important fortresses not only in Lithuania but in Eastern Europe. Merkinė castle was burned and rebuilt more than once. In 1377, 1394 and 1403 the Teutonic Knights attacked Merkinė, killed local people and plundered their property. On 30 November 1391 the castle was taken without a fight by Vytautas's army. In January 1394 it was burned by the retreating garrison. The castle witnessed not only wars but political events too: the rulers of Lithuania stayed here, settled questions of internal affairs and international relations in its halls, and hunted in the surrounding forests. Merkinė castle was attacked by enemies many more times, and it lost its defensive importance only after the victory at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, where the joint forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland defeated the Teutonic Order for good. Merkinė hillfort is about 20 metres high. Once you climb it, a wonderful view opens up of the surrounding forests, the confluence of the Merkys and the Nemunas with the island there, and the bridge over the Nemunas.