Aizkraukle Castle Mound – Augstie or Kraukļu Hills.

High Hills(also known as Ravens’ Hills, Batareja) is located on the right bank of the river Daugava by the embouchure of the Askere river and rises 40 m above the level of the river Daugava.

The castle mound has got two plateaus- a smaller one to the eastern direction, the other twice as big to the western direction. Excavations give evidences that it had been an ancient trading site. The mound was inhabited by Livs. There was a port by the embouchure of the Askere River. At the foot of the mound between the castle-mound and the river Daugava there was the Old town of Aizkraukle with the ancient church of Aizkraukle which served until the middle of the 17th century.

The tale about the castle of Aizkraukle and Spidala, the daughter of Aizkrauklis, was used in the epos “Lacplesis” (Bear Slayer) by A.Pumpurs and in the play “The Fire and the Night” by Rainis.