Aizkraukle Castle Mound – Augstie or Kraukļu Hills.

The mountain is located on the right bank of the Daugava River, about 82 km from Riga. The hillfort is about 100 m long, 45-65 m wide, 40 m above Daugava level, about 67 m above sea level. The Ašķere River flows to the NW of the mound, the Kraukļupīte River on the other side. The hillfort is mentioned several times in the 13th century. The castle is mentioned in written sources for several centuries, where the name of the castle elder Vievaldis (Viewaldus) is also mentioned. The wooden castle on the hill was burnt down by the Crusaders in 1205. Aizkraukle castle mound is mentioned several times in the Chronicle of Indriķis. In 1839, the mound was surveyed by Friedrich von Kruse, who pointed out that there were many antiquities on the mound. On the basis of Krūze's excavations, Bērs proved that both Livs and Latgalians lived in the town at the foot of the mound. In 1930, Ernests Brastiņš surveyed the mound and published it in the book "Vidzeme Castle Mounds". The excavations of archaeologist Vladislav Urtāns revealed 30 buildings, 98 ovens, a potter's kiln and an iron extraction furnace. The earliest artefacts date back to the 1st century BC.

Nowadays, there is a car park nearby and a resting place at the top of the mound with a scenic view.