- Place
- Raseiniai District Municipality
- Region
- Raseiniai District
- Type
- Hillfort chapel
- Address
- Pilkalnio k., Betygalos sen., Raseinių r. sav.
- Coordinates
- 55.35002, 23.37628
- Visit duration
- 45 minutes-1.5 hours
- Best time
- a dry day, when the hillfort platform and slopes are easier to explore
Betygala Hillfort Chapel
Chapel, Pilkalnis village: the register name
The object is named Chapel, Pilkalnis village and has Cultural Heritage Register code 45559. Betygala Hillfort Chapel is a useful local and map short name, while the register form remains Chapel, Pilkalnis village.
The chapel stands on Betygala II Hillfort, also called Alkos Hill or Aukos Hill. The map coordinate identifies the site in Pilkalnis village; the final approach and parking depend on local conditions.
Betygala II Hillfort's relief
Betygala II lies about 0.1 km southeast of Betygala I, beside the cemetery. Its steep slopes are about 18-25 m high, with a levelled summit platform roughly 90 by 70 m.
A semicircular defensive ditch remains at the foot, about 90 m long, 16 m wide, and 3 m deep. Betygala II is considered the probable fortified bailey of Betygala I, associated with the beginning of the second millennium.
The chapel's date and the surrounding memory
The chapel standing in the middle of the platform dates to 1860-1866. That chronology belongs to this hillfort chapel, so it should not be transferred to another cemetery or parish chapel in Betygala.
A spring called Krivio akis is described between the two Betygala hillforts. This makes the stop more than an isolated building: chapel, platform, ditch, and spring direction are separate but closely connected landscape markers.
What to notice on the Betygala II platform
On arrival, find the modest chapel on the platform and then read its relationship with the slopes and semicircular ditch. A slow circuit makes the defensive character of Betygala II easier to understand than a quick photograph alone.
The chapel and its immediate hillfort setting are the focus here. Betygala's St Nicholas Church, Betygala I Hillfort, and the Raseiniai Regional History Museum are separate places that may belong on a wider route.
Planning a visit to the Betygala hillfort chapel
The chapel has no permanent interior schedule or ticket office. Plan on an outdoor visit; ask locally about interior access or photography and respect the cemetery's quiet.
The slopes are steep, and grass or ground may be slippery after rain. Treat the coordinate as a site point, not as parking, an accessible path, or the only gate. Protect the ditch, earthworks, cemetery setting, and any local signs.
