Narkūnai mound can be reached from the center of Utena along Molėtai Street. After passing the northern part of the Narkūnai settlement, turn left. You will be greeted by a newly installed staircase at the height of the Utenėlė riverbank. It will lead all the way to the top of the mound. The steep fourteen meters high slopes are covered in trees. The site of the Narkūnai mound is triangular, on its northern side there is a rampart with a ditch. To the north of the mound is the semi-circular site of the outwork, and to the west, on an area of one hectare, there is a foothill settlement. Two cultural layers are distinguished in the Narkūnai mound, the outwork and the settlement. The early one, dating from the 1st millennium BC to the 2nd century, and the late one - the beginning of the 14th-15th centuries. The best preserved finds are from the earlier period. From them, one can guess about the former fortifications of two rows of wooden posts with branch weaving. They burned and were rebuilt again and again. The fortifications of the 14th century were built from clay, using stones and both vertical and horizontal logs. It is assumed that in the 13th century, the castle of Duke Daumantas of Nalšia stood here. At the end of the 14th century, the surroundings were ravaged by the Livonian Order, and in 1433, during the Lithuanian grand dukes' struggle for the throne, the castle was burned down. It is believed that after that, people moved from the settlement near the mound and settled a few kilometers away, where the city of Utena is now. Pranciškus Vilčinskis excavated the mound in the 19th century. He discovered a thick cultural layer containing pieces of burnt clay, shards of pots and other finds. More than a hundred years later, in 1959, the settlement at the foot of the mound was investigated by the Utena Museum of Local History (led by B. Valuckytė). A cultural layer up to 25 cm thick was found here with molded striped and fired ceramics. These finds are kept by the Utena Museum of Local History. In 1975-1978, the Narkūnai mound was explored by the archaeological commission of the Institute of History of Lithuania and Vilnius University, led by R. and P. Kulikauskai. Then many ceramics, bone, stone, bronze items, clay molds, a bronze melting furnace, unearthed remains of structures and hearths, etc. were found. Residents of Utena and guests of the city gather on the Narkūnai mound during various holidays. In celebration of St. John's Day, huge bonfires are lit on the mound, flower wreaths are floated down the Utenėlė River.
