The Hill of Witches
On a wooded dune on the Baltic coast, dozens of carved wooden witches, devils and spirits line the forest paths.
What was reported
The Hill of Witches, Raganų kalnas, is a forested dune near the village of Juodkrantė on the Curonian Spit, on Lithuania's Baltic coast. Since 1979, folk artists have carved dozens of wooden sculptures there of characters from Lithuanian legends: witches, devils, spirits and heroes.
The hill has long been linked in local tradition with midsummer gatherings, when witches and spirits were believed to come out.
Explanations offered
It's a folk-art park rather than a mystery, celebrating a folklore in which witches and devils are often more mischievous than evil. It lies on the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of shifting dunes.
- When
- Carvings since 1979
- Where
- Juodkrantė, Curonian Spit, Lithuania
- Witnesses
- Folk artists and visitors
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.