Sand hill Battle site

Located on the side of the Bauska - Aizkraukle (P87) road, 2.5 km northeast of Taurkalne - between the aforementioned village and the Daugava. In the case of Smilšu kalnas (84 m above sea level), we must speak of a relatively large inland dune massif about 2 km wide and 3 km long, the highest point of which is the aforementioned hill. 2.9 km northeast of Smilšu kalnas rises the equally high Priežu kalnas. Between Smilšu kalnas and Priežu kalnas, when looking at the area in nature and on LIDAR maps, a dense network of infrastructure from the First and Second World War - trenches, buildings, warehouses, etc. - can be seen, which manifest themselves in nature as pits and trenches of various sizes and shapes. Such "footprints" are also visible in some places on the north- and east-facing slopes of the dunes surrounding Smilšu kalnas. Considering that at the end of the Bauska-Aizkraukle road, the German army had built a bridge over the Daugava during World War II (the supports on the banks have survived), the so-called “Flakturm” was built on Āmuri Hill to protect the bridge, while Taurkalne was home to a railway station and, according to legend, ammunition depots, this area has had important military and strategic significance. Less than a kilometer away from the Smilšu Hill dune massif, a continuous line of trenches can be traced in nature and on LIDAR maps, which encircles Priežu Hill, continuing for more than 9 km in a west-northwest direction to the Enkurnieki-Lāčplēsis road. It also exactly repeats the line of trenches furthest from the left bank of the Daugava on the map ““Zusammendruck Riga, Gezeichet u.gedruckt vd Vermessungs”” found in the map collection of the National Library of Latvia. The Smilšu Hill area is a suitable place for hiking.