Hill of Crosses

The Hill of Crosses is a small mount with several hundred thousand crosses located on it.

There are several versions of this place’s origin. Legends have it that the first cross was established here by the father of a sick girl, who was hoping that it would help her recover. A few days later the girl actually got well. Having learned this story, locals also started bringing crosses to the hill.

According to another legend, there was an old temple on the hill, which got destroyed by a lightning strike. Some people claim to have seen processions of ghost monks here at night.

The Hill of Crosses also symbolizes the confrontation with the Soviet regime. In Soviet times, crosses were removed from here due to religious restrictions, but people kept bringing them back again.

In 1993, this place was visited by the Pope, John Paul II. He set up his cross and blessed the whole Europe. Since then, the mountain became a popular attraction for pilgrims.

The hill is located near the Lithuanian town, Šiauliai. You can reach it by the Kaliningrad – Riga highway. From Riga, it will take you about two hours to get there.

You can visit it free of charge at any time of the year.

Šiauliai, Lithuania