Hill of Crosses
Lithuania · Šiauliai · 80 m
Description
The Hill of Crosses stands on a low mound north of Šiauliai and carries well over a hundred thousand crosses, planted there by pilgrims and left to accumulate. It began after an uprising against the Russian empire in 1831 whose dead had no graves. Soviet authorities bulldozed the hill at least three times from 1961 and each time the crosses came back within days, which made the site a symbol of national and religious resistance. Pope John Paul II said mass here in 1993. Crosses of every size hang on crosses.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 day
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Hill of Crosses and its hundred thousand crosses
- Cross crafting, a UNESCO intangible heritage
- Soviet bulldozing and the crosses returning
- Leaving a cross of your own
- Franciscan monastery on the far side
- Šiauliai and its bicycle museum(Day trip)
- Sundial square in Šiauliai(Day trip)