Hill of Crosses, Religious pilgrimage site in Šiauliai District Municipality, Lithuania
Two small hills contain more than 100,000 crosses of various sizes, from tiny wooden pieces to large metal crucifixes covering the entire surface.
The first crosses appeared in the 1830s when families commemorated victims of uprisings against Russian rule by placing memorial markers on the former hillfort.
The Hill of Crosses represents Lithuanian cross-crafting traditions, recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage for its role in preserving national identity.
The site remains open throughout the year with free admission, and visitors can purchase crosses from local vendors to contribute to the collection.
Soviet authorities demolished the site multiple times between 1961 and 1975, yet local residents continued placing new crosses under darkness despite political risks.
Location: Šiauliai District Municipality
Elevation above the sea: 105 m
Accessibility: Wheelchair inaccessible
Address: 81439 Jurgaičiai, Lithuania 81439 Jurgaičiai
Phone: +37041370860
Website: http://kryziukalnas.lt
GPS coordinates: 56.01536,23.41675
Latest update: May 28, 2025 18:34
This collection brings together locations that challenge the norms of conventional tourism. It offers the chance to discover places where nature, history, and human activities have created astonishing sites: a complex of 732 unfinished villas in Turkey, a Mexican island where hundreds of dolls are hung in trees, a Canadian lake with mineral-formed multicolored basins, and a Polish forest of 400 pines with mysteriously bent trunks facing north. The route also includes unique human-made creations, such as an art installation representing an isolated Prada store in the Texas desert, or the Japanese village of Nagoro where an artist populated the streets with 350 dolls after the residents left. Geological phenomena are also featured, including Darvaza crater in Turkmenistan, which has been burning continuously since 1971, the Great Blue Hole in Belize, a 124-meter-deep underwater cavity, and Colombia’s Caño Cristales river that changes color to red, yellow, and green from July to November. These destinations provide a different perspective on our planet and invite exploration of lesser-known facets of our world.
Lithuania features medieval castles, baroque monasteries, national parks with lakes and forests, as well as historical cities. The country has religious sites like the Hill of Crosses, museums focused on Soviet history and the Holocaust, spa resorts, and seaports on the Baltic Sea. Monuments include Gediminas Tower in Vilnius, Trakai Island Castle, and the Pažaislis Monastery in Kaunas.
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