Hill of Crosses, Religious pilgrimage site in Šiauliai District Municipality, Lithuania
Two small mounds are completely covered with more than 100,000 crosses of varying sizes, from tiny wooden pieces to large metal crucifixes, standing densely packed together and forming multiple layers across the terrain.
Crosses first appeared during the 1830s when families honored victims of uprisings against Russian rule by placing memorial markers on a former fortified hill that had served as a defensive position since the Iron Age.
This site embodies Lithuanian cross-crafting tradition, designated by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, and serves as a symbol of national resistance during centuries of foreign occupation in the Baltic region.
Access remains unrestricted throughout the year with no admission fee, and visitors can purchase crosses from local vendors to add to the collection. The location sits approximately 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) north of Šiauliai along the road to Joniškis.
Soviet authorities destroyed the location multiple times between 1961 and 1975 using bulldozers and burning wooden crosses, yet local residents returned at night to place new ones despite facing arrest and persecution.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
