Today, I'm proud to volunteer myself to be your tourist guide. One of the mysterious places that you probably don't know about Lithuanian is the Hill of Crosses. Your journey to Lithuania won't worth you money, if you don't have your eyes set on this miraculous yet interesting sight to spot. All photos are collections of Ralph Russel, Michael Smith and Joe Owen.
This amazing tourist spot is found in Lithuania. It is the Lithuanian national pilgrimage centre called Hill of Crosses, Kryziu Kalnas, and is located 12 km northward of the small industrial city of Siauliai (pronounced shoo-lay). Just outside of Siauliai, one can see Lithuania's most well-known, unique and expensive monument standing proudly upon a small hill with bulk of crosses featuring Christian devotion and identity. Here, you won't find any churches or Christianity symbolizations as in other holy places around the world.
Getting to the Hill of Crosses is simple. A trip by local bus will take you 3 hours to get to Klaipeda, Palanga, and Kaunas, and then a further 30 minutes to reach the turnoff to the hill. Remember to ask for the “Kryziu kalnas” (Hill of the Crosses) stop on the A12 highway. Once you get off, you'll see a sign (on your side if you're coming from Riga or points north; but across the A12 if you're coming from Siauliai) reads “Kryziu kalnas 2” which points down a road. Walk further down the road and you'll see the hill on your right-hand side.
It's approximately the same amount of time from Riga. Generally, busses and trains to Vilnius will take about 4.5 hours. Before taking the bus, bear in mind that you should flag it to stop. Buses between Riga and Siauliai will stop as the same place as the local buses. It's not advisable to take a train as it's less frequent and cost more. Taking a taxi will be the best option to get you there as Lithuanian buses are not always punctual but it will cost you 25 LT.
If your trip includes both Lithuanian and Latvia, then Siauliai will be the most convenient place for you to request to stop. No matter you're heading south or north, there's always a good connection for a bus or a rail in any city of the northern Lithuanian, Samogitia. Make sure you book ahead if you wish to stay longer in Siauliai. Cheapest accommodations are always limited, and occupied if you're not booking in advance.
The city of Siauliai, Lithuanian's fourth largest city, was discovered in 1236 but during the 14th century, it was conquered by Teutonic Knights. Only until the medieval period, the Hill of Crosses has symbolized as a place for a peaceful resistance of Lithuanian Catholicism to oppression. Before returning to Lithuanian in 1918, it was incorporated as part of USSR in 1795. It was recorded that by 1895, there were approximately 150 large crosses upon the Hill of Crosses, and the number increased to 200 in 1914, and about 400 large crosses were placed among thousands of smaller crosses by 1940.
The origins of the Hill of Crosses are still uncertain. The information for this site is very scarce, particularly when one could hardly explain why the crosses are placed here and what has caused it to become a worship place. This hill accumulates hundreds and even thousands of crosses. The Hill of Crosses, as its name suggests, is not likely a cemetery. Instead, it is claimed as a memorial to Lithuanian national identity.
Lithuania is the Europe's last country to convert to Christianity and has long maintained its tradition of cross-carving since 1389. The expression of the suffering image has been well-documented in the Christianity history. Christ cut the wood as his cross with a motif to express both his hope and sorrow, and because of this reason, the cross-carving itself has a particularly common motif to express both hope and sorrow. The tradition of placing crosses, according to some-written journals began in 1850 as a signification of Lithuanian defiance of foreign invaders. The local believes that one who left crosses on the hill will have good luck in life.
Presently, when you visit this place, you could see a variety of crosses appearing in various forms in all sizes. Not only the crosses are amazingly appeared in their number, but also they can range from 3 meters tall to the countless tiny examples hanging profusely upon the largest crosses. By the end of Soviet occupation in 1991, the hill had approximately 40,000 crosses, and this number has doubled in the intervening years and will constantly to increase daily.
I would love to visit. My father-in -aw was from Latvia and he told many stories of all of the Baltic States, but I have seen very few photos. Great article.
