The Hill of Crosses, Šiauliai
About the the Hill
The Hill of Crosses (“Kryžių kalnas” in Lithuanian) is, as the name implies, a hill full of crosses. I was really surprised by the amount of crosses. Pilgrims and other people from all over the world and not just Lithuania go to the Hill of Crosses to leave a cross or other religious objects such as amulets, necklaces, religious paintings and drawing and more. I personally expected it would be known mostly by Lithuanians but actually it is more international than expected. The Hill is one of the most famous attractions in Lithuania and it’s of large historical and architectural importance. If you are staying in Vilnius, going to Šiauliai and the Hill of Crosses is a good choice for a daytrip.
History
It seems that the Hill’s crosses were mentioned for the first in written chronicles in 1850. However, some believe that the first crosses were placed at the hill by the relatives of the victims of the November Uprising in 1831, also known as Cadet Revolution or as Polish-Russian War 1830–1831.
The Hill of Crosses was already considered a sacred place in the beginning of the 1900s and it was also a place where people went for the Mass and devotion. We can say that during Soviet times the hill became even more important as it was a site where people could show their persistence to the regime anonymously and secretly. The Soviet government didn’t like this place and find it a bad and harmful site, which lead to them destroying the crosses. The Hill of Crosses was damaged a lot of times but despite all these incidents, people kept placing their crosses there.
In 1988 the attraction became famous worldwide and was even visited by the Pope John Paul II on September 7th 1993.
Currently the Hill of Crosses is in the hands of Šiauliai diocese.
How to get there
First you have to get the bus or the train from Vilnius to Šiauliai. Once you arrive at Šiauliai, you should get a local bus from Šiauliai’s bus station which goes to ‘Domantai’ which is the actual/real name of the hill. Domantai is a bus stop in almost the middle of nowehere, in the agrous, then from Domantai bus stop it takes about 25 minutes to walk to the Hill of Crosses.
I don’t consider this attraction a very tourist-friendly option; it is not very easy to arrive at the Hill if you are alone and not a local; the people in Šiauliai generally don’t speak English as you can find more English-speaking people in Vilnius and you have to commute to Šiauliai first and then to a remote bus stop and walk 25 minutes to the Hill of Crosses. It would be easier if you went there on a guided tour but it is considerably more expensive that way. Such a popular sight should be easier to reach.
I believe that this attraction must be truly magical for pilgrims. It a sacred and special place where believers can feel at peace.
