Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Muc Lien’s 18 Gates of Hell.
Muc Lien's 18 Gates of Hell
Lighthouse and Museum of Jára Cimrman (Maják a muzeum Járy Cimrmana).
Lighthouse of Jára Cimrman
Markers honor 865 war dead.
Sovjet Ereveld (Soviet Field of Honor)
The intaglio leaves a subtle impression on the land along Riverside Drive in Fort Atkinson.
Panther Intaglio
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
USDA and Washington State agriculture officials tagged this Asian giant hornet. Sept. 10, 2021.
What Ever Happened to the Murder Hornets?
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Lithuania Meškuičių seniūnija Hill of Crosses

Hill of Crosses

An old hill fort covered in over 100,000 crosses is a symbol of Lithuanian nationalism and beliefs.

Meškuičių seniūnija, Lithuania

Added By
Christopher Linton
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Hill of Crosses.   guillaumespeurt/CC BY-SA 2.0
Hill of Crosses.   timpritlove/CC BY 2.0
Hill of Crosses.   guillaumespeurt/CC BY-SA 2.0
Hill of Crosses.   kyletaylor/CC BY 2.0
Hill of Crosses.   aperezdc/CC BY-SA 2.0
Hill of Crosses.   twiga_swala/CC BY-SA 2.0
Hill of Crosses   Global Sightseer / Atlas Obscura User
Kryžių Kalnas (Hill of Crosses): a place for hope, peace, love and sacrifice.   matthewpritchard / Atlas Obscura User
Kryžių Kalnas (Hill of Crosses): a place for hope, peace, love and sacrifice.   matthewpritchard / Atlas Obscura User
Hill of Crosses.   tbolt / Atlas Obscura User
Hill of Crosses.   tbolt / Atlas Obscura User
Hill of Crosses   Fragglehunter
Hill of Crosses.   tbolt / Atlas Obscura User
Hill of Crosses.   tbolt / Atlas Obscura User
Hill of Crosses.   twiga_swala/CC BY-SA 2.0
Hill of Crosses.   guillaumespeurt/CC BY-SA 2.0
Hill of Crosses.   twiga_swala/CC BY-SA 2.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Located 7.5 miles north of the town of Siauliai, in northern Lithuania, the Hill of Crosses occupies a low rise of ground once thought to have been a Domantai, or hill fort.

The nearby city was founded in 1236 and occupied by Teutonic Knights of the Holy Roman Empire during the 14th century. Crosses are thought to have first appeared on the site during this time as a way of expressing the desire for Lithuanian independence.

Crosses continued to be placed on the site throughout the medieval period by local Catholics. During a peasant uprising against Russian control of the area in 1831, the practice of placing crosses in remembrance of missing and dead rebels began. By 1895, it is recorded that there were 150 large crosses on the site, and this number grew to 400 by 1940.

During Soviet occupation of the area that lasted from 1944 to 1991, the Hill of Crosses became a symbol of defiance. Three times during the Soviet occupation, the hill and its crosses were bulldozed. Despite these attempts to end the symbolism of the site, both locals and pilgrims once again begin erecting crosses.

It's estimated that there are more than 100,000 crosses on the hill as of 2007. Thousands visit the site each year, with the most famous visit occurring in 1993 when Pope John Paul II came to dedicate the site. A stone marker bearing his words, “Thank you, Lithuanians, for this hill of crosses which testifies to the nations of Europe and to the whole world the faith of the people of this land” now lies at the foot of the hill.

A hermitage has been erected nearby to assist visitors and the faithful are welcome to add their contribution.

Related Tags

Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

The hill is 7.5 miles north of the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania. From the Šiauliai main bus station, you can take a bus for 10 minutes and then walk 10 more minutes to get to the Hill.

Community Contributors

Added By

ronin

Edited By

dacubsrule, aela, Fragglehunter, tbolt...

  • dacubsrule
  • aela
  • Fragglehunter
  • tbolt
  • matthewpritchard
  • Global Sightseer
  • feldmanlj2

Published

October 14, 2010

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.sacredsites.com/europe/lithuania/lithuania.htmlx
Hill of Crosses
Jurgaičių
Meškuičių seniūnija, 81439
Lithuania
56.015194, 23.416523
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Seduvos Malunas

Šeduva, Lithuania

miles away

Pan House

Žagarė, Lithuania

miles away

Niurkoniai Chapel

Pušaloto seniūnija, Lithuania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Lithuania

Lithuania

Europe

Places 52

Nearby Places

Seduvos Malunas

Šeduva, Lithuania

miles away

Pan House

Žagarė, Lithuania

miles away

Niurkoniai Chapel

Pušaloto seniūnija, Lithuania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Lithuania

Lithuania

Europe

Places 52

Related Places

  • St Ninian’s Chapel

    Isle of Whithorn, Scotland

    St Ninian’s Chapel

    This medieval pilgrimage site was a key part of the early Christian missionary work in Scotland.

  • Janaki Mandir

    Janakpur, Nepal

    Janaki Mandir

    An enormous white temple that honors the birthplace of a Hindu goddess.

  • Cairn T

    Ballineale, Ireland

    Loughcrew Cairns

    These Neolithic burial mounds and a still-intact passage tomb may have solar calendar significance on the spring and autumn equinoxes.

  • Grand Mosque of Mopti

    Mopti, Mali

    Grand Mosque of Mopti

    Every year, people come together to cover this mud-brick mosque with a fresh layer of earth.

  • Window arch in the City of Rocks.

    Almo, Idaho

    City of Rocks

    This U.S. natural reserve is an ancient spiritual place and rock climber’s paradise.

  • Tham Nang Ene Cave lit up with colorful neon lights.

    Xiangliab, Laos

    Tham Nang Ene Cave

    Mythological depictions of Laos’ national animal make this cave sacred.

  • The Oasis Trail at the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza.

    Palm Springs, California

    Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza

    An ancient mineral hot spring sits at the middle of this combination cultural center and spa.

  • Remains of the Alishan Sacred Tree

    Alishan, Taiwan

    Alishan Sacred Tree Relics

    You can still see the remains of a sacred 3,000-year-old cypress.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.