Twelve kilometers northeast of Siauliai, Lithuania’s fourth largest city, stands the country’s most beloved and expressive monument, the Hill of the Crosses. I won’t add my voice to those who say that you can’t really claim to have visited Lithuania unless you’ve been there, but would recommend it very strongly if you’re traveling between Lithuania and Latvia. The origins of the hill are uncertain. Lithuania, Europe’s last country to convert to Christianity (in 1389), has long maintained a tradition of cross-carving and the image of the suffering and highly expressive Christ cut from the same wood as his cross is a particularly common motif that lends itself to the expression of both sorrow and hope.
The most plausible story is that the modern hill (if that’s the proper term) developed in its present form with crosses erected to commemorate insurgents killed in the anti-Russian revolt of 1831 which were further augmented by those honoring the fallen in the subsequent revolt of 1863-4. During the 1950s, Lithuanians returning from the Siberian gulags placed crosses to honor those who had died in captivity and in thanks for their own deliverance. Soviet authorities reacted harshly to this expression of both Christianity and nationalism by destroying the crosses and patrolling the site, although the crosses continued to appear.
At the end of Soviet occupation in 1991, the hill had 40,000 crosses, a number that has probably doubled in the intervening years and continues to grow daily. The range of crosses, from cheap plastic versions sold by vendors at the site to full-sized traditional carved crosses (one of which was erected by Pope John Paul II himself) is almost as striking at their number. Visually, the hill resembles a densely packed forest in many places and will likely continue to expand outward. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the story, seeing the hill from a distance as you approach it along the turn-off from the A12 highway is powerful, and if you’re aware of it or have some connection to Lithuania it’s still more striking. Be sure to allow yourself an hour, at a minimum, to gain an appreciation of its sheer size and the diversity of its contents.
Siauliai itself is a fairly uninteresting place which unfortunately suffers from the worst of both Soviet architecture and post-Soviet economic malaise, best known for its whitewashed cathedral and its former role as the Soviet Union’s bicycle-manufacturing capital.
${QuickSuggestions} Should you wish to visit the Hill of the Crosses as a day trip, it’s approximately three hours by bus to Klaipeda, Palanga, and Kaunas, and then a further half-hour by local bus to the turnoff to the hill. It’s approximately the same distance to Riga; however, buses between Riga and Siauliai stop at the same place as the local buses.
This makes it a doable day trip from any of these cities (I took a day trip from Klaipeda myself), but if your itinerary includes both Lithuania and Latvia, Siauliai is a convenient place to stop whether you’re heading north or south as it has the best bus and rail connections of any city in northern Lithuania (Samogitia).
Try to spend as little time as possible at Siauliai’s bus station where the local mafia seeks to prey on travelers by posing as minibus drivers – if anyone makes this claim (especially in English) avoid them. Minibuses only leave from the designated gates at the station.
If you wish to stay in Siauliai, be sure to book far ahead – accommodations, particularly inexpensive accommodations, are limited and fill up quickly.
${BestWay} Getting to Siauliai:
From Klaipeda, Palanga, and Kaunas, buses take approximately three hours (trains are less frequent, take longer, and cost more). Buses to and from Riga take the same amount of time, but stop by the hill (ask for the "Kryziu kalnas" stop). Buses and trains to Vilnius take 4.5 hours.
Getting to the Hill of the Crosses:
Local buses between Siauliai and Joniskis and long-distance buses between Siauliai and Riga all stop at the "Kryziu kalnas" (Hill of the Crosses) stop on the A12 highway; however, you must flag them down or specifically request the stop. The journey takes 15-20 minutes. The city claims to run minibuses to the hill, but they were not in evidence on my visit.
Once you get off, you’ll see a sign (across the A12 if you’re coming from Siauliai, on your side if coming from Riga or points north) that says "Kryziu kalnas 2" and points down a country road. Walk down it, and you’ll see the hill on your right-hand side.
Taxis between the Hill and Siauliai cost approximately 25 LT and are a good option if you need to make a connection, as Lithuanian buses are notoriously unpunctual.