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A little off the beaten trail is a a little hill, that has more than a little amount of religious significance for Lithuanians. It started in 1831 when large wooden crosses began appearing, each year those crosses multiplied until the 1950′s there were over a couple hundred.
Well the Soviets idea of religion was kissing Stalin’s portrait and thusly disapproved of the JC tribute and bulldozed the hill of its crosses on 3 separate occassions, 1961, 1973, and 1975. But those pesky crosses kept coming back until tenacity won and the Ruskies just gave up.
Now, hundreds of thousands crossed stand erect on the hill and more appear everyday. For 5 litas (~$2), you too can plant your own piece of history in the form of a wooden cross.
Getting here:From the Siauliai (pr: shoe-lay) bus station you can get a photocopy printout from the information desk that shows times and station for the Hill of Crosses. The trip is 2.40 litas 1-way and Domantai is the needed bus stop. The ride is about 15 minutes from the station and not very well marked so sit close to the driver so he can tell you when you get close. If not, you run the risk of missing your stop (like me) and walking back the 1 mile (like me) and then the 2 km to the Hill of Crosses sight. Don’t worry Mom, I make back unscathed.
Photo below: Long walk to the Hill of Crosses after missing my stop
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