Lithuania: The Hill of Crosses
From Good Shepherd Tours, welcome back! We now move east from Poland to Lithuania and into the Baltic states as we continue our tour of sacred places of pilgrimage in Europe.
Lithuania, the westernmost of the three Baltic states and Poland’s eastern neighbor, is modest in size and a land of gentle geography, most known for its forests and its coastline of the Baltic Sea. Yet, there is one hill that has become increasingly known throughout the word: Kryžių kalnas, or The Hill of Crosses, located in the north of the country a short distance from the city of Šiauliai.
The Lithuanian people were the last of the Europeans to convert to Christianity, and transferred their pagan practice of carved totems into the tradition of crafting exquisite wooden crosses, made by mobile craftsmen known as kryždirbiai. As the easternmost majority Catholic country in Europe, preserving Lithuania’s unique cultural and national identity was often a challenge throughout its history. During the middle of the 19th century, Lithuanians near the city of Šiauliai began erecting wooden crosses and left other devotions of faith on a hill that was previously the location of a military fortress, in memory of loved ones who had fallen in battle during unsuccessful struggles for independence from the Russian Empire. In time, this location became known as The Hill of Crosses. During the years of communist rule in Lithuania, the Hill of Crosses was razed at least three times by the regime, fearing its draw as a religious as well as national pilgrimage site. Yet each time the Hill of Crosses returned, then flourished, as evidenced by Papal visits by both Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis. Today, the site has also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The exact number of crosses, crucifixes and rosaries on the Hill is unknown; the last semi-official count more than a decade ago placed the number at 100,000, but the number is now believed to be substantially more than that. Visitors approach a veritable forest of crosses, some ornately erected in Lithuanian style, others simple and unadorned. Other Catholic religious devotional items such as rosaries and carved statues of the Virgin Mary are left as well. Pilgrims are allowed to leave crosses and other appropriate artifacts of small to modest sizes without permits, while a Franciscan hermitage exists nearby.
While not a major center of pilgrimage as of it, nor adorned with massive, ornate monuments, the Hill of Crosses is a testimony to the enduring faith of the Lithuanian people, and the beauty of loving faith displayed through woodworking craftsmanship. Each cross on the hill contains a story, and just as a growing forest adds shelter and nurtures life around it, the prayers of the faithful add strength and beauty to all those who visit.
To see a brief clip of the Hill of Crosses, visit this National Geographic video on Youtube. To enquire after Holy Land crosses of all shapes and sizes, made of olive wood, you can also contact our partners at www.bethlehem-art.com.
Be Not Afraid!
Good Shepherd Travel offers trips to Lithuania as part of their Holy Land tours. Rome, Lourdes, Fatima, Ireland, and many other destinations are among our most popular programs. For more information on how to begin preparing for a pilgrimage in late 2021 and 2022, contact Tony AbuAita at Tony@goodshepherdtravel.com. We will return to pilgrimage – and we hope to see you with us!