Kryžių kalnas / Hill of Crosses

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Kryžių kalnas, or the Hill of Crosses, (Lithuanian: Kryžių kalnas) stands as a revered site of pilgrimage some 12 kilometers north of Šiauliai city in northern Lithuania. Pilgrims believe that the tradition of placing crosses on this hill began with the first crosses erected after the 1831 Uprising at the former Jurgaičiai or Domantai hill fort. Generations have seen not only crosses and crucifixes but also statues of the Virgin Mary, carvings of Lithuanian patriots, and thousands of small effigies and rosaries brought by Catholic pilgrims to this sacred site. The exact number of crosses remains unknown, yet estimates suggest approximately 55,000 in 1990 and a staggering 100,000 in 2006.