Hill of Crosses

The Hill of Crosses (Lithuanian: Kryžių kalnas) is a Lithuanian site of pilgrimage. It is about 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) north of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania. No one knows when or why people started leaving crosses on the hill. It is believed that the first crosses were put up after the 1831 Uprising. It was estimated that there were 55,000 crosses in 1990 and 100,000 in 2006. On September 7, 1993, Pope John Paul II visited the site and declared it a place for hope, peace, love and sacrifice. References Other websites Kryžių kalnas website (in Lithuanian)