Hill of Crosses

One of the Best Places To Visits in Domantai The Hill of Crosses is a powerful and unique site that transcends religious beliefs. Despite potential crowds and uneven terrain, it offers a deeply moving and thought-provoking experience for anyone visiting Lithuania. Entrance is free, but parking costs a few euros. There are souvenir shops and restrooms available. Be prepared for potentially muddy conditions and large crowds, especially during peak season. Off-season visits (spring or fall) can offer a more intimate experience. Even non-believers cannot help but be deeply impressed by this mystical hill. The sight of thousands of crosses creates a powerful spiritual atmosphere. This might be one of the most inspiring and holy places I have never visited! It has an atmosphere of history. Feel it something different, special. Frequently mentioned in reviews: Top-rated.online cuts through the clutter, highlighting only the reviews that are most helpful, earn the most likes, or come from the most active contributors. Defiance by pilgrimage! To the right of the A12, about 12 km north of Šiauliai, lies an approximately 8-meter high Jurgaičiai or Domantai Hill, better known to everyone as the of Crosses. Archaeological research has shown that there was a castle and a settlement on the at least as early as the 14th century. However, the gained its name and fame during the uprisings of 1830/31 and 1863/64, when were erected here for the first time for fallen rebels whose burials were unknown. At the beginning of the 20th century there were about 150 and during the first years of the Soviet occupation the number of quickly increased to about 400. The brutal oppression of Lithuania, between 1945 and 1953 about 100,000 Lithuanians were deported to Siberia, decreased the placing of crosses. After the death of Stalin the placing of increased greatly to the great annoyance of the Soviet authorities and in 1961 the now 5000 were literally bulldozed flat. Security by the KGB and severe punishments if you were caught did not help, the Lithuanians continued to sneak up the to place crosses. After three more bulldozer actions in 1973, 74 and 75, the Soviets finally gave up in 1985, the of became a national symbol of resistance and by 1990 there were an estimated 40,000 crosses. The mass that Pope John Paul II gave in 1993 for some 100,000 believers made it a real place of pilgrimage and gave a further boost to the placing of crosses. Today (2025) an estimated 200,000! and rosaries stand and hang here. Even non-believers cannot help but be deeply impressed by this mystical hill. Definitely worth a trip! The of is a covered with over 250,000 of every shape, size, and constitution. Today our group of 10 explored the collection of wood, metal, fabric and more crosses, rosaries and religious symbols. Several brought more crosses, some purchased from the gift store near the information center, again in metal, wood and in various sizes. Several large still stand but a few have fallen due to exposture to the elements. Crosses, rosaries, and special intention prayers from all over the world unite. Everyone seems to agree that house once stood here and was burnt by the Russians in 17th century. began putting here in mid 19th century either to praise God or to honor those killed in mid century uprisings against Tsarist Russia. In. 1961, Russians burned wood and melted down metal ones. But the of survives today with bringing more for praise, petition, remembrance. Some bear words asking for world peace This is a peaceful, powerful stop for of all faiths or with no Faith. The walk through the can be steep and muddy and the view can be appreciated from any vantage point. At the parking entrance, a 5 minute walk, a open air gift shop offers amber jewelry, all types of small crosses, postcards and magnets. A smaller indoor gift store offers a selection of amber and jade items. The restroom costs Euro 1. The folk legend is that the started because of a man with sick daughter, had a vision of Christ asking him to place a cross at this place. His daughter got better and word got around and started putting at the same place. After WW2, USSR was controlling the country and didn't allow religious beliefs. Didn't help that the were placed for who were killed in the uprising against USSR. The place was destroyed a few times but the resilience of Lithuanians continued to put back the crosses. This place became a pilgrimage in accordance to St James after Pope John Paul II visited the place. Watch the pics for his quote about of crosses. It has an atmosphere of history. Feel it something different, special. But if you want just admiring art and handcraft you can also find that. The place huge and monumental in a way. Challenge your self! It may not be the most convenient option if you are traveling alone due to its distance, but it proved to be a pleasant stop on my journey to Riga. The area is quite breezy. There are a few souvenir shops located near the parking area, and a paid toilet is available at the information center, where card payments are accepted. Very unique place . Bought a cross from souvenir shop outside passageway. Entrance is free . Ample parking just outside - 2 euro for a standard car or 6 euro for a small van Very cool place, it's a must to stop by here on your way to Riga or Vilnius. 1 hour is more than enough to spend here. There is parking, toilets and shops. Entrance is free. This is a very moving place , hundreds of thousands of , I think dedicated to freedom and liberation. It’s remarkable to see the have all been replaced since the Russians removed them. Definitely worth a visit An interesting and peculiar place where it seems that there is nothing, but there is a lot there. We also left our there among the others as a memory. A popular place and the crowd kept coming, but it didn't interfere at all. In the souvenir shop, we were served by a lovely and nice young woman. It was an exciting and memorable visit. A very religious and unique place. Soviet communist hordes bulldozed it in the 1970s, but kept coming back. Quite an experience .. 🤔 We were taken there by a very friendly taxi driver from Siauliai train station. Such a unique pilgrimage spot. Visited as part of a guided tour. Incredible to see the amount of everywhere, from the more modest crafted with two sticks, to the most elegantly sculpted. Very interesting place with strong energy and a lot of crosses. I do recommend to visit this place, when you are around. Few minutes walking from the parking. The of in Lithuania is an excellent and deeply moving place, visited by countless with faith and devotion. The sight of thousands of creates a powerful spiritual atmosphere. It would be wonderful to see more services and facilities develop in the area to support visitors and enhance the overall experience. This might be one of the most inspiring and holy places I have never visited! If you have the opportunity to visit Lithuania, the of should be high on your list. If you ever get the chance to see it...do it. Life is way too short. As soon as I neared the hill, I felt it. I came right before sunset, and once it was dark, it felt even more majestic, mysterious, poetic. There is a moral story behind each cross or rosary bead. There were few at the time, considering its late cold November. I grabbed a Bolt from Šiauliai to the location (18 minute drive, about 9 Euros), and coming back was a bit more challenging. It took a while to find an Uber to get back to Šiauliai, I tipped him nicely for just accepting and picking me up. So just plan ahead if you're planning to come/leave once it's dark. It feels even more special reading up on the history of the site, the sheer courage that showed when they kept bringing knowing the consequences if the Soviets caught them. Website change monitoring Monitor any webpage for changes – get instant email alerts when prices drop, new jobs are posted, products come back in stock, or competitors update their sites. See how the number of reviews and average review scores have changed over time.