Hill of Crosses

A pilgrimage site north of Šiauliai where hundreds of thousands of crosses, crucifixes, carvings, and rosaries have accumulated on a low hill over at least two centuries of continuous practice. Soviet authorities bulldozed the site multiple times, but crosses were always reinstated, making it a potent symbol of Lithuanian religious and national identity. The density of devotional objects — ranging from tiny wooden carvings to elaborate iron sculptures — creates an extraordinary visual landscape.