Hill of Crosses, Siauliai, Lithuania

The Hill of Crosses is a site of pilgrimage about 12 km north of the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania.

Considered Lithuania's national treasure, the Soviets repeatedly destroyed it, razing it again and again, only to have the crosses reappear.

No one manages or organises it - it just is.

The precise origin of the practice of leaving crosses on the hill is uncertain, but it is believed that the first crosses were placed after the 1831 Uprising. Over the centuries, not only crosses, but giant crucifixes, carvings of Lithuanian patriots, statues of the Virgin Mary and thousands of tiny effigies and rosaries have been brought here by Catholic pilgrims. The exact number of crosses is unknown, but estimates put it at about 100,000 in 2006.

Map of location at Wikimapia