Kryžių Kalna, a strange place of pilgrimage

On my trip to Lithuania in 2019, I went to see Kryžių Kalna, The Hills of crosses. Thousands of wooden crosses were collected on a small hill in the middle of a field. Lithuania, probably the poorest of the three Baltic countries, still has exciting places to visit.

Kryžių Kalna, The Hills of crosses

This place is so fascinating; I just had to go and see it. I do not often rent a car on my trips, but to reach this place, I had to. In the middle of a flat landscape, you find this small hill where buses full of people are pilgrimages. As a good Christian, you should bring a wooden cross to leave behind here. I did not.

The first mentions of this site were before 1850, but until 1920 the number of crosses was not so significant. The Hill of Crosses became particularly important during Soviet times – this was the place of anonymous but surprising persistence to the regime. During this period, they used bulldozers to destroy the whole area. KGB had guards there for years, but almost every morning, new crosses had appeared. After the political change, the status of the Hill of Crosses changed utterly – it became both a Lithuanian and a world phenomenon. It gained worldwide fame after the visit of Pope John Paul II.

Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania

The capital is not so significant, but the Old Town is on the UNESCO heritage list, full of churches and charm. You find a church for all the directions within the Christian beliefs. And they are very well preserved and colorful.

Most of Old Town is for pedestrians only, so you find plenty of outdoor restaurants here. Souvenir shops and many well-known brand shops from all over Europe. However, if you walk just a few blocks from the tourist track, you find Užupio.

The people of Užupis donated the Republic of Užupis to Vilnius, Lithuania, and the rest of the world. Republic is a collective work of the local community as a cultural, artistic, civic, and social movement, constantly changing, developing, and improving, making it famous abroad, often compared to the Montmartre district in Paris or Christiania in Copenhagen.

Trakų salos pilis, The Trakai palace

Since I had a car, I used the opportunity also to visit Trakai. Trakai was one of the leading centers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the castle held great strategic importance. It is a well-preserved stone castle situated on an island in a lake. The small town of Trakai has not too much to offer, but it has a charming look with colorful tiny houses.

All in all, I had some lovely days in Lithuania, maybe it does not have as much to show for as the two other Baltic countries, but the people were friendly and welcoming. After Lithuania, I took the bus heading for Latvia and another blog post.