Hill of Crosses, place for peace and power

Hill of Crosses, I just found this place magical!!!! Located in northern Lithuania near Siauliai. Standing upon a small hill are many hundreds of thousands of crosses that represent Christian devotion and a memorial to Lithuanian national identity...

Many crosses were erected upon the hill after the peasant uprising of 1831-63. By 1895, there were at least 150 large crosses, in 1914 200, and by 1940 there were 400 large crosses surrounded by thousands of smaller ones. And today there are so many. The size and variety of crosses is as amazing as their number. Beautifully carved out of wood or sculpted from metal, the crosses range from three meters tall to the countless tiny examples hanging profusely upon the larger crosses. If you like you can bring your own cross or buy one near the entrance from the touristic shops.
 

Very original!

Saint Pope John Paul II celebrated a holy mass in this chapel on 7 September 1993. He called the hill of Crosses as God´s gift to be the source of blessing, the sign of reconcilation of people.

Dogs were welcome!

 

Group of Dutch ladies had left this one with their prayers...

I made my own cross too. Dedicated for my first dear dog, Juli and all other homeless dogs. Juli was found on the street in a Greek island, Thassos in 2005. She had two years a good life in Finland before getting to the other side of a rainbow.

Juli <3