The hill of Crosses is one of the attractions of Siauliai. Approximately 12 kilometers from the town near the village Urgical it is known throughout Lithuania place and historical monument. The first mention of this unusual place there in the 16th century, although the settlement near it existed in the 13th century. On giving here at 11-14 centuries there was a castle that burned down in 1348 and was not recovered.

About how there appeared the first cross, there are many legends. According to one legend, the father lost his daughter and is heartbroken, I made a cross out of wood and brought him to the Mountain. When he returned home, he saw his beloved daughter alive. Learning of this miracle, the people of the neighboring villages began to bring the Mountain their crosses. According to another legend in 1831 was the uprising and after the families of the victims brought here crosses. The third legend says that in the 19th century in the 70-ies there appeared the blessed virgin Mary with baby Jesus and prompted to install the crosses. By the end of the 19th century a tradition of visiting and setting crosses on the hill. Crosses on the Mountain was more and more, according to historical sources, in 1895, was one hundred and eighty, in the early 20th century - more than 400, and in the middle of the 20th century, more than 3000.

By the early 20th century, it was already known outside Lithuania, many people visited the Hill of Crosses, bringing and leaving his cross with the inscription. By 1961 on the Mountain was already more than 5000 crosses, it was at this time decided to demolish the Hill of Crosses. Here came the bulldozers, metal crosses were scrapped, wood burned and stone were thrown into the river. Because of the announcement of the plague in the area, the roads to the Mountain of crosses were closed, and the territory was forbidden to call. But, no matter what crosses began to appear on the Mountain, the villagers would bring them home at night. In 1988 this is a wonderful place began to revive.

In our time on the Mountain more than a hundred thousand of crosses of different sizes and from various materials. Some crosses over a meter in height and hung with small pectoral crosses. There are crosses made of wood, ceramics, clay, glass, and there's even linked from the scraps and threads, etc., Together with crosses people leave photos, rosary, notes with requests. In 1993, the Hill of Crosses was visited by the Pope and served her a solemn mass. Back in Italy, the Pope went to the Franciscan monastery and talked about his journey. After that, the priests of the monastery went on the mountain and invited the Lithuanian assistance Foundation of the monastery. In 2000, near the mountain was built by the Franciscan monastery. Opposite the hill of crosses is a small chapel, and every summer at the end of July there is a celebration of the hill of Crosses.

While in Lithuania, be sure to spend time visiting the hill of Crosses, this day will remain in your memory for a long time. Don't forget to take the cross, to leave him on the Mountain.