Hill of Crosses day trip from Riga: the most powerful site in the Baltics

A site that earns its reputation

The travel internet is full of places described as “unforgettable” or “like nowhere else.” The Hill of Crosses (Kryžių kalnas) near Šiauliai, Lithuania, actually lives up to those phrases. This low glacial hill, 3–4 metres tall and about 100 metres long, is covered in an estimated 100,000–200,000 crosses of every imaginable kind — from rough wooden poles to elaborate iron crucifixes to rosaries wound around tiny carved figures, to crosses made from bicycle chains, to painted plywood constructions, to ornate polished stone memorials.

The accumulation is centuries old. The oldest documented crosses date to the 19th century, though local tradition suggests crosses were placed here at least as far back as the Lithuanian uprising against Russian rule in 1831. Each political crisis — the suppression of 1863, the deportations of 1941, the Soviet occupation — added new layers. Each attempt by Soviet authorities to eradicate the hill (they bulldozed it flat three times: 1961, 1973, 1975) was answered within days by thousands of new crosses placed at night by Lithuanians who treated the act as both an expression of faith and a act of defiance.

Pope John Paul II walked through the crosses in 1993, two years after Lithuanian independence, and called the hill “a place of hope, peace, love and sacrifice.” His own cross is among the hundreds of thousands on the hill.

Walking among the crosses — at your own pace, quietly, with attention — is a genuinely different experience from visiting a monument or a museum. The collective weight of personal devotion and political resistance is palpable in a way that is hard to articulate and easy to feel.

Getting there from Riga

The logistics problem

The Hill of Crosses is 180 km south of Riga, near Šiauliai in northern Lithuania. There is no direct public transport from Riga that allows a comfortable day trip. Options:

Guided group tour: The most practical approach. The day trip combining the Hill of Crosses, Rundāle Palace and Bauska Castle at €89–95 per person operates as a 10-hour day departing Riga around 8am and returning by 7–8pm. The route makes sense geographically: Bauska (75 km south of Riga) and Rundāle Palace (12 km from Bauska) are en route to Lithuania, so the tour combines Latvia’s finest baroque palace with Lithuania’s most powerful cultural site.

Private tour: A private day trip to Rundāle and the Hill of Crosses at €295 covers the same ground in your own vehicle with a private guide. Divided across 4 people, that is €74 each — comparable to the group tour price. Worth it for families or groups who prefer their own pace.

Rental car: Riga to Hill of Crosses is about 2.5 hours via the A7/A9 motorway south through Bauska and then across the Latvian-Lithuanian border. You do not need any special documentation beyond your standard EU or passport ID for the Schengen border crossing. The route via Bauska allows you to stop at Rundāle Palace (get there when it opens, before tour groups arrive) and then continue into Lithuania.

The hill itself: what to expect

Arrival

A small visitor carpark sits about 300 metres from the hill. The approach path is lined with souvenir and devotional-article sellers — small crosses, rosaries, religious medals. This could feel commercial, but in context it is more like the approach to any working pilgrimage site: people buying objects to add to the hill. Many visitors bring crosses from home.

There is no entrance fee. No ticket booth. No operating hours — the hill is accessible 24 hours.

Walking among the crosses

The hill is small enough to circumnavigate in 15 minutes, but most visitors spend 45 minutes to over an hour reading inscriptions, examining the variety of objects, and absorbing the density of the accumulated devotion. A few things to notice:

Scale and variety: The crosses range from mass-produced devotional objects to individual craftsmanship. Hand-carved wooden crosses with Lithuanian folk patterns sit alongside factory-made crucifixes. Crosses bearing Lithuanian, Russian, Polish, Hebrew, and English inscriptions.

Political dimensions: Many crosses bear names, dates of deportation, or the places where Soviet-era victims died in Siberia. The hill is a collective memorial to deportees, resistance fighters, and the hundreds of thousands who suffered under Soviet rule.

Recent additions: Every visit adds new crosses — the hill grows visibly from year to year. Looking at photographs from 1995 and comparing to today shows dramatic increase in density.

Pope John Paul II’s cross: A large, specially positioned cross marks where the Pope stood in 1993. It has accumulated thousands of smaller crosses and objects around it.

Photography: The hill is photographable throughout. Morning light (before 10am) or late afternoon (after 4pm) gives the best texture and shadow on the crosses. Midday light on a sunny day flattens the scene.

Etiquette

This is an active Catholic pilgrimage site, not a tourist attraction. Visiting respectfully means:

• Speak quietly, not loudly.
• Do not remove or rearrange crosses.
• If you wish to add a cross, bring one or buy one from the vendors at the approach (wooden crosses start at €1–3).
• Photography is welcome but without staging or moving objects.

The full day: Hill of Crosses + Rundāle + Bauska

On a guided tour or by rental car, the standard full-day combination from Riga covers:

Bauska Castle (Latvia, 75 km south): The ruined Livonian Order castle at the confluence of the Mūsa and Mēmele rivers. The exterior is free; the preserved sections are €3. 30–45 minutes is typical.

Rundāle Palace (Latvia, 87 km south): The 138-room baroque palace designed by Rastrelli for the Duke of Courland. One of northern Europe’s finest — formal gardens, gilded state rooms, ceiling frescoes. Allow 2–2.5 hours. See the full Rundāle guide for details.

Hill of Crosses (Lithuania, 180 km south): 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on how slowly you wish to walk. The drive from Rundāle into Lithuania passes through flat agricultural country and takes about 1.5 hours.

The combination works because the three sites form a rough north-south line. Departing Riga at 8am and returning by 7–8pm is typical.

Why you should not skip this

Most visitors to Latvia who do not know the Hill of Crosses skip it — it is in Lithuania, it requires a dedicated trip, and crosses do not feature prominently in the usual Latvia travel imagery. This is a genuine mistake. The Hill of Crosses is the kind of place that recalibrates your sense of what a “must-see” actually means. It is not picturesque in a conventional sense. It is not comfortable. But it is one of those rare sites that stays with you for years, not because it is dramatic or Instagram-worthy, but because it is genuinely real — the accumulated result of real people’s faith, grief, resistance, and hope over a very long time.

If you have one day for a southern Latvia day trip, the combination of Rundāle Palace (magnificent) and the Hill of Crosses (unforgettable) is the most remarkable thing you can do from Riga.

Practical tips

Border crossing: Latvia and Lithuania are both Schengen member states. No passport check or customs stop. EU citizens need identity card; non-EU nationals should carry passport.

Šiauliai town: 12 km from the Hill of Crosses. A modest Lithuanian city with a local market and several restaurants if you need lunch after the hill.

Weather: The hill is exposed — dress for wind even in summer. In winter the crosses are snow-covered, which is beautiful but cold.

Tour booking: The combined Riga → Hill of Crosses + Rundāle tours book up 5–7 days in advance in peak July. Book early.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a fee to visit the Hill of Crosses?

No entrance fee. The site is open 24 hours. Parking near the hill is free or €1–2 at the main carpark.

How do you say “Hill of Crosses” in Lithuanian?

Kryžių kalnas (pronounced “KRIH-zhyoo KAHL-nahs”). The nearby town is Šiauliai (pronounced “SHYOW-lyay”).

Can you leave a cross at the Hill of Crosses?

Yes — this is actively encouraged. Bring a cross from home, or buy one from the vendors at the access path. Wooden crosses range from €1–20 depending on size and craft.

Is the Hill of Crosses appropriate for children?

Yes — most children find it fascinating rather than disturbing. The sheer variety and volume of the crosses is visually captivating, and children often notice details adults miss. The context of resistance and faith can be explained simply and honestly.