Trip to The Hill of Crosses Lithuania from Riga Latvia
Overview
The Hill of Crosses, located near Siauliai city in Lithuania.
This place has a remarkable ambiance, and gratitude, wishes, dreams, and hopes are integral parts of this magic Hill that resembles the atmosphere of the Western wall of Jerusalem.
There have been several attempts to destroy the Hill, nevertheless, it survived as a sign of liberty and independence of Lithuania. Hill has become an important place for pilgrims all around the world.
In 1993 Pope John Paul II said a prayer about this Hill and gave a gift to Lithuania - a crucifix that was set up on the Hill. Later he referred to this special place in his many speeches.
The Hill of Crosses is a place of light and hope for its visitors!
On this trip, you will have a very well informed driver/guide, who will explain everything about this place. It will be a nice and pleasant day!
Additionally, you will be provided with a choice of excellent places to have lunch with traditional Lithuanian or modern cuisine during this tour.
This place has a remarkable ambiance, and gratitude, wishes, dreams, and hopes are integral parts of this magic Hill that resembles the atmosphere of the Western wall of Jerusalem.
There have been several attempts to destroy the Hill, nevertheless, it survived as a sign of liberty and independence of Lithuania. Hill has become an important place for pilgrims all around the world.
In 1993 Pope John Paul II said a prayer about this Hill and gave a gift to Lithuania - a crucifix that was set up on the Hill. Later he referred to this special place in his many speeches.
The Hill of Crosses is a place of light and hope for its visitors!
On this trip, you will have a very well informed driver/guide, who will explain everything about this place. It will be a nice and pleasant day!
Additionally, you will be provided with a choice of excellent places to have lunch with traditional Lithuanian or modern cuisine during this tour.
Inclusions
- English speaking driver/guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transport by air-conditioned car or minivan
- Bottled water
- WiFi on board
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Kryziu Kalnas, Jurgaiciai 81439 Lithuania
The exact origins of Lithuania's Kryžių Kalnas, or the Hill of Crosses, remain a mystery. Just outside the northern city of Šiauliai, thousands of metal and wooden crosses—placed here for nearly two centuries—have found a home on the growing mound of religious fervor. Dangling rosaries chime in the blowing wind and provide a rolling soundtrack for icons of saints and photographs of revered local patriots. Despite many attempts to destroy it, this unusual pilgrimage site endures as a powerful testament to devotion.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kalviai, 84402 Joniškis District Municipality, Lithuania
On the way back to Riga, we will stop at the Lithuanian-Latvian border for a photo shoot.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: St. Simeon’s and St. Anna’s Orthodox Cathedral, Raina iela 5, Jelgava 3001 Latvia
We will visit Jelgava for a sightseeing tour and the first place for the tour will be St. Simeon and St. St. Anne's Orthodox Cathedral, which is one of the most numerous Orthodox cathedrals worth visiting. It is only thanks to the support of local activists that it has been possible to restore not only its beautiful facade but also its charming interior.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Pedestrian Bridge Mitava, Jana Cakstes bulvaris 7, Jelgava 3001 Latvia
You will have the opportunity to walk along the Driksa River, where a promenade has been built. This is a unique opportunity to compare how the locals live in the capital and in a small town.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Jelgava Palace, Jelgava Latvia
One of the must-see sights in Jelgava is the Jelgava Castle, built by architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli in the 18th century for the ruler of Zemgale, Ernest Johann Byron.
Today, the castle houses the administration of the Latvian University of Agriculture and three of its nine faculties.
Duration: 15 minutes
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Kryziu Kalnas, Jurgaiciai 81439 Lithuania
The exact origins of Lithuania's Kryžių Kalnas, or the Hill of Crosses, remain a mystery. Just outside the northern city of Šiauliai, thousands of metal and wooden crosses—placed here for nearly two centuries—have found a home on the growing mound of religious fervor. Dangling rosaries chime in the blowing wind and provide a rolling soundtrack for icons of saints and photographs of revered local patriots. Despite many attempts to destroy it, this unusual pilgrimage site endures as a powerful testament to devotion.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kalviai, 84402 Joniškis District Municipality, Lithuania
On the way back to Riga, we will stop at the Lithuanian-Latvian border for a photo shoot.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: St. Simeon’s and St. Anna’s Orthodox Cathedral, Raina iela 5, Jelgava 3001 Latvia
We will visit Jelgava for a sightseeing tour and the first place for the tour will be St. Simeon and St. St. Anne's Orthodox Cathedral, which is one of the most numerous Orthodox cathedrals worth visiting. It is only thanks to the support of local activists that it has been possible to restore not only its beautiful facade but also its charming interior.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Pedestrian Bridge Mitava, Jana Cakstes bulvaris 7, Jelgava 3001 Latvia
You will have the opportunity to walk along the Driksa River, where a promenade has been built. This is a unique opportunity to compare how the locals live in the capital and in a small town.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Jelgava Palace, Jelgava Latvia
One of the must-see sights in Jelgava is the Jelgava Castle, built by architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli in the 18th century for the ruler of Zemgale, Ernest Johann Byron.
Today, the castle houses the administration of the Latvian University of Agriculture and three of its nine faculties.
Duration: 15 minutes
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Coffee stops and detours can be arranged with driver
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
Stacy_R
September 2023
Our tour with Erlens was just fantastic. He picked us up right on time, and we shared our tour with a father and son — which was fun to hear about their life in the UK on the drive as well. Along the way to the Hill of Crosses, we were told a bit about the history of the Baltic countries and the ...
Our tour with Erlens was just fantastic. He picked us up right on time, and we shared our tour with a father and son — which was fun to hear about their life in the UK on the drive as well. Along the way to the Hill of Crosses, we were told a bit about the history of the Baltic countries and the story behind the crosses. On the way, we were also told multiple times about our timeline and what we would do next in Jelgava. I had mentioned wanting to try to find the gravesite of the Catholic Bishop of Latvia buried there and while we explored the Hill of Crosses, our guide researched where this church was and even called the church to make sure we could visit and take photos. We took a short detour after visiting the Russian Orthodox Church to see it! He went above and beyond! The tour and chats along the way were great and I highly recommend this guide.CaroMarlen
December 2022
What a fantastic day trip! From the moment my friend and I met Erlens we knew we were in good hands and it was going to be a great day. Erlens is friendly, punctual and super easy going - he is even great at taking pictures. He also has extensive history knowledge which was really fascinating to ...
What a fantastic day trip! From the moment my friend and I met Erlens we knew we were in good hands and it was going to be a great day. Erlens is friendly, punctual and super easy going - he is even great at taking pictures. He also has extensive history knowledge which was really fascinating to listen to, a great general conversationalist and an absolute pleasure to be around - the drive to Lithuania just flew by. The Hill of Crosses was quite something; we were blessed with a bit of snow too, which it made it all the more magical. A brilliant day out and one I highly recommend. Thank you Erlens. Best wishes.Richard_S
June 2023
We were picked up at the hotel by Elvis our tour guide at the agreed time who showed us to a luxury minibus and gave us some nice cold water. He explained where we would go and approximate timings. On the way to Lithuania he told us a lot about the city of Riga and pointed out some places of inte...
We were picked up at the hotel by Elvis our tour guide at the agreed time who showed us to a luxury minibus and gave us some nice cold water. He explained where we would go and approximate timings. On the way to Lithuania he told us a lot about the city of Riga and pointed out some places of interest. We arrived at the Hill of Crosses after around 90 minutes of safe driving where Elvis took us around and explained the background to the formation and history of the hill and pointed out some of the interesting crosses. My son and daughter and I then had some time to explore on our own. A nice touch was to go into the store and add in a pin to a world map to show where we had visited from. We then went to see a storks nest and a nearby monastery that had been set up in response to a visit by Pope John Paul II. After that we returned back over the border and made a short stop to get photos crossing the border. We then stopped in a Latvian village but due to Summer Solstice holiday the planned lunch stop was cancelled. Just one of these things! Elvis also helped us get a booking in a Vegan restaurant where he dropped us off after around 6 1/2 hours. Great service and a nice wee day trip.Jennifer_O
June 2023
Superb trip from Riga to the hill of the crosses. Wonderfully knowledgeable guide Erlens who allowed us ample time to explore. Taking time to answer questions of which there were many. Extremely comfortable vehicle. A few hidden extras as a bonus and a recommendation for a wonderful evening meal...
Superb trip from Riga to the hill of the crosses. Wonderfully knowledgeable guide Erlens who allowed us ample time to explore. Taking time to answer questions of which there were many. Extremely comfortable vehicle. A few hidden extras as a bonus and a recommendation for a wonderful evening meal on our return A fabulous day out Highly recommendedmariekZ4177VA
June 2023
We do not regret our decision to make the trip to the Hill of Crosses. My friend and I had an amazing day. Erlens picked us up just before 9am at the hotel and we set off in a comfortable car to the Hill of Crosses. On the way we learned interesting things about life in Latvia and the time passed...
We do not regret our decision to make the trip to the Hill of Crosses. My friend and I had an amazing day. Erlens picked us up just before 9am at the hotel and we set off in a comfortable car to the Hill of Crosses. On the way we learned interesting things about life in Latvia and the time passed pleasantly. At the Hill of Crosses, Erlens gave us an introduction to the history of the hill, leaving us free to explore and take photos. On the way back we made 2 more stops in the town of Jelgava, again with an interesting interpretation of the history and present, took photos and continued back to Riga.Brian_A
June 2023
Erlens was an amazing tour guide. He was flexible with our pickup time, had a great personality, was prompt with pickup, and had a nice van for the tour. He was very accommodating with our tight time schedule and was super flexible. He was happy to take pictures of us which is important. Erlens ...
Erlens was an amazing tour guide. He was flexible with our pickup time, had a great personality, was prompt with pickup, and had a nice van for the tour. He was very accommodating with our tight time schedule and was super flexible. He was happy to take pictures of us which is important. Erlens was very knowledgeable about the history of Latvia and we enjoyed his conversation. Probably one of the best tour guides we’ve ever had.