TRIPS AROUND LITHUANIA

| Where is Lithuania?

Estonia is the southernmost Baltic State, and the geographic center of Europe. It shares borders with Belarus, Latvia and the Russian province of Kaliningrad. It’s about the same size as the state of West Virginia.

If you haven’t already, click here to read about other Baltic road trips.

| Hill of Crosses

2.5 hour drive from Vilnius

I’ve wanted to see this hill ever since I saw it in National Geographic 10 years ago. It’s a pilgrimage site adorned in thousands, if not millions of crosses.

Despite attempts by the KGB and the Lithuanian government to erase the hill of crosses, this mysterious site survives. People brought it back to life even after it was burnt to ashes in 1961, and over and over again after four repeated bulldozings. Despite the controversy, it has been recognised by UNESCO as an official site of cultural heritage.

Kryžių kalnas, Hill of Crosses by Jevgenij Lobanov is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

No one is sure how the forest of 100,000 crosses came to be, only that it’s a place of remembrance. For loved ones who will never return, and as an offering to God for the protection of those who could still return. The only plausible explanation, is it was intended as an anonymous memorial for those who died in the 1831 uprising against Russia. The Tsar denied the people of Lithuania their national identity and forbade them even from marking the graves of their loved ones. The pilgrimage site has been added to ever since. Many of the crosses are for people deported to Siberia in the 1940s, which was a death sentence.

For the last two centuries, people have come here to place a cross on another, to hang rosary beads and to offer prayers. The result is a forest of devotion in a quiet town in the Lithuanian countryside.

It’s forbidden to remove a cross from the site. There are people who sell crosses to visitors at the gate. In keeping with the theme of this newfound tourism, there is now a clear path through the crosses leading to a chapel at its centre. From here, you can gaze out on the forest of crucifixes below.

If you found this interesting, click here to read about another unusual collection of crosses in Romania .

| Pan House

3 hour drive from Vilnius

Not exactly an attraction to spend hours at, but worth a visit for sheer curiosity. Built by Edmundas Vaiciulis, a man who struggled to conform to society’s expectations. He took it upon himself to decorate his half of a shared house in the village of Zagare with random objects. Those random objects are mostly pots and pans, hence the name of the attraction. Covered from skirting board to roof tile in metallic utensils and containers, this house is worthy of its name and has become a local attraction, despite the neighbours’ wishes.

Goods at the Pan house in Zagare – panoramio (2) by Laima Gūtmane is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

| Europa Park

27 minute drive from Vilnius

Hiding in the woods encircling Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, is an unusual park home to more than 100 enormous and unusual sculptures. The park is extensive, covering an area the size of 55 football pitches. Bikes are available.

One of the most popular, is a 1999 Guinness World Record holder for the largest art installation in the world. The sculpture traps visitors between two walls made entirely of caged tv sets, 3000 to be exact. The park was opened in 1991 to celebrate Vilnius being declared the geographical centre of Europe.

Europos Parkas by Ohnedich is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

| Trakai Village & Castle

30 minute drive from Vilnius

A fortified castle, on an island, in Lithuania’s deepest lake. Does that sound magical enough for you? It does to me. Trakai Castle is a gothic reconstruction of the original castle, which now houses the Museum of Lithuanian History. Cross the bridge, or rent a boat and get a 360° view of this fairytale island. Or, wait till winter, when locals can ice skate past the castle gate.

Trakai town itself is not to be missed either. The street (it’s a small town) is brimming with traditional wooden houses, most of which have gardens backing on to the lake.

TIP… If you visit in the summer, tickets are €12. In the winter months it drops to €8.

| Free Republic of Uzupis

Uzupis is a proud free republic consisting of 1kmsq within the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius. The bohemian republic isn’t officially recognised by anyone but itself, not even Vilnius. But that doesn’t mean they’re not serious. Uzupis has a constitution (graffitied on to the wall), a military of 11 men, and most official of all, road border signs to welcome you. The constitution includes lines such as…

‘A dog has the right to be a dog’

‘People have the right to live by the River Vilnius, while the River Vilnius has the right to flow past people’

‘Everyone has the right to die, but this is not an obligation’

‘A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in time of need’

If you ever need cheering up, just read this constitution. Incredibly, the constitution was blessed by the Pope, who visited Vilnius in 2018.

The republic was founded in 1991, and since has created an artsy and hippy neighbourhood on the banks of the river. The name Uzupis means ‘beyond the river’. Despite being rundown, the community has been compared to the bohemian haven of Montmartre in Paris, and perhaps more appropriately, the community of Freetown Christiana in Copenhagen (read about it in my Copenhagen post).

Uzupis, Vilnius, Lithuania by Bryan Ledgard is licensed under CC BY 2.0

If you enjoyed this post, check out my other posts about what to see and do in the Baltic States.