Hill of Crosses Lithuania

Travelled : 265km
Stay: Hill of Crosses- free parking N56.01776 E23.41944
Other parking available €2.90
Visited : Centre of Europe N54.90617 E25.32056
Kleboniskiai Museum - old farm village €2 each and €2 to take photos N55.76841 E23.85494

It was a beautiful start to the day as we drove out of Vilnius to the Geographic Centre of Europe.  In 1989, French scientists determined this location and it was subsequently listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. The gold crown of stars on top of the white granite column symbolises Lithuania's membership in the EU. 

Further along the road we stopped to look at the Kleboniskiai Rural Museum. A lovely setting of 19th century farm buildings offering a peek at how life was back then.

Then off we went to the strange but inspiring Hill of Crosses where there are 100 ' s of thousands of crosses of every size planted on a hill. They first appeared here in the 14th century and multiplied after a bloody uprising, becoming symbols of suffering and hope. Even though it was on offence to plant crosses here during the Soviet era and the hill had been bulldozed at least 3 times, the pilgrims continued coming to commemorate those killed and deported. By 1990 there were about 40,000 crosses and ever since independence they have multiplied. In 1993 Pope John Paul II celebrated mass here and graced the hill with a papal cross.
After wondering around and placing our own cross we relaxed in Bluey.

Just a bit of trivia - Lithuania is a country of plains 75% and forests 31%,  the highest point is The High Hill 293.8m alt.

Our neighbour tonight.