Places of interest
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THE HILL OF THREE CROSSES Evaluate
When on the top of Gediminas Castle Tower, look eastwards to see three tall white crosses. The monument may be seen from many different places in the city but from the Castle Tower it seems to be at the reach of the hand. The Hill of Three Crosses gives one of the most beautiful views of Vilnius. It is said that when Gediminas started building the castle of Vilnius, first houses where built in the current territory of Kalnų Park—at its northern foot beside the Neris River.
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When on the top of Gediminas Castle Tower, look eastwards to see three tall white crosses. The monument may be seen from many different places in the city but from the Castle Tower it seems to be at the reach of the hand. The Hill of Three Crosses gives one of the most beautiful views of Vilnius. It is said that when Gediminas started building the castle of Vilnius, first houses where built in the current territory of Kalnų Park - at its northern foot beside the Neris River. The city that had grown in Kalnų Park leant against the wooden Crooked Castle. It is said that the castle stood on this hill until the end of the 14th century. That is the reason why the hill was called the Crooked or the Bald Hill.
Supposedly, seven Franciscan monks were crucified on this hill and then thrown into the river by people seeking to preserve paganism. The first wooden crosses where erected in their memory.
The monument of Three Crosses is considered a symbol of the Lithuanian national identity and resistance to occupation. Though strictly forbidden by the Russian government, the concrete Three Crosses designed by Antanas Vivulskis were erected at the initiative of the enlightened people of Vilnius in 1916. The monument was destroyed at the order of the Soviet government in 1950 and then again rebuilt from private funds in 1989.
Supposedly, seven Franciscan monks were crucified on this hill and then thrown into the river by people seeking to preserve paganism. The first wooden crosses where erected in their memory.
The monument of Three Crosses is considered a symbol of the Lithuanian national identity and resistance to occupation. Though strictly forbidden by the Russian government, the concrete Three Crosses designed by Antanas Vivulskis were erected at the initiative of the enlightened people of Vilnius in 1916. The monument was destroyed at the order of the Soviet government in 1950 and then again rebuilt from private funds in 1989.
Every year on Good Friday, thousands of people come here to follow 14 stations of the Way of the Cross stretching from the Cathedral to the Three Crosses.
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