Hill of Three Crosses

Three white crosses on a hilltop overlooking the old town — the most recognisable symbol of Vilnius

The Hill of Three Crosses stands just east of Gediminas Hill and is the most recognisable viewpoint in Vilnius. Three white concrete crosses rise from the hilltop, visible from much of the old town. The legend behind them is not firmly established — one version says seven Franciscan monks were martyred here by pagan Lithuanians in the 14th century; another places the number at fourteen — but the site has been a memorial since at least the 17th century.

The walk up from the old town takes about fifteen minutes via a marked path through light woodland. The view from the top is excellent: the church spires of the old town laid out below, the Neris River, and the Soviet-era high-rises of Šnipiškės across the water creating a useful contrast between old and newer Vilnius. The crosses are lit at night.

things to do sight landmark
A story
The Soviets dynamited the original crosses in 1950. For decades Lithuanians quietly left white stones on the hilltop as a covert act of remembrance. The crosses were reconstructed in 1989, during the Sąjūdis independence movement, and became a powerful symbol of cultural survival.