Introduction
Beyond the Hill of Crosses just outside it, Šiauliai holds an entirely unrelated claim to distinctiveness: a historic reputation for sundial craftsmanship and for bicycle manufacturing.
Overview
Šiauliai carries a curious secondary identity alongside the Hill of Crosses — the city has a long-standing association with sundial-making, formalised in a small but genuine Sundial Square (Saulės laikrodžio aikštė) in the city centre, home to one of Europe's largest sundials, its towering column and radiating markers doubling as both a working timepiece and a civic landmark. That connection to precision craftsmanship extends to a less obvious local industry: Šiauliai was historically a centre of Lithuanian bicycle manufacturing, home to the Vairas factory, one of the Soviet Baltic region's most significant bicycle producers, whose bikes were once common across the wider Soviet market. Neither claim rivals the emotional weight of the Hill of Crosses just outside the city, but together they give Šiauliai a genuine identity of its own beyond serving purely as the pilgrimage site's nearest transport hub — a city worth an afternoon's wander in its own right before or after the hill.
Discover Šiauliai
The mound a short taxi ride outside Šiauliai holds well over 100,000 crosses — from house-sized oak carvings to rosaries hung on rosaries — planted layer upon layer since the tradition began after the 1831 anti-Tsarist uprising. Its power comes from the Soviet decades: the authorities bulldozed the site at least three times, burning the wooden crosses and flooding the ground, and each time Lithuanians replanted them by night — the hill became the quiet referendum the occupation could not win. Pope John Paul II's 1993 visit consecrated that symbolism, and Lithuanian cross-crafting itself is UNESCO-listed intangible heritage. Visitors may add a cross of their own, sold at the entrance — done respectfully, it is participation in a living tradition rather than a tourist gesture.
Ways to Experience This Destination
One of Europe's largest sundials, reflecting the city's long association with sundial craftsmanship.
The former Vairas factory, once one of the Soviet Baltic region's most significant bike producers.
Frequently asked questions
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