Wordless Wednesday - Hill of Crosses

The poignant Hill of Crosses in Northern Lithuania has been a site of Catholic pilgrimage for centuries, and I was lucky enough to visit during a trip to Vilnius. As you can see from the photo, words aren't really necessary - it is just as it looks, a forest of many thousands of wooden, metal & stone crosses and crucifixes of all shapes and sizes, many adorned with rosaries, photos of Lithuanian patriots, images of saints & religious statues. During the Soviet era, several attempts were made to destroy the hill and all its crosses, but each time it was cleared the Lithuanian people virtually overnight rebuilt their sacred place once more - a miracle in itself. The tradition of making & carving stylised oak crosses and adorning them with metalwork is a unique and important part of Lithuanian culture