Lithuania is special and unique in many ways. It is not a widely known fact that Lithuania was the last country in Europe to be baptised/christianized – this happened only in 1387, and was followed by a slow adoption of the Christianity among local population. Only in 17th century first pilgrimages started – Bishop Benedykt Woyna was the first to organize the Jesuit pilgrimage from Vilnius to the Mother of God in Trakai, the old capital of Lithuania. Siluva became a pilgrimage destination after a Marian apparition in 1608 – the only recognized apparition in Lithuania.
Other pilgrimage sites included cavalries in Zemaiciu Kalvarija and Verkiai (in Vilnius), relics of St. Casimir in Vilnius Cathedral and Our Lady Gate of Dawn. In total there are more than 100 Marian images that are considered miraculous, 25 sites of Marian apparitions and 33 Lourdes grottoes in Lithuania. Many pilgrims travel not to visit specific sites, but to get indulgence during parish festivals.
Pilgrim Route of John Paul II
But the main braking point was the visit of the Pope John Paul II to Lithuania. In September 1993, several days after the Soviet army left Lithuania, Pope arrived in Vilnius and then started his pilgrimage across Lithuania, visiting Siluva and the Hill of Crosses. It was a very important visit for Lithuania in general – to gain wider recognition by the international community, and also to show that all destructions of chapels, calvaries and the Hill of Crosses carried out by the Soviet authorities didn’t reach it’s goals.
In 2007 Lithuanian government established the Pilgrim Route of John Paul II, which included 16 sites.
Present days
Now main pilgrimage sights, especially the Gate of Dawn and the Hill of Crosses, are among the most popular tourist destinations in Lithuania. Thousands of pilgrims and hundreds of thousands of tourists visit these sacred places every year. Discover Lithuania offers not only the Tour to the Hill of Crosses, but included it in the Vilnius-Riga and Riga-Vilnius group and private tours. Also, it is part of a Pilgrim Tour: Siluva, Tytuvenai and The Hill of Crosses. Siluva is a popular pilgrim destination from the very 17th century. Tytuvenai is an impressive 17th century Bernardine monastery, which now annually hosts classical music festival. And the famous Hill of Crosses, several times destroyed and rebuilt from ashes, is not a cemetery, but a symbol of resistance against oppressors and the place of hope for many.