Šiauliai County is a place of powerful symbols and mystical landscapes. The **Hill of Crosses** stands as the most famous landmark where hundreds of thousands of crucifixes create a forest of wood and metal on two small mounds. It is a site of silence and resilience that feels different every time the wind blows through the hanging rosaries. The landscape is a patchwork of lakes and ancient hillforts where the sun was once worshipped by the Baltic tribes. You can explore the **Kurtuvėnai** Regional Park to see old wooden barns and manor stables or hike around the iron fox sculpture by the lake shore. The city center is a hub of industrial history with museums dedicated to bicycles photography and chocolate. In the northern part of the county the plains stretch toward the border where small towns hide quirky museums of cats and coins. The botanical gardens are a highlight in the spring when thousands of flowers bloom in the shadow of the tall cathedrals. Šiauliai County is a region of legends and faith where the history of the people is carved into every piece of wood.

Šiauliai (county) highlights

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The Scenic Route

The Heritage Drive

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History of Šiauliai (county)

Šiauliai County is the spiritual and industrial powerhouse of the north rooted in the 1236 **Battle of Saulė** where Baltic tribes crushed the **Livonian Brothers of the Sword**. This victory cemented the region’s role as a pagan stronghold until the late 1300s. In the 1800s the **Hill of Crosses** emerged as a site of national resistance where thousands of crucifixes were planted to honor fallen rebels. Parallel to this spiritual history the region became a global leather manufacturing center under the **Frenkelis** family who operated the largest tannery in the Russian Empire. By the early 1900s the county was the epicenter of the bicycle and candy industries with factories like **Rūta** exporting sweets worldwide. This industrial wealth funded grand villas and the first theaters in the region creating a sophisticated urban culture. In 1919 the region was the site of the decisive victory against the **Bermontians** a volunteer army of German and Russian imperialists. The landscape is dotted with ancient hillforts that served as the final line of defense for the northern tribes against western crusades. Today the county balances its role as a sacred site of pilgrimage with its legacy as an industrial leader.

Šiauliai (county)