In short

Kalnų Park is conveniently accessible from T. Kosciuškos Street. By climbing the hill from this side, you will find yourself at the stage. The park hosts various concerts and festivals in the summer months. The park’s territory borders Užupis (Krivių g.) and the Vilnelė River. Kalnų Park is formed by several hills; with the Hill of Three Crosses the most prominent of them all.

It is believed that at some point in history, pagans tortured seven Franciscan Monks on that hill, and the monks were put on crosses and thrown into the river. The Three Crosses memorial by architect and sculptor A. Vivulskis now stands there. In 1950, the monument was destroyed by the Soviet authorities but was eventually restored during the restoration of independence in Lithuania.

Brief History

The Hill of Three Crosses is also known as Grey Hill, Crooked Hill (it is believed that a Crooked Castle once stood here) or Tauras Hill.

Table Hill is named for its shape – its top is as flat as a table.

The Hill of Gediminas’ Grave is a favourite location for people who want to enjoy the city panorama, and members of the Baltic religious communities go to the pagan altar for their traditional celebrations.

Bekešo Hill is named after the famous Lithuanian and Polish war chief of that time, Gáspár Bekes, who came from a famous Hungarian noble family. He was buried here because he was of the Aryan faith and his remains were not accepted at the Catholic cemetery. In the middle of the 19^th century, both the monument and Bekes’ grave fell down into the Vilnia River.