In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Three Crosses Monument (Trys Kryžiai) stands on Bleak Hill in Kalnai Park, 162 metres above sea level, with a view over the Old Town that suits sunset. Visiting the hill is free and open 24 hours a day. The Vilnius TV Tower observation deck, 6 kilometres west, costs €18 for adults (tvbokstas.lt). Or book a tour: Vilnius: City Bike Tour of Vilnius Highlightsad (from €29, 4.8 stars from 347 reviews) is a 2.5-hour bike tour through the Old Town and Cathedral Square, a way to cover the centre without walking it.
⚠️ No wheelchairs on the TV Tower deck. Wheelchair users are not allowed on the observation deck or the 67th and 68th floors, because there is no evacuation route if the lifts fail (tvbokstas.lt).
Three Crosses or the TV Tower
| Feature | The Hill of Three Crosses | The Vilnius TV Tower |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Kalnai Park, central Vilnius Old Town | Sausio 13-osios g. 10, Karoliniškės |
| Altitude / Height | 162 m above sea level (12 m monument) | 326.4 m tower (deck at 170 m) |
| View | Old Town terracotta rooftops and Gediminas Tower | 360-degree view over the whole city |
| Facilities | Open-air wooden viewing platform, benches | Restaurant, bistro-bar, exhibition, Edge Walk |
| Cost | Free | €18 adult, €9 children and students |
| Time needed | 45 to 60 minutes (including climb) | 1.5 to 2 hours (plus 25-min transit each way) |
The Three Crosses monument on the crest of Bleak Hill. Photo: Suicasmo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Visiting the Hill of Three Crosses
Bleak Hill (Plikasis kalnas) rises abruptly from the eastern bank of the Vilnia River in Kalnai Park. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Crooked Castle (Kreivoji pilis) stood upon this promontory until it was burned down by the Teutonic Knights in 1390.
The legend and the monument
According to historical chronicles, seven Franciscan friars who arrived in Vilnius to preach Christianity were tortured and beheaded on this hill by pagan locals during the reign of Grand Duke Algirdas. Three of their bodies were supposedly tied to wooden crosses and cast down into the river.
- The Early Crosses: Wooden memorial crosses were first erected atop the hill in the early 17th century, visible across the entire medieval city. When the timber decayed in 1869, Tsarist authorities banned their replacement.
- Antoni Wiwulski’s monument: In 1916, during the German occupation in World War I, the Polish-Lithuanian architect Antoni Wiwulski (Antanas Vivulskis) designed a reinforced-concrete monument of three white crosses with curved armatures.
- Soviet destruction and 1989 rebuilding: On 30 May 1950, Soviet authorities blew up the monument and buried the pieces. In 1989, during the Sąjūdis independence movement, architect Henrikas Šilgalis reconstructed the 12-metre monument in fourteen days. Fragments of the original 1916 crosses were dug up and set into the foundations at the base.
- Night Illumination: The crosses are illuminated after dark. On national holidays, they are lit in the Lithuanian tricolour (yellow, green, and red), and on commemorative days in the blue and yellow of Ukraine.
View over Vilnius Old Town from the Three Crosses hill. Photo: Brian Toward from London, United Kingdom, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
How to climb to the summit
There are two primary walking routes to the viewing platform:
- From Bernardine Gardens via the River Bridge: Exit the north-eastern corner of Bernardine Garden, cross the pedestrian footbridge over the Vilnia River, and follow the signposted boardwalk. A wooden staircase of over 200 steps climbs through the wooded hillside to the summit. The climb takes 10 to 15 minutes.
- From T. Kosciuškos Street (gentle slope): To avoid steep steps, start from the Kalnai Park entrance on T. Kosciuškos Street, near the roundabout. A paved service lane winds uphill through the woods and works with a pushchair.
The Vilnius TV Tower: tickets, 170 m deck and history
The Vilnius TV Tower (Vilniaus TV bokštas) is 6 kilometres west of the Old Town in the residential district of Karoliniškės, and was commissioned on 30 December 1980. At 326.4 metres it is the tallest structure in Lithuania, and the tower says it is the eighth tallest in Europe (tvbokstas.lt).
Ticket prices and deck experiences
Tickets for the observation deck at 170 metres are sold at the ticket office, open 11:00 to 21:00 daily, or online at tvbokstas.lt:
| Ticket | Price | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | €18 | Full price |
| Child | €9 | Aged 4 to 18, and secondary school pupils |
| Student | €9 | Lithuanian full-time students and foreign students with an ISIC card |
| Family | €45 | Up to 2 adults and up to 3 children |
An e-ticket does not give priority entry; show it at the ticket office. The outdoor terrace is open only from April to October, weather permitting.
Two places to eat sit above the deck: the restaurant Paukščių Takas on the 66th floor and the bistro-bar Toliai on the 67th, open 11:00 to 22:00 daily.
The events of 13 January 1991
The TV Tower is a site of Lithuanian independence. On the night of 13 January 1991, Soviet army tanks and KGB Alpha Group special forces stormed the tower to shut down independent Lithuanian radio and television broadcasts.
Thousands of unarmed Lithuanian citizens formed a peaceful human shield around the base of the tower. Soviet tanks crushed civilians beneath their tracks and troops fired live ammunition into the crowd, killing fourteen defenders and injuring over seven hundred. A museum on the ground floor displays photographs, tank shells, and personal belongings of the martyrs, while commemorative wooden crosses stand in the memorial pine grove outside.
Panorama of Vilnius Old Town from the Hill of Three Crosses. Photo: Suicasmo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tours and guided walks
Vilnius: City Bike Tour of Vilnius Highlights
From €29 · 4.8 stars from 347 reviews · 2.5 hours · bike tour of the Old Town
Vilnius: City Bike Tour of Vilnius Highlightsad: a bike tour of the main sights, through the Old Town and Cathedral Square.
Vilnius: Old Town Walking Tour with Local Guide & Chocolate
From €21 · 4.9 stars from 26 reviews · 2.5 hours · local guide and chocolate tasting
Vilnius: Old Town Walking Tour with Local Guide & Chocolatead: a walk through the Old Town led by a local, covering the city’s history, everyday life and hidden corners, with chocolate as part of the tour.
Vilnius: Sightseeing Audio Tour
From €17 · 4.1 stars from 435 reviews · 1 hour · audio guide
Vilnius: Sightseeing Audio Tourad: an introduction to Vilnius with an audio guide. At 1 hour it covers the centre quickly.
Official ticket or tour
| What you want | Official | On GetYourGuide |
|---|---|---|
| Hill of Three Crosses | Free, open 24/7 | Not part of the tours above |
| TV Tower observation deck | €18 adult, €9 child or student | Not sold |
| Guided bike tour of the city centre | None run by the city | 2.5-hour bike tour from €29 |
Practical tips for visitors
- Timing the Three Crosses: Arrive about 45 minutes before sunset. The evening light falls on the church domes and the baroque bell towers of Vilnius University.
- Getting to the TV Tower: Take trolleybus line 16 from Vilnius Central Railway Station or trolleybus line 1 from Cathedral Square to the Televizijos bokštas stop (approx. 20 minutes), followed by a 6-minute walk through the residential parkland.
What to see next
- Gediminas Tower and Upper Castle: the castle viewpoint on the opposite hill across the Vilnia River.
- Bernardine Gardens: at the foot of the Three Crosses staircase.
- Republic of Užupis Guide: across the river, with art installations and cafes.
- Free Things to Do in Vilnius: more viewpoints and free attractions.
- Vilnius City Hub: the city overview.
Common questions
How much does it cost to visit the Three Crosses in Vilnius?
Visiting the Hill of Three Crosses is free. The monument and the viewing platforms around it in Kalnai Park are open to the public at all hours.
How do you get to the Three Crosses Monument?
You can reach the summit on foot via wooden stairs and gravel paths through Kalnai Park starting behind Bernardine Gardens, or by walking up from the car park on T. Kosciuškos Street. The climb takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
What is the history behind the Three Crosses?
Legend tells that seven Franciscan friars were martyred on Bleak Hill during pagan times in the 14th century. Wooden crosses were erected around 1613, followed by a concrete monument designed by Antoni Wiwulski in 1916. Dynamited by Soviet forces in 1950, it was reconstructed in 1989.
When is the Vilnius TV Tower open?
The TV Tower ticket office is open daily from 11:00 to 21:00, and the bistro-bar Toliai on the 67th floor from 11:00 to 22:00 (tvbokstas.lt). An adult ticket for the observation deck is €18.
Can wheelchair users go up the Vilnius TV Tower?
No. The tower does not allow wheelchairs on the observation deck and the 67th and 68th floors, because there is no evacuation route if the lifts break down (tvbokstas.lt).
