Hill of Crosses

You see it from the road, a low hill that seems to bristle. Close up it is a forest of crosses of all sizes, from tiny rosaries to tall wooden crucifixes, left by pilgrims from all over the world. Under Soviet rule the authorities removed them more than once, but people kept returning to plant new ones. The place is moving whether or not you are religious, and the sound of the wind in the rosaries is unforgettable.

Talking points

• Pilgrims have been leaving crosses here for generations.
• The authorities bulldozed the hill more than once during the Soviet era, but crosses kept returning.