Destroyed many times over the years yet never wiped out, burned yet never burned down, the Hill of Crosses is another symbol of our freedom, faith and hope – and, for pilgrims from around the world, one more place they simply must visit. In 1993 Pope John Paul II prayed on the Hill of Crosses. He later recalled the place many times in his speeches and sent Lithuania a crucifix. Pilgrim processions begin and end at the cross bearing it. The travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler included this hill near Šiauliai, covered with thousands of wooden crosses, in its top 20 of the world's scariest places. The list's compilers might not want to spend a night on the Hill of Crosses, but for us it is a place of light and hope that reflects our historical and cultural tradition. Another special tradition is the annual Hill of Crosses church festival, held on the last Sunday of July, which draws thousands of pilgrims.