Vilnius: Hill of Crosses, Rundale Palace, Bauska, Riga trip

Enjoy a complimentary hotel pick-up and transfer from your centrally located Vilnius hotel or accommodation to Riga through the Hill of Crosses in Siauliai and Rundale palace in Latvia, with a possible stop at Bauska castle in Latvia. The drive to the Hill of Crosses will be about 2.5 hours from Vilnius. The Hill of Crosses has about 100,000 crosses and is an historical architectural monument and a unique composition of folk art. It is said that first crosses were erected here by the next-of-kin of the rebels that fell in the 1831 rebellion. The Hill of crosses attracts people with its spirituality, authenticity, and sacred nature and was visited by Pope John Paul II. After exploring this site, you will head to Rundale Palace, which is an approximately 40-minute drive. Rundale Palace is one of the two major baroque palaces built for the Dukes of Courland in what is now Latvia. In 1735 Duke of Courland Ernst Johann von Biron bought land in Rundale with an old medieval castle in the territory of a planned summer residence. The old castle was demolished and construction after the design of Bartolomeo Rastrelli started in 1736. Your drive to Riga after your visit to the palace is approximately 1 hour.