Ristimägi (Hill of Crosses)
Ristimägi
A memorial site left by Swedish residents forced to leave the island in 1781. Visitors follow a tradition of tying branches into crosses and placing them in the forest.
The Hill of Crosses (Ristimägi) is a sand dune in the pine forest west of Kärdla. In 1781, Catherine the Great ordered about 1,000 Swedish residents of the island to be resettled in Ukraine, and legend has it that they held a final service here before leaving. Since then a custom has developed: first-time visitors to Hiiumaa tie a cross from branches, flowers and grasses gathered on the spot and plant it here for good luck. Today thousands of crosses of all sizes fill the woodland. Please do not break living branches; use only fallen ones. Admission is free, and the site lies right beside the road between Kärdla and Kõrgessaare.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Hiiumaa Military Museum
- Kärdla & Long House Museum
- Tahkuna Lighthouse
- Reigi Church
- Kõrgessaare Manor
- Soera Farm Museum
- Käina Church Ruins
- Orjaku Bird Tower & Käina Bay