iauliai city
Route distance: ~10 km
Duration: 2-3 hours
Map: 
Visiting places:
1. St. Apostles Peter and Paul's Cathedral
Aušros takas 3, Šiauliai
http://siauliukatedra.lt
 The Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul's Cathedral is the first one to welcome each visitor. It seems that all roads leading to Šiauliai point directly towards this cathedral's 70-meter-high tower. Wars, fires and storms constantly devastated the cathedral, however after each restoration it appeared almost unchanged from the early XVII century - plastered in white, with a high tower and red tile roof. The renaissance-style building in the ambience of trees has many elements typical of medieval construction. It is not just so that famous Lithuanian writer Motiejus Valanèius called it "the most marvelous in Þemaièiai land", it is not just so that words like "splendid architecture" occurred in the laconic visitation acts of the XIX century. Forms of renaissance and mannerism as well as defensive elements are masterfully interlaced with each other in this building. Local traditions are perfectly combined with the experience of Central and Northern European countries. A metal cross commemorates a wooden chapel that once stood in this place. The southern part of the cathedral is decorated with the oldest sundial in Lithuania - the only clock of its kind showing the precise local time. 2. Sundial Square
Eero /S. Šalkauskio St., Šiauliai
 The focal object of Sundial Square is an almost four-meter-high decorative statue "Šaulys" (The Archer) by Stanislovas Kuzma decorated with gilded bronze. The statue depicts a boy standing on a ball at a height of 18 meters in the pose of just having shot an arrow from the arch. The statue, which is often referred to as "the gilded boy", as well as the numbers 12, 3 and 6 stamped into the pavement of the square connect three symbols of Šiauliai: the Sun, commemorating the Battle of the Sun that took place in the territory of the city, the Archer, from which the name of the city originated, and Time that has passed since the day when the name of the city was mentioned for the first time (in 1236). It is the highest sundial in Lithuania. 3. Iron fox
Southern side of the Talkša Lake
 The Talkša Lake is situated in the very centre of the city of Šiauliai, near Sundial Square. Just before Christmas, during the night of December 23 of the year 2009, a huge Iron Fox, one of the most novel and particularly popular artistic designs in Šiauliai, "shot up" on the bank of the Lake. This work had been made by the local designer Vilius Puronas to commemorate the thousand-year anniversary of the first mention of the name of Lithuania. The designer jested that Vilnius had a legend about an iron wolf, and Šiauliai could take pride in the iron fox, a symbol of inventiveness and wisdom. The structure of the Fox has a "heart" with a built-in time capsule for future generations. The heart is made of galvanized metal and fitted in the statue exactly in the "usual place" for the heart. The approximate weight of the sculpture is 7 tons, it is 25 meters long and 6.5 meters high to the tail tip. 4. Round the Talkša lake
Talkša Lake is one of the two lakes in the city of Šiauliai. The lake occupies an area of 56.2 ha, its average depth is 3.5 m, the deepest point is 8.2 m. The lake is near Sundial Square and Salduvė Park. Perhaps there are not so many cities where the trip along the ecologic path can be started in the very centre of the city. 5. Cat museum
uvininkų Street 18, Šiauliai
Phone +370 41 523 883
 Opening hours: II-VI 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
E-mail: info@gamtininkucentras.mir.lt
Ticket: adult - 4 Lt privileged - 2 Lt
Vanda Kavaliauskiene founded the museum on The 17th of May 1990. She had been collecting exhibits for the museum many years. The first exhibit - little black wooden cat was brought from Poland in 1962.
There are over 4 000 exhibits in the museum. Cats in stained glass, greet visitors on stair handrails, on the lamps, etc. 6. Salduve mound
 Once upon a time, there was a wooden castle standing on Salduve Mound, which was destroyed during battles against the Order of Sword-Bearers. A legend tells us that the duke of Šiauliai and his beloved girl lived on the hill; however, they were not married. The god Perkunas punished them and killed them with a flash of lightning. Their love was very sweet (saldi); that's why the hill is called Salduvė.
Recommendations:
Prepare for extreme ride near Talkša lake.
|
The Hill of Crosses is situated in the middle of an arable land, twelve kilometres from Šiauliai. It is seen from Šiauliai - Riga highway. When it is a nice weather it is recommended to take a bike. At first you will have to take a Tilė street. When you will be cycling in to the city, your bicycle path will be on the left hand, outside of city - on the right side of the road. After the road sign "KRYIŲ KALNAS - 2 km", turn right. It is recommended to leave a bike near the tourism information centre by the Hill of Crosses.
