A weekend in Šiauliai
A city of museums with the Hill of Crosses 12 km to the north: 2 h 28 min–2 h 44 min by train from Vilnius, from 2 h 30 min by bus from Kaunas, museum ticket €8.
Contents
Šiauliai in brief
Šiauliai is a city of museums with a pedestrian street, Vilnius Street. About 12 km to the north stands the Hill of Crosses, one of the best-known pilgrimage sites in Lithuania (kryziukalnas.lt, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). One or two nights are enough for a weekend: give one day to the hill and the other to the museums.
Vilnius Street was laid out more than 200 years ago, and some of its buildings are interwar modernist architecture (Šiauliai TIC, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). At 12:00 and 18:00 the city clock, the Rooster (“Gaidys”), greets passers-by (Šiauliai TIC, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-19).
You will find an estimate for two people in the weekend in Šiauliai guide (in Lithuanian).
How to get there
Services for Friday (6 November) and Sunday (8 November): we checked the buses on 2026-10-08 and the trains from Kaunas and Klaipėda on 2026-10-29. Check again for your own date; prices depend on the class and the service, so we do not give them here.
| From | Service | Journey time |
|---|---|---|
| Vilnius | LTG Link train 07:04 → 09:45 or 10:54 → 13:22 | 2 h 28 min–2 h 44 min |
| Vilnius | bus 06:30 → 09:45 | 3 h 15 min |
| Kaunas | LTG Link train 10:42 → 12:40 or 16:47 → 18:45 | 1 h 58 min |
| Kaunas | bus 09:15 → 12:20 | 3 h 5 min |
| Klaipėda | LTG Link train 06:05 → 07:56 or 10:25 → 12:10 | 1 h 45 min–1 h 51 min |
| Klaipėda | bus 06:05 → 09:30 | 3 h 25 min |
From Vilnius. On Friday, 6 November, LTG Link trains leave at 05:20, 06:38, 07:04, 10:54, 13:03, 15:04, 17:17 and 18:48 (journey 2 h 28 min–2 h 44 min). For the return on Sunday, 8 November, only the 18:41 service was on sale at the time (arriving 21:28) (LTG Link search, checked 2026-10-19). Buses from Vilnius go via Panevėžys and take about 3 h 15 min–3 h 35 min. For more, see the list of trips from Vilnius (in Lithuanian).
From Kaunas. On Friday, 6 November, direct LTG Link trains leave at 10:42 (arriving 12:40) and 16:47 (18:45) (national timetable data, checked 2026-10-29), and on Sunday, 8 November, trains back leave at 07:52 (arriving 10:13) and 14:22 (16:53) (LTG Link search, checked 2026-10-29). That Friday, buses to Šiauliai include the 05:25, 09:15, 10:00, 12:00 and 13:15 (2 h 30 min–3 h 5 min), and on Sunday, 8 November, buses back leave at 09:15, 13:10 and 14:10 (national timetable data, checked 2026-10-08). A base fare is given for some of the services (€10.10–€10.70); the ticketing platform may show a different price. For more, see the list of trips from Kaunas (in Lithuanian).
From Klaipėda. On Friday, 6 November, direct buses leave at 06:05 (arriving 09:30), 12:50 (16:25) and 14:20 (18:10) (national timetable data, checked 2026-10-08). The data has no fares, so we give none. The train is faster: that day LTG Link trains leave at 06:05, 07:45, 09:13, 10:25, 12:40, 15:25, 16:35 and 18:12 (journey 1 h 45 min–2 h 42 min) (national timetable data, checked 2026-10-29). On Sunday, 8 November, trains back leave at 09:25, 12:15, 13:25, 15:46, 19:51 and 21:32 (LTG Link search, checked 2026-10-29). For more, see by train from Klaipėda to Šiauliai (in Lithuanian).
Getting around
- Bus station: Tilžės g. 109. It is about 1.2 km to the Photography Museum, a 15-minute walk.
- Railway station: Dubijos g. 44. It is about 1.25 km to the same museum, a 17-minute walk.
- Between the stations: about 1.1 km, a 14-minute walk.
Distances are from OpenStreetMap routes, checked 2026-10-06. The city bus app is called “ŠiauliaiBUS”, and you will find timetables at busturas.lt (Šiauliai TIC, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). We did not check ticket prices.
Where to stay
Most museums are on Vilnius Street (Frenkel Villa at No. 74, the Bicycle Museum at No. 139, the Photography Museum at No. 140), so a bed near the street puts everything within walking distance (Aušra Museum, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). The southern shore of Lake Talkša, where the Iron Fox stands, suits a quieter stroll.
Hotel Šiauliai (Draugystės pr. 25) lists a double room with a double bed at €75 for two with breakfast, and with separate beds at €80 (price list, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-08). This is not a search for particular dates, so check that rooms are free. A list of other places to stay is on the Šiauliai TIC website (in Lithuanian).
What to see
Hill of Crosses
Hundreds of thousands of crosses on a hill outside Šiauliai, a unique pilgrimage site.
The Hill of Crosses. In Soviet times the crosses here were destroyed: 2,179 were removed in April 1961. On 7 September 1993 Pope John Paul II prayed on the hill (kryziukalnas.lt, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06).
The nearest bus stop is Domantai, 2 km on foot from the hill (kryziukalnas.lt, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). On Saturday, 7 November, you cannot get there and back by bus on the same day: only the 08:07 service to Šiauliai and the 17:30 service from Šiauliai, arriving at 17:47, stop at Domantai (national timetable data, checked 2026-10-16). Visit the hill by car or taxi that day; we did not check taxi fares.
Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul
Šiauliai Cathedral, with a bright vaulted interior and a tall tower.
The cathedral. The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul (Aušros takas 3) is a Renaissance monument. Its tower is 70 m high. The present church was consecrated in October 1634 (Šiauliai TIC, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06).
Iron Fox
Listed in the Lithuanian Book of Records as the largest sculpture of an animal: about 15 m long and almost 7 tonnes.
The Iron Fox. The Lithuanian Book of Records lists it as the largest sculpture of an animal: about 15 m long and almost 7 tonnes in weight (Šiauliai TIC, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06).
The Rooster clock. The clock stands on the pedestrian street right in the centre, where the two main streets cross. The rooster flaps its wings as it announces the hours, and at 12:00 and 18:00 it greets passers-by several times with the words “Welcome to Šiauliai” in different languages. At 18:00 the melody of the song “Tu ateik į pasimatymą” also plays (Šiauliai TIC, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-07).
The Talkša labyrinth. A labyrinth of seven rings made of field stones was opened on the Talkša shore on 3 September 2013. The idea was born in 2012, when locals laid out a small energy labyrinth in the grass on the shore (Šiauliai TIC, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-07).
The Shoe Tree. Teenagers who skateboard and ride BMX bikes by the Šiauliai Art Gallery hung shoes on the tree that grows there. After the season in autumn, throwing worn-out shoes into the tree has become their ritual (Šiauliai TIC, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-07).
The Cat Museum. Vanda Kavaliauskienė’s museum (Žuvininkų g. 18) is open Tuesday–Friday 9:00–17:00 and Saturday 9:00–16:00. The “Gyvūnijos sodas” (animal garden) is next door (Šiauliai TIC, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). We did not check ticket prices.
Photography Museum
The history of photography and a collection of cameras, in the centre of Šiauliai.
Aušra Museum branches. Tickets from 1 September (prices, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06):
- The Photography, Bicycle and Chaim Frenkel Villa museums: €8 each;
- the Radio and Television Museum: €4;
- 1–2 adults with a child get a 50 % discount.
The Photography, Bicycle and Frenkel Villa museums are open Tuesday–Friday 10:00–18:00 and Saturday–Sunday 11:00–17:00. The table has no Monday, so they are closed that day (opening hours, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). The villa park is free and open daily 10:00–22:00.
Bicycle Museum
A collection of bicycles and the history of the Vairas factory in Šiauliai.
For every sight with photographs, see the sections What to see and What to do.
What to do by season
In summer the Chaim Frenkel Villa summer festival takes place in the villa park. In 2026 the festival ended on 27 August with a concert in the park (Aušra Museum, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). The rest of the year the museums and the Hill of Crosses are the main draw. With children the 50 % discount is handy, and there are more ideas in the guide to trips with children (in Lithuanian).
If it rains
On a rainy day in Šiauliai choose two museums next to each other (Vilniaus g. 139 and 140). Checked 2026-10-08.
- Bicycle Museum. Open Tuesday–Friday 10:00–18:00, Saturday and Sunday 11:00–17:00. Ticket €8 (opening hours, prices, in Lithuanian).
- Photography Museum. The same hours. Ticket €8, terrace €1.
The Aušra Museum page does not give Monday opening hours. 1–2 adults with a minor child get a 50 % discount.
What to eat
The Šiauliai TIC catering list has 174 places (Šiauliai TIC, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06). They include “Žemaitis” (Lithuanian cuisine), “Avenue Brasserie”, “Valerijono arbatinė” (vegetarian cuisine) and “Rūtos kavinė”. We did not check menus or prices, so we do not recommend dishes.
Practical information
- Tourist information centre. Vilniaus g. 213-90, open Monday–Friday 9:00–18:00, Saturday 10:00–16:00, Sunday 10:00–14:00 (Šiauliai TIC, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06).
- Monday. The Aušra museums’ table has no Monday, and the Cat Museum is open only Tuesday–Saturday. Plan a walk for Monday.
- Tourist tax. We could not find an official source, so we give no amount.
- Airports. The nearest airports are Riga (137 km), Kaunas (146 km), Palanga (160 km) and Vilnius (216 km). An express bus runs from the Vilnius and Kaunas airports (Šiauliai TIC, in Lithuanian, checked 2026-10-06).
Weekend plan
We checked restaurant opening hours on 2026-10-16: Žemaitis (Draugystės pr. 25) is open Friday–Saturday 11:00–22:00 and Sunday 11:00–18:00 (restoranaszemaitis.lt); the Cask 215 (Vilniaus g. 215) kitchen is open Friday–Saturday 12:00–22:00 and Sunday 12:00–21:00 (cask215.lt). Museum hours are from Aušros Museum (in Lithuanian), checked 2026-10-16.
Friday. The 07:04 train from Vilnius arrives at 09:45. Leave your bags at the hotel, stroll along Vilnius Street and watch the Rooster clock at 12:00. Lunch at Žemaitis, then the cathedral. Dinner at Cask 215.
Saturday. Morning: the Iron Fox and the labyrinth by Lake Talkša, or the Hill of Crosses by car or taxi (no return bus on 7 November). At 11:00 the Photography Museum (until 17:00), lunch at Cask 215, and in the afternoon the Bicycle Museum next door at Vilniaus g. 139 (until 17:00). Dinner at Žemaitis.
Sunday. At 11:00 the Chaim Frenkel Villa museum (until 17:00), lunch at Žemaitis or Cask 215. The afternoon is free, then take the 18:41 train back to Vilnius, arriving at 21:28. For other ideas: where to travel in Lithuania in autumn (in Lithuanian) and the Kaunas page.
FAQ
How long is the journey from Vilnius to Šiauliai? The train takes 2 h 28 min–2 h 44 min and the bus 3 h 15 min–3 h 35 min (checked 2026-10-06, 6 November).
How do I get to the Hill of Crosses without a car? On Saturday, 7 November, you cannot get there and back by bus on the same day: only the 08:07 service to Šiauliai and the 17:30 service from it stop at Domantai (national timetable data, checked 2026-10-16). Take a taxi.
How much is a ticket to the Aušra Museum? €8 for the Photography, Bicycle and Frenkel Villa museums, €4 for the Radio and Television Museum (from 1 September).
Is a weekend enough? Yes: the Hill of Crosses needs half a day and the museums another day.
Things to see and do in Šiauliai
By car: distance, time, fuel
By car
- From Vilnius: 213 km, 2 h 18 min one way. Fuel there and back: €54.02 per car, €27.01 each for two people.Calculation: 2 × 213 km = 426 km; 426 km ÷ 100 × 6.5 l/100 km = 27.69 l; 27.69 l × 1.951 €/l = €54.02.
- From Kaunas: 156 km, 1 h 53 min one way. Fuel there and back: €39.57 per car, €19.79 each for two people.Calculation: 2 × 156 km = 312 km; 312 km ÷ 100 × 6.5 l/100 km = 20.28 l; 20.28 l × 1.951 €/l = €39.57.
- From Klaipėda: 172 km, 1 h 52 min one way. Fuel there and back: €43.63 per car, €21.82 each for two people.Calculation: 2 × 172 km = 344 km; 344 km ÷ 100 × 6.5 l/100 km = 22.36 l; 22.36 l × 1.951 €/l = €43.63.
From Panevėžys is not calculated yet: we do not have map data for this route.
This is an approximate calculation, not a price. Travel time without traffic or border queues. Fuel price: Lithuanian average, Euro-super 95 with taxes, 2026-10-19, the European Commission's Weekly Oil Bulletin (CC BY 4.0); consumption 6.5 l/100 km. Routes: MOTIS, car profile, no traffic conditions, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extracts, calculated 2026-10-29. There are no road tolls for passenger cars in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia; for Poland, see here (in Lithuanian).