Šiauliai

Šiauliai is the fourth-largest city in Lithuania, located in the north of the country, in the historical region of Samogitia, with some 100,000 inhabitants. Its founding date is set at 22 September 1236, the day of the Battle of Saule, the first mention of the city in the chronicles of the Livonian Order, and some 12 kilometres to the north stands the Hill of Crosses, a pilgrimage site estimated to hold more than 100,000 crosses. In sport, BC Šiauliai, founded in 1984, has won the Baltic Basketball League three times and plays at the Šiauliai Arena, a hall of some 5,700 seats opened in 2007 that hosted EuroBasket 2011 matches and Davis Cup ties in 2013. The city also has a football team in the A Lyga, FA Šiauliai, Lithuania's top division, as well as handball and rugby clubs. Šiauliai has been designated European City of Sport 2027 by ACES Europe, a recognition that places it within the Lithuanian representation of the ACES network.