Kaunas

Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania, with a population of some 288,000 people. The main reason to visit is its charming Old Town, connected to the 19th century New Town ranged along Laisvės alėja. It was the country's capital between the two world wars.

Climate
The best time to visit Kaunas is May to August. Summers are cool - July is the warmest with an average of – and there are frequent showers.

Winter is icy, bitter cold, and the days are short. Nevertheless, it can be a good time to visit, because the city is well-adapted to the cold. The streets get snow-plowed and the transport keeps running. Museums and similar facilities remain open. Buildings are well-heated, with cloakrooms and other storage for all your clobber. You'll need ten mins to shuck off your layers of clothing every time you enter a building, and ten minutes to wrap up again before you venture out, but this is all part of the winter routine. It's companionable, everyone feels in league together against the winter, and it's as much a part of experiencing the country as church incense, vodka and potatoes. And outside you can lark about with sledges and snowmen. Choose carefully who you snowball – the locals have far greater skills than you have.

Tourist information
The is at Rotuses Square 29, next to Town Hall. It's open M-F 09:00-20:00, Sa Su 10:00-18:00; see also the online tourist guide.

History


The city grew up in an obvious strategic position, at the confluence of the country's two main rivers. There's been settlement here for at least 2500 years but what we now call the Old Town dates from the 14th century when the castle was built. Kaunas prospered as part of the Hanseatic League into the 16th century. Medieval Lithuania had united with Poland to control a huge swathe of Europe, right down to the Black Sea, but Sweden and Russia grew and fought for regional control, and in the 17th and 18th centuries they attacked and wrecked Kaunas several times. Russia won the power struggle and took over Lithuania in 1795, while Poland was carved up between Russia, Prussia and Austria.

The Grand Army of Napoleon marched through Kaunas to occupy Moscow in 1812, and then retreated, and devastated the city both times. It had all been too easy to invade, and there were ominous local uprisings, so in the 19th century, Russia tightened its grip by building up the local garrison. This culminated in the colossal military complex of "Fortress Kaunas" encircling the city; but it proved of limited value in 20th-century warfare, and nowadays only the "Ninth Fort" (of ten) is standing.

Lithuania proclaimed its independence in 1918, the "First Republic". Vilnius had always been the chief city, but it was seized first by the Russian Bolsheviks and then by Poland; so instead Kaunas became the provisional capital. This greatly stimulated its urban and cultural development, with handsome buildings in neoclassical, functional and Art Deco design, dubbed "Little Paris". It was a diverse city: a quarter of the population were Jewish, engaged in commercial, artisan, professional life, and religious learning.

The First Republic was crushed in 1940 when the Soviet Union annexed Lithuania. But Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941 and yet again the Russians fled, choosing not to make a stand so far from Moscow. The Germans set about liquidating the Jewish population: over 30,000 perished. The Red Army retook the Baltic states in 1944, and post-war Lithuania became part of the USSR. Not until 1990 was it again independent.

By plane

 * https://zumexpert.com/

To and from the airport
Bus 29 from outside Arrivals runs via Savanoriu Ave to the main railway and bus station, taking an hour. It runs daily once or twice an hour between 04:30 and 23:30, then the last bus heads into town at 01:00 but will wait for delayed flights. The fare is €1, pay the driver.

A taxi to the town centre might be €16.

Ollex is a direct bus from Kaunas airport to Vilnius (90 min, three per day, €15) and Klaipėda (2 hr 30 min, four per day, €22). The latter stops midway at Kryžkalnis highway interchange, for other local buses.


 * Vilnius Airport 100 km east has far more flights, from all the European capitals and many other cities. It has a direct Ollex bus to Kaunas city centre (Akropolis shopping centre), and is close to Vilnius rail and bus stations for other onward transport.

By road
The dual-carriageway motorways and main highways are in good condition and are kept open in winter. The motorway speed limit is 130 km/h, but 110 km/h in winter, and 100 km/h on the Vilnius-Kaunas sector.

The main international highway is Via Baltica E67 connecting Warsaw via Lithuania to Tallinn. It runs north from Augustow in Poland to become A5 at the border; from there it runs northeast past Marijampolė to Kaunas, continuing as A8 / A10 north to Riga then Tallinn.

Highway A1 / E85 runs west from Kaunas to Klaipėda on the coast, and east to Vilnius. From Vilnius A3 / E28 runs southeast into Belarus, towards Minsk.

Highway A6 / E262 runs northeast from Kaunas to Jonava, Ukmerge, Utena and Daugavpils in Latvia.

By train
From Poland, a daily train runs from Krakow at 04:00 via Warsaw Centralna at 07:30 to reach the border towards 15:00. Here you change onto the Lithuanian train for Kaunas at 16:30 and Vilnius at 17:30. (If you flew into Warsaw, you could take any train to Białystok then join the cross-border train at a more congenial 10:30 next morning.) The westbound train sets off from Vilnius at noon and Kaunas at 13:20.

Another train lumbers on Saturday and Sunday between Białystok and Kaunas on the old route via Mariampole, which pre-dates the Rail Baltica line. So it's overtaken by the Krakow-Vilnius train and you'd only use it to reach one of the villages along the old route.

From Vilnius trains run hourly, daily 05:00-22:30, taking 90 min. The adult single fare in 2022 is €7. The trains are usually Czech double-deckers.

From Klaipeda four services run daily, with a change at Šiauliai and a journey time of five hours.

(Kauno geležinkelio stotis) is at M.K. Čiurlionio g. 16 in the southeast corner of the city, 2 km from Old Town: you can follow a pleasant footpath along the river bank. There are lockers next to the ticket office, a tourist office, an ATM and a small café.

About 500 m northeast of the station, a splendid old steam locomotive stands at the entrance to a 1.3 km railway tunnel, built in 1861 and still in use. But the road along here (Tunelio gatve) is busy with traffic and it's taking you away from the other city sights; you can see it just fine on Google Street View.

By bus


National: Between Kaunas and Vilnius, the main bus line is Kautra, with departures every 15 min taking 90 mins, fare €7. Toks buses also run this line hourly, same travel time and fare. Between Kaunas and Klaipeda, various lines run hourly taking 3 hours, and fare €15. See the ticket website for full choice.

International: Eurolines run buses to Kaunas from Riga in Latvia (4 per day, 4 hr, €20), Tallinn in Estonia (2 per day, 11 hr, €30), Minsk in Belarus (3 direct per day, 7 hr, €17; more by changing in Vilnius), and Warsaw in Poland (2 per day, 7 hr, €20). FlixBus has buses from Tallinn, Riga, Warsaw and Berlin to Kaunas.

By bus
Some 47 bus and 16 trolleybus routes criss-cross the city, running from about 05:00 to 23:00. Buy tickets at newspaper kiosks or on board; a single (paper) ticket is €1 - validate pre-bought tickets on boarding. You can also buy e-tickets (swipe cards) for pay-as-you-go (€0.70 per journey), 3 days (€5.50), 7 days (€10), 1 month (€28 for M-F, €31 for 7-day use), 3 months, or a year. Buy from kiosks and top up online. Ziogas is a mobile app for buying tickets.

See Kaunas Public Transport for fares, a downloadable map and a travel planner.

By taxi
The easiest way to book a taxi is with the eTAKSI app for smartphones, a service similar to Uber/Lyft.

Book taxis by phone, it's not usual to hail them on the street here. In the evening and at night, prices are higher. Reputable companies are:



By car
Driving a car in Kaunas is easy, as long as you comply with traffic regulations. Admittedly, the central part of Kaunas city is heavily affected by intensive traffic flows. It is notable, that some main central streets, i.e. K. Donelaicio/Kestucio are part of a one-way system. It facilitates a smoother flow of traffic through the Kaunas city centre grid. Drivers must have a valid driving license and vehicle registration document, insurance (green card is valid in Lithuania). Renting a car for at least 24 hours in Kaunas is effortless. There are some companies renting cars in Kaunas, including Rentacar.lt, Avis, Hertz, Europcar, Budget, AviaEuropa, NeoRent, Autonuoma Kaune and Carent. All of these companies have offices at Kaunas airport. The vehicles are provided with a full tank. The car must be returned with a full tank, otherwise, €1 per litre is charged. To rent a car without a driver a deposit must be paid. The speed limit in Kaunas is 50 km/h, except for some bigger streets which have a speed limit of 60, 70 or even 80 km/h.

Parking in central Kaunas, as well as in the Old Town area, is paid. Central Kaunas is divided into three zones with different parking fees - red (most expensive), blue and green (least expensive). All parking ticket machines are equipped with card readers for city chip cards, and some of them accept coins. Also one may pay for parking with a special 1 or 2-hour parking card or by sending a special SMS (text message) to number 1332 if one has a local mobile provider - Omnitel, Bite or Tele2 card. A special sticker on the windscreen of the car to indicate that SMS payment can be used is required. The parking ticket or parking card must be clearly visible to be valid. Chip cards or parking cards are available on newsstands, in the Parking in Kaunas company office, Gedimino g.45, or at dressed in green parking controllers. Everyone is liable to an excess charge if they park beyond the selected parking period. The excess period is 15 minutes.

By bike
There are more than 50 km of cycleways in Kaunas and this is increasing, see online chart. The Eurovelo international route goes through the city.


 * Rent bikes from

By boat
Regular water tourism routes: Kaunas - Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant - Kaunas (duration: 3 hours) and  Kaunas - Rumšiškės - Kaunas (duration: 6 hours;) are available on Saturdays and Sundays from Kaunas Pažaislis pier. Each route starts from Kaunas Reservoir pier at 11:00 Another water tourism route Kaunas - Zapyškis - Kulautuva small resort town (duration: 2 hours) starts from Kaunas Vytautas' church pier in the Old Town on Sundays at 12:00. Tickets are also available in advance at Kaunas region tourism information center, Laisves aleja, 36.

See



 * Various city sightseeing tours are available, see Tourist Office choices. They also tout a "Kaunastic" card but this is simply a gift card for retail outlets; it doesn't grant entry to the sights or rides on the buses.

Old Town
The city's top attraction for visitors is its Old Town, built around City Hall Square (Rotušės aikštė) between the 14th and 17th centuries in Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles.


 * Napoleon's House is next to the Lutheran Church on Muitines g. 8. This 16th-century brick building is named for Napoleon Bonaparte, who stayed here in June 1812. Its eastern annexe has a beautiful staircase, an example of Fachverk, a German architectural style rare in Lithuania. But it's nowadays part of the University Faculty of Humanities and you can't routinely visit.
 * Napoleon's House is next to the Lutheran Church on Muitines g. 8. This 16th-century brick building is named for Napoleon Bonaparte, who stayed here in June 1812. Its eastern annexe has a beautiful staircase, an example of Fachverk, a German architectural style rare in Lithuania. But it's nowadays part of the University Faculty of Humanities and you can't routinely visit.
 * Napoleon's House is next to the Lutheran Church on Muitines g. 8. This 16th-century brick building is named for Napoleon Bonaparte, who stayed here in June 1812. Its eastern annexe has a beautiful staircase, an example of Fachverk, a German architectural style rare in Lithuania. But it's nowadays part of the University Faculty of Humanities and you can't routinely visit.
 * Napoleon's House is next to the Lutheran Church on Muitines g. 8. This 16th-century brick building is named for Napoleon Bonaparte, who stayed here in June 1812. Its eastern annexe has a beautiful staircase, an example of Fachverk, a German architectural style rare in Lithuania. But it's nowadays part of the University Faculty of Humanities and you can't routinely visit.
 * Napoleon's House is next to the Lutheran Church on Muitines g. 8. This 16th-century brick building is named for Napoleon Bonaparte, who stayed here in June 1812. Its eastern annexe has a beautiful staircase, an example of Fachverk, a German architectural style rare in Lithuania. But it's nowadays part of the University Faculty of Humanities and you can't routinely visit.
 * Napoleon's House is next to the Lutheran Church on Muitines g. 8. This 16th-century brick building is named for Napoleon Bonaparte, who stayed here in June 1812. Its eastern annexe has a beautiful staircase, an example of Fachverk, a German architectural style rare in Lithuania. But it's nowadays part of the University Faculty of Humanities and you can't routinely visit.
 * Napoleon's House is next to the Lutheran Church on Muitines g. 8. This 16th-century brick building is named for Napoleon Bonaparte, who stayed here in June 1812. Its eastern annexe has a beautiful staircase, an example of Fachverk, a German architectural style rare in Lithuania. But it's nowadays part of the University Faculty of Humanities and you can't routinely visit.
 * Napoleon's House is next to the Lutheran Church on Muitines g. 8. This 16th-century brick building is named for Napoleon Bonaparte, who stayed here in June 1812. Its eastern annexe has a beautiful staircase, an example of Fachverk, a German architectural style rare in Lithuania. But it's nowadays part of the University Faculty of Humanities and you can't routinely visit.
 * Napoleon's House is next to the Lutheran Church on Muitines g. 8. This 16th-century brick building is named for Napoleon Bonaparte, who stayed here in June 1812. Its eastern annexe has a beautiful staircase, an example of Fachverk, a German architectural style rare in Lithuania. But it's nowadays part of the University Faculty of Humanities and you can't routinely visit.
 * Napoleon's House is next to the Lutheran Church on Muitines g. 8. This 16th-century brick building is named for Napoleon Bonaparte, who stayed here in June 1812. Its eastern annexe has a beautiful staircase, an example of Fachverk, a German architectural style rare in Lithuania. But it's nowadays part of the University Faculty of Humanities and you can't routinely visit.
 * Napoleon's House is next to the Lutheran Church on Muitines g. 8. This 16th-century brick building is named for Napoleon Bonaparte, who stayed here in June 1812. Its eastern annexe has a beautiful staircase, an example of Fachverk, a German architectural style rare in Lithuania. But it's nowadays part of the University Faculty of Humanities and you can't routinely visit.
 * Napoleon's House is next to the Lutheran Church on Muitines g. 8. This 16th-century brick building is named for Napoleon Bonaparte, who stayed here in June 1812. Its eastern annexe has a beautiful staircase, an example of Fachverk, a German architectural style rare in Lithuania. But it's nowadays part of the University Faculty of Humanities and you can't routinely visit.

Central / New Town
The Old Town ends at the boulevard of Gimnazijos gatvė. East of there, Laisvės alėja is the pedestrianised boulevard that stretches for 2 km forming the spine of the New Town. (In early 2019 much of it is one big mess, with excavations and construction barriers.) It's lined by linden trees, seating and flower beds, and dotted with shops, banks, supermarkets, restaurants, a cinema, casinos, nightclubs, museums, places to stay and a central post office. It is kept clean, and in winter free of snow, and is a great place to spend time. In the late morning and afternoon various stalls sell foods, souvenirs, and so on. The pedestrian strip ends at the Church of St Michael the Archangel. In 2023 the New Town with its interwar architecture was added to the world heritage list.






 * In the square just outside the War Museum, see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Eternal flame. The Carillon or campanile first rang out in 1937; it was restored in 2006 and now has 49 bells. It plays the Lithuanian folk melody of wartime each noon, and there are Carillon concerts on Saturday and Sunday at 16:00 in the adjacent Gardens.
 * In the square just outside the War Museum, see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Eternal flame. The Carillon or campanile first rang out in 1937; it was restored in 2006 and now has 49 bells. It plays the Lithuanian folk melody of wartime each noon, and there are Carillon concerts on Saturday and Sunday at 16:00 in the adjacent Gardens.

Further out




Events
Regular fairs, festivals and events confirmed for 2019 include:
 * Kaunas Jazz was on 24–28 April 2019, dates for 2020 haven't been announced.
 * Birthday of Kaunas city is 17–19 May 2019.
 * Pažaislis Music festival is held June - Aug in the city and surrounding region.
 * Operetta in Kaunas Castle, various dates in June and July.
 * International Modern Dance Festival is 5-7 Oct 2019.

Theatres






Cinemas

 * There are two multiplex cinemas in Kaunas, Cinamon in the Mega shopping complex, and Forum cinemas in Akropolis.
 * Lithuania's oldest cinema Romuva, at Laisves aleja, 54, is only open for special events such as the film festival (see "Events" above).

Sports
Sports and leisure centres are found throughout Kaunas offering swimming pools, sports courts, fields and exercise equipment.
 * Football: the men's national soccer team plays home games at Darius and Girėnas Stadium, capacity 15,000, three km east of city centre. Kaunas has two clubs playing soccer in A Lyga, the country's top tier: FK Kauno Žalgiris and FC Hegelmann Litauen. The domestic playing season is March-Nov.

Beaches
There are some beaches on the banks of Nemunas river, shores of Lampedziai lake and Kaunas Reservoir. Beaches are open in summer time.



Learn
Kaunas is known as a city of students. Some of Kaunas' universities, listed below, attract students from abroad for good quality, yet inexpensive studies.
 * Vytautas Magnus University. Founded in 1922 as a national university, it is named after Vytautas the Great, the most famous XVth century Lithuanian ruler. University is one of the leading universities of Lithuania - K. Donelaičio g. 58.
 * Kaunas University of Technology - the largest technical university in the Baltic States - K. Donelaičio g. 73. (central administration).
 * Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education – the only institution of tertiary physical education in Lithuania - Sporto g. 6.
 * Kaunas University of Medicine - A. Mickeviciaus g. 9.
 * Kaunas Art Institute - Muitines g. 4.

Buy


The best known grocery stores are: Maxima, IKI, Rimi, Norfa, Šilas, Samsonas and Senukai (household goods). There are also a lot of well known Western brand stores, stylish boutiques usually set at the central streets of Kaunas or shopping malls. Also one may choose to stroll around in the areas of some Kaunas outdoor markets.

What to buy

 * Hand made bone china table sets, cups, mugs and other souvenirs. Available at the ImDeco store in Akropolis shopping mall (or directly from producer JSC Jiesia at Chemijos g. 29, at the eastern part of Kaunas).
 * Šakotis - popular traditional Lithuanian poundcake grilled layer by layer. Its name means branched, and that describes its distinctive shape, usually dressed-up for a wedding ceremony.
 * Vodka (Degtiné) - a whole range of flavoured vodkas. Try cherry, cranberry, lemon, blackcurrant, raspberry and of course classic. The pepper was an acquired taste - but got easier the more you drank.
 * Flax (linas) products - high quality and old traditions.
 * Mead (midus) - original national beverage made of vodka, some herbs and with honey flavour and taste. Not to be confused with medus, which is honey in Lithuanian.
 * Cottage cheese - lots of variations.
 * Amber (gintaras), so called "Lithuanian gold", decorations.
 * Linen or wooden dolls - for children.

Where to buy
Within Kaunas there are several malls which are usually open from 08:09 until 24:00. Most shopping centers have dozens or more stores, a food court, restaurants, multiplexes, branches of commercial banks, ATMs, bowling alleys and even may have a skating rink. Shopping lovers should visit the cozy craft shops in the Old Town for Lithuanian souvenirs as well.



Eat


Lithuanian dishes aren't that easy to find around the world so why not try some of them now when you have the opportunity? Of course, European, Asian, French, Italian, Russian and other cuisines are available at Kaunas' restaurants.

Drink
Beer (Alus in Lithuanian). Utenos, Švyturys and Horn are brands worth trying. Expect to pay around €1.50 per 0.5 l in tourist bars and restaurants, or around €1 in local bars.



Sleep
The number of places to stay grows every year. Also the choice of distinct types of accommodation increases as well. Despite that, in the summer it's recommended to book in advance.

Stay safe
Kaunas usually is a safe place but everyone should take some precautions against pickpockets and baggage theft, especially in public transport and at stations.

Opposite of the central train station there is a "Station market“ - a rough area, especially on evenings. The baggage lockers in Kaunas railway station are a cheap and secure place to store bags and other items.

Cope
Kaunas' hospitals offer generally high quality services at a small price if compare to the cost of a Western hospital. Probably the best-regarded is:

Connect
As of Aug 2023, Kaunas and its approach highways have 4G from Bite and Tele2, and 5G from Telia.

Wifi is widely available in public places in the city.

Go next

 * You simply have to see Vilnius for its elegant old town. It can be done as a day-trip from Kaunas but deserves several days to explore.
 * Birštonas is a spa resort 30 km south of Kaunas, set on a forested riverside.
 * The Open Air Museum of Lithuania is 18 km east of Kaunas in Rumšiškės.
 * Zapyškis, 17 km west, has the gothic St. John Baptist Church, often used in summer for concerts and cultural events.
 * Lokes peda or "Bear Foot" is an activity park 35 km northeast, near Jonava.
 * Druskininkai is a spa town town 50 km south, near the border with Belarus.