Geography A perfectly situated strategic town that underwent complete destruction an incredible 13 times, Kaunas is city that intends never to fade away. In fact, its name comes from the legend of a boy born of parents who were sentenced to death. The second largest of Lithuania’s cities, Kaunas is situated 100 km to the west of the capital of Vilnius where the rivers Nemunas and Neris meet and was once a temporary capital of the country. A city that claims to be the most Lithuanian of all the cities in the country (and perhaps rightly so), it boasts a population of nearly 380,000 people. airBaltic is pleased to bring your flight to Kaunas Airport ,not far from the centre. Languages Labas! (Hello!) Lithuanian, whose only close relative is Latvian, is the official language of Lithuania. Russian is widely spoken and understood, although younger generations will be up to speed with English, especially the notably large student population here. A city-break in Kaunas does not require learning either Lithuanian or Russian, but a few phrases may come in handy, if only to say nesuprantu! (I don’t understand!) See and Do The town of Kaunas is centred around Rotušes Aikšte where the beautiful Town Hall (called the White Swan by locals) dated to the 17th century still stands amid some other interesting German houses. From the old town, head along the pedestrian street Laisves Aleja, Kaunas’ main thoroughfare and home to most of the city’s attractions, including museums and restaurants. At the end you can enter the eerie catacombs under the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, reopened only in 1991 for the Catholic faith. Another worthwhile sight is Kaunas Castle, originally built in the 13th century, though not much remains except for a single tower. Likewise, visitors should stroll past the House of Perkunas, historic trading offices that were built above a temple to the Lithuanian thunder god Perkunas. The Renaissance Holy Trinity Church is hard to miss with its terracotta rooftop.
Travellers interested in museums can explore the Great War Museum for a broad history of war in the nation, starting in ancient times and going through to the present. At the National Ciurlionis Art Museum visitors may be intrigued by the romantic paintings and folk art from Lithuania’s past or spooked at the Devil’s Museum, with some 800 representations of the demon. The Zoological Museum is also rather fascinating, as it has a collection of many stuffed animals, including a few giraffes (long necks intact).
Outside the city, visit the Pažaislis monastery, a beautiful example of Baroque architecture and the largest of its kind in Lithuania. And, for a rewarding city-break, get tickets to the annual jazz festival held in Kaunas. |
