Kaunas

Kaunas is Lithuania's second-largest city (304,000 population in 2024), serving as the country's capital between the World Wars. The main draw is its well-preserved Old Town at the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers, connected to the 19th-century New Town along the elegant Laisvės alėja boulevard. The city offers a rich mix of Gothic and Renaissance architecture, interwar Modernist buildings (part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and numerous museums without the crowds of Vilnius. It's particularly strong on history, art, and nightlife.

The best time to visit Kaunas is May to August. Summers are cool—July averages 16°C—with frequent showers. Winter (December to February) brings icy, bitter cold and short days, but the city is well-adapted: streets are snow-plowed, transport keeps running, museums stay open, and buildings are well-heated with cloakrooms for winter gear. Winter visits offer a companionable atmosphere and activities like sledging and snowmen-building. Choose your snowball targets carefully—locals have far greater skills.

Kaunas International Airport (Oro Uosto g 4, 14 km northeast on A6/E262) is served mainly by Ryanair, with flights from Alicante, Belfast, Berlin, Bristol, Burgas, Brussels, Copenhagen, Cologne, Dublin, Edinburgh, Gothenburg, Liverpool, Luton, and London Stansted. The city has both a railway station and a bus station for regional connections. Vilnius is easily reachable as a day-trip but deserves several days on its own.

Kaunas has an extensive public transport network with buses and trolleybuses. The Aleksotas Funicular (Adult €1, daily 07:00-12:00, 13:00-19:00) connects the Old Town with the Aleksotas district across the Vytautas the Great Bridge, running every 10 minutes with a midday lunch break. The 133 m funicular was built in 1935. City sightseeing tours are available through Kaunas IN.

Accommodation ranges from budget hostels to mid-range hotels. The Monks' Bunk (Laisvės al 48) offers bunk beds from ~€18 with a fully equipped kitchen. Mr Jo's Hostel (Vytauto Pr 14) charges €30 per night, located 200 m from both bus and railway stations. In Old Town, Apple Economy Hotel (M Valančiaus g 19) has double rooms from €45, though staff don't speak English and there's no lift. Chain options include Ibis Kaunas Centre (Vytauto pr 28, B&B double €80) and Radisson Hotel (K Donelaicio g 27, from €73), the latter being the largest with 208 rooms.

Lithuanian cuisine is well-represented: Bernelių Užeiga (M Valančiaus g 9) serves traditional fare including cepelinai ('zeppelins', potato dumplings) considered the national dish, with soup in bread bowls and home-brewed beer. Avilys (Vilniaus g 34) offers all home-brewed beer and beer-based dishes. Spurginė (Laisvės al 84) is one of the few places still making traditional Lithuanian doughnuts (spurga). For international options, Radharanė (Laisvės al 40) offers vegetarian Indian food at reasonable prices. Beer is called Alus—popular local brands are Utenos, Švyturys, and Horn.

Kaunas Castle (Pilies g 17, adult €4, conc €2, child free) dates to the mid-14th century at the river confluence and is the oldest building in the city. The M K Čiurlionis Museum of Art (V Putvinskio g 55, adult €10) showcases Lithuania's cultural heritage and the works of this seminal artist. The Devils' Museum (V Putvinskio g 64, adult €8) houses around 3,000 devil sculptures collected by painter Antanas Žmuidzinavičius. The 9th Fort Museum (Žemaičių pl 73, adult €8) documents Kaunas Fortress history and Nazi occupation horrors. The House of Sugihara (Vaizganto g 30, adult €10) commemorates the Japanese diplomat who issued thousands of transit visas saving Jewish lives in 1940. For modern views, climb the Church of the Resurrection (Žemaičių g 31A) via stairs or lift to its rooftop terrace.

Standard urban precautions apply: watch for traffic, safeguard valuables, and avoid excessive alcohol consumption. The station area can be rough at night, so take extra care after dark. Overall, Kaunas is considered a safe destination for travelers.

As of October 2024, Kaunas and its approach highways have 5G coverage from all Lithuanian carriers. WiFi is widely available in public places throughout the city. Power plugs use the European standard (Type F, 230V/50Hz).

Vilnius is a must-see for its elegant old town and can be done as a day-trip from Kaunas but deserves several days. Birštonas (30 km south) is a spa resort set on a forested riverside. Zapyškis, 17 km west, has the Gothic St John Baptist Church often used for summer concerts. 'Lokes peda' (Bear Foot) activity park is 35 km northeast near Jonava. Druskininkai, 50 km south near the Belarus border, is another spa town. The LLB Museum in Rumšiškės is a skansen-style outdoor ethnography museum with traditional buildings brought from around the country (adult €10, daily May-Sep 10:00-18:00).

Vilnius offers an elegant old town and deserves several days. Birštonas spa resort is 30 km south. Zapyškis has Gothic St John Baptist Church 17 km west. Druskininkai is a spa town 50 km south near Belarus. Jonava area has 'Lokes peda' (Bear Foot) activity park 35 km northeast. Regional transport connects via bus and train stations in Kaunas.