Location: Kaunas
Top Things to do in Kaunas
10 Sights & Landmarks in Kaunas That You Shouldn't Miss
Kaunas (/ˈkaʊnəs/; Lithuanian: [ˈkɐʊˑnɐs] ( listen); also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the centre of a county in Trakai Municipality of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. In the Russian Empire, it was the capital of the Kaunas Governorate from 1843 to 1915. It served as temporary capital of Lithuania during the interwar period, while the traditional capital of Vilnius was part of Poland between 1920 and 1939. During that period Kaunas has been nicknamed the Little Paris because of rich cultural and academic life, fashion, construction of countless Art Deco, Lithuanian National Romanticism architectural style buildings as well as popular furniture, interior design of the time and widespread café culture. The city interwar architecture is regarded as one of the finest examples of the European Art Deco and received the European Heritage Label, it also resulted in naming Kaunas the first city in Central and Eastern Europe as a UNESCO City of Design. In 2022, Kaunas will be the European Capital of Culture, together with the Luxembourgish city of Esch-sur-Alzette.
Restaurants in Kaunas
1. Kaunas Synagogue
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
2. Zalgirio Arena
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 19 reviews
Zalgirio Arena is the biggest multifunctional arena in the Baltic region and also the home for BC Zalgiris Kaunas - legendary lithuanian basketball powerhouse! You can book tickets to EuroLeague games here: zalgiris.koobin.com
3. St. Nicholas Church and Benedictine Monastery
4. Ninth Fort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 459 reviews
Reviewed By andTilly - Bratislava, Slovakia
You can walk around the place even if the musem is closed. It takes at least 30 min to see everything just from the outside - and it’s nice to go after hours - less crowded and you get to see it anyway. The area is large, clean and cared for. From the top of the fort (it looks like a little hill) there is a nice view over the city, though it’s a very sad place, knowing that tens of thousands souls ceased the exist here, and the remains lay under your feet. P.S. Dogs are not allowed at all, and there are no trash bins on the site.
5. Ant, Grasshopper and Beetle
6. Sugihara House
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 188 reviews
Chiune Sugihara memorial museum is an institution dedicated to commemoration of the deeds of Japanese consul Chiune Sugihara. He was working in Kaunas in 1939-1940 and is mostly remembered for saving more than 6000 Jewish refugees.
Reviewed By OlivierH1041
What Sugihara did was exceptional especially knowing that his honor and respect To his superiors could have been tarnished in his society. Remember that if his wife did not push and support him saving Jews, would Sugihara still have done it?
7. Pazaislis Monastery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 159 reviews
Reviewed By CAPerth
We visited the Pažaislis Monastery and the Church of the Visitation during our vehicle transfer from Riga to Vilnius. It was closed by the time we arrived but our guide from Traveller Tours was able to persuade the nuns to let us in for a brief visit. The architecture and particularly the ceiling paintings are absolutely stunning and well worth a visit, even if it is a bit out of town. There is also a small crypt in the church but we did not have time to explore this or the main Monastery.
8. Old Town Kaunas
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,132 reviews
Reviewed By UriusT - Vilnius, Lithuania
Kaunas Old Town is the heart of Lithuania, particularly Santaka and the confluence of the Neris and Nemunas rivers. The most spiritual, central core of the nation. This coming from a Vilnius resident. The Old Town proper is a distinguished collection of gorgeous and ancient structures and styles, pointing to the complex and diverse history of the city. Going through much renovations and restorations over the last decade in particular, the slow but steady gentrification of Kaunas Senamiestis is increasing at a break neck pace. While not nearly as gentrified and tourist focused as Vilnius Old Town, nonetheless the process is killing of some of the more organic cultural elements of the neighborhood in favor of concentrated capital and tourism.
9. St. Gertrude's Church
10. Juniper Valley
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 42 reviews
Reviewed By persiki - Omer, Israel
Point to it on maps, location set by TripAdvisor is the Mega mall for some reason :-/. Beautiful scenery from this path.
TAGS
