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Verslo str 17, Kumpiu village, Kaunas, LT-54311, Lithuania
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Memorial
Underneath this slab......
Stone cat.
Original entrance brickwork
I'm going to Riga, and I would like to visit Kaunas as well. I would like to know how far apart the cities are. About how long should it take me to drive from Riga to Kaunas. Is there a rail connection between the two cities?
Thanks!
Having spent time in both of those cities in the past 18 months firstly i have to say you have made a great decision to visit both. It's 166 miles : www.viamichelin.com will help you plot your route. There is a bus service between the cities . http://www.nordeka.lv/home_eng.html for details of that journey. Unfortunately trains are in decline in Lithuania although i'm sure it can be done even if Vilnius comes into the equation somewhere. Car or bus would be my preference though,
Darren.
In early Jan 2004 I caught a minivan, halves the time spent on a bus. while in Kaunas go visit Hill of Crosses, really stunning memorial to the tecnacity of the Lithuanian people. Visit www.inyourpocket.com for all the tips.
You can't really visit the Hill of Crosses while in Kaunas, simply because it is not there. The Hill of Crosses is in the vicinity of Siauliai, half way to Riga from Kaunas. Am writing about the Hill of Crosses second time on the Lithuania forum, maybe because I don't visit it so often. ;)
Sorry, I should have said the Hill of Crosses is a easy day trip from Kaunas.
St Francisk is situated on Rotuse Square. The church was been built by Jesuit Order in 1666-1720. After the order was disbanded in the end of XVIII century the church was moved to Franciskan Order. In Russian Empire the church was Orthodox.
As stated above, this is the place to get to know Lithuanians 'in their element.' Spend time in the old town, and use the city as a base for exploring the countryside. For places to go, see my suggestions below (the accompanying picture is of Pazaislis Cloister - see my tips 'off the beaten track'). I visit Kaunas regularly as I have relatives there.
Kaunas is suffering "the second city syndrome" as I say, so nobody in Kaunas likes Vilnius people and anything related to Vilnius and vice versa. It's not the rule, but usually you won't get many friends if you go around declaring your love to Vilnius:) And at night in some bar with drunk Kaunas people you even can get punched on your nose because of that!
For specific comments see my main Lithuania page. Many younger Lithuanians in Kaunas will speak some English, but don't assume it. Learn a few words of Lithuanian. If you know Russian, ask first if you may speak in English, and then apologize for speaking in Russian. Almost all Lithuanians know Russian, but understandably they don't like to use it! Also, be aware that there is a certain amount of anti-Russian and anti-Polish feeling in Lithuania.
Some Lithuanians I have met in Kaunas are growing resentful at the bad behavior of American and western European visitors. Be humble and meet people on their own level: remember, you are a guest, not a conqueror.
I didn't see any locals dressed up in local costumes in Kaunas, were there any? Well, waitresses in Berneliu Uzeiga restaurant were dressed in local costumes. Add this very old guy, on my picture, found in... Communications History Museum.
Well, locals on a street dressed either casual and (less frequent) elegant. Men in top class restaurants were mostly dressed in suits with ties, but not me. There was NO general dress code on Kaunas street. Feel free to be a visitor. I vote for casual clothes.
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