Kaunas Travel Guide

 Mikebond Says:  Pažaislis Monastery is a magnificent example of Italian Baroque in Lithuania.It was founded in 1662 by the Grand Duchy of Lithania Great Chancellor Krzysztof Zygmunt Pac for the Camaldolese Hermits. The church was planned by Italian architects Carlo and Pietro Puttini, and... 

 Mikebond Says:  The Pažaislis Monastery can be seen from afar thanks to its dome emerging from among the roofs. When you get there, you are "welcomed" by an intimidating gate (see photo).Opening times: Monday-Saturday 10-13 and 14-17, on Sundays only for the Holy Mass at 11. 

 Mikebond Says:  As soon as I met my friends Martynas and Asta at the Kaunas railway station, they took me on a long trip around the outskirts of the city.The first stop was at Pažaislis Monastery, one of the most famous in Lithuania, which they had, however, never visited (nice to see that... 

 Airpunk Says:  The Nemunas is Lithuania's largest river and also known in the German-speaking world as the "Memel". The smaller Neris flows along the north of the old town past the castle into the Nemunas. At the confluence of the two rivers, you will find a park. Looking towards the... 

 Airpunk Says:  On the southern bank of the Nemunas river, you will find the borough of Aleksotas which is located on a hill. There, you will not only find a couple of places of interes (for example the aviation museum), but you can also enjoy a wonderful view over the city centre of... 

 Airpunk Says:  Antanas Zmuidzinavicius was a Lithuanian artist whose work as brought into a new-built museum after his death in 1966. So far, so good – probably that would have been the end of the story, if Zmuidzinavicius had not found an interesting hobby. Hhe collected devil figures... 

 Airpunk Says:  Kaunas was a centre of Jewish life in the 19th and early twentieth century, but this was all destroyed during Soviet and Nazi German occupation. Once, there were 25 synagogues in Kaunas, now only two remain working. The more intersitng one is the Choral Synagogue, a... 

 Airpunk Says:  Lithuania has a similarily depped rooted Catholicism as neighbouring Poland does. Despite the years of Soviet occupation in which religious activities (especially those outside the Russian Orthodox church) were not well seen, tradition has prevailed in Kaunas. The church of... 

 Airpunk Says:  As the museum itself was closed at the time of my visit, this tip is only written to make people aware of the story behind this museum. Kaunas was the Lithuanian capital in the inter-war years and in 1939, a Japanese consulate was opened in the city. This was shortly before... 

 Airpunk Says:  Little is known about the first years of Kaunas Castle which was most probably built in the 14th century. Located at a strategically important position, the castle changed ownership between the Teutonic knights and the Lithuanians quite often in its frist century of... 

 Airpunk Says:  In front of one of the less attracting churches in central Kaunas, you will often see groups of tourists. St. George's is not the most beautiful neither the most extravagant church in Kaunas and it seems to be incomplete or under a consistent restoration.. That comes from... 

 Airpunk Says:  Laisvės Alėja (Liberty Avenue) has the distinction of being the longest consecutive pedestrian road in Europe with a length of 1,6 kilometres. It links St. Michael the Archangel's church with the old town. It has benches to the side and many trees, giving the... 

 Airpunk Says:  Today a Catholic church, but St. Michael's the Archangel's Russian Orthodox past is still obvious. The architectural style of the Cathedral with the small domes is reminiscent of the time when Kaunas was part of the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union. As a symbol of... 

 Airpunk Says:  Though it is more like a shiny ivory colour, Kaunas Town Hall (Kauno rotušė) is well known under the name of the "White Swan". The renaissance building dates back to 1542 and was used for several purposes during its lifetime. It served as a classic town hall, a... 

 Jetgirly Says:  I noticed a number of interesting bakeries in the center of Kaunas, including Prezo, which has four locations in the city. Inside there were huge display cases chock full of baked goods, both sweet and savory. I even found an Advocaat-filled pastry! (Advocaat is a Dutch... 

 Mikebond Says:  When our visit to Pazaislis Monastery was about to finish, my friends and I saw a group of people getting ready to celebrate a marriage.It struck me that they were all dressed in violet, then my friends told me that it's common in Lithuania for the bride to choose a colour...