The factory on the left was constructed by Soviets to lessen the prominence of the church. Only the first two can be visited without a prior arrangement; Petrauskas's museum is recommended, while Sugihara museum inscriptions lack historical accuracy. The living room of interwar star opera singer Kipras Petrauskas. The total area of his home is sq. Its vision was created by a Danish engineer Frandsen, who was also responsible for contemporary Copenhagen urban plan.
However, Frandsen's utopian hopes of relocating the entire Lithuanian government to patriotically-shaped buildings here were not fulfilled and the district was built up by largely wooden homes instead. One may visit the memorial museum of writer Balys Sruoga to see an authentic interior arrangement not needed. Next to the modest St. Anthony church there is an Old Jewish cemetery est. Unlike many others, this one at least was not demolished or redeveloped. This area has a suburban feel as its wooden buildings are smaller.
Many of them have been replaced by modern single-family dwellings. Historical Kaunas art school occupies a green yard of the former 9th battery of the Kaunas fortress. The materials for its construction have been gathered from the fence that surrounded whole Kaunas city in the 19th-century fortress era. Aleksotas district is immediately beyond Nemunas river from the Old Town but it has a certain suburban feel, just like the entire southwestern Kaunas.
The Nemunas valley, deep by lowland Lithuanian standards, means that Aleksotas has a lower part and the higher part built atop a wooded hill.
This hill can be ascended by another of the Kaunas interwar funiculars still running on its Swiss machinery manufactured in closed on Sundays. The best vantage point in Kaunas is near the funicular upper station. You can see most of the historical boroughs of the city with Old Town dominating the foreground. This place may be reached by stairs or by car as well as the funicular. Winter in Kaunas, as seen from the top station of Aleksotas funicular.
Now it is overtaken by sports aviation but Aviation museum is also located here. You should probably skip it if you aren't a fan of aviation; that said the museum has interesting pictures and aircraft models from interwar Lithuania when the country was known for its aircraft manufacturers and had a mighty air force with some fighter planes.
There are some Soviet aircraft and helicopters in the exposition outside. However, with old buildings replaced by new ones that dawn of the aviation era remains largely in the museum pictures. Aleksotas was considered to be a separate town until In fact, it was on different Governorate of Russia with Kaunas being the capital of Kaunas governorate and Aleksotas being part of Suvalkai Suwalki governorate.
The differences between these two governorates were no small deal: not only the laws were different but also the calendar. Kaunas Governorate had the old Julian one and was lagging two weeks behind Aleksotas where Gregorian calendar was used. As such, Aleksotas bridge was nicknamed "time machine". This was not the bridge you see now, however, as the current one was built by the Soviets after the previous one was destroyed in World War 2.
The monumental columns of Aleksotas bridge rebuilt in are the last place in central Kaunas where the Soviet symbols are still not removed. They are safeguarded for their architectural value. This sometimes raises heated arguments as some politicians prefer to cover them. Aleksotas map is included in the map of Kaunas fortress area. Unfortunately, little remains of that era with the Jewish community decimated and forced to flee during World War 2; many buildings were demolished afterward.
Even the local Catholic church building lacks the typical glory: built as a simple two-story house it received a tower only in Buildings in Jurbarko street.
The street layout has also been changed there. Therefore other vantage points such as the top funicular station in Aleksotas offer better views.
Kaunas city consists of low Neris and Nemunas valleys and higher hill districts, providing good viewpoints. The massive ring of fortifications, batteries and other installations that surround the city of Kaunas is indeed impressive. Unlike in many other places where such magnificent 19th-century urban fortresses existed in Kaunas you can still see a large percentage of all this. All 13 forts still exist in various stages of decay.
The first circle 1st-8th forts surrounds the city center completely whereas on the intended second circle only one fort the 9th fort was completed and additional 4 10thth under construction by the time Germans captured the entire fortress after a mere week of siege fortress commander was then tried by the Russians.
No two forts of the 1st circle are more than a couple kilometers away from each other so that no enemy could easily enter the city without deadly barrage from the surrounding forts. Every fort is designed to resemble natural grass-covered hills for the advancing enemy, but inside the territory, there are many semi-subterranean structures barracks, escarpments, warehouses, tunnels.
Two of the forts have been turned into museums. The 7th fort in the northern part of the 1st circle is the Fortress museum. Owned by a group of military history enthusiasts it is continuously improved although not yet complete. The museum that is set up in the concrete 9th fort the newest of the completed forts is dedicated to the genocides of people of Lithuania as the 9th fort used to be a prison since the s and a place of mass killings in the World War 2.
The museum was established by the Soviets to portray Nazi German brutality some 15 Jews were murdered in the forts but the place is now expanded to include Soviet massacres as well. This is still reminded by the name of the street leading to it - Archyvo. Now it became the Museum of the fortress owned and operated by volunteers who are carefully restoring the fort to its former glory. One derelict fort that you can easily drive directly into is the 6th fort, which also served as a Soviet and German prison.
Its eerie walls overgrown with grass and paintball is now played in some of the buildings. The nearby 6th fort roundabout where three major streets converge is overlooked by a small "forest" of large crosses. These were built by people largely in and represents the then contemporary strive for independence. There are crosses for Iceland and Denmark a gratitude for recognizing independence , another one for the liberators of Kuwait Gulf War.
Some later crosses are related to other problems, such as abortions and organized crime. A small column calls for peace on earth to prevail. Crosses and traditional chapel-poles commemorating the issues of the early s near the 6th fort roundabout.
The fort itself is behind these crosses. Together with the military installations, many new streets were laid, new districts were built with barracks for the soldiers, warehouses, and other infrastructure. Some of them are restored and turned into hotels or apartments. Many others stand abandoned or even decayed to a mere outer shell with nothing purposefully changed since the times of the czar a century ago.
Lithuanians, Germans, Russians, and others have their final resting place less than "a cannon shot away" in between them. Once it was home to the Central Fortification of the fortress that was effectively a ring 0 of its defensive might. In every place not covered by the rivers, this additional circle made the last major obstruction for the enemy before he could finally conquer the heart of the city.
Next to the former Central Fortification and the small Freda manor, the Kaunas botanic garden is now established. In summer tickets are sold whereas in winter it is free to visit. Not far away along a new district of modern homes called Freda Township - Fredos miestelis a 19th-century cemetery remains. The first commander of the Kaunas fortress, as well as German soldiers of the World War 1, are buried here next to the now abandoned Saint Sergei Russian Orthodox Church once used by the soldiers of nearby barracks.
Several old barracks still survive in the neighborhood. The central domed church is surrounded by additional buildings forming several courtyards. The monastery may be visited for a fee every day except for the "Days of silence" that are declared by local nuns. It is to the east of Kaunas city center.
The monastery now stands next to the Kaunas Reservoir Kauno marios made after the Kaunas Hydroelectric Plant dammed the Nemunas river in the s. The reservoir submerged many villages yet it created a popular place for recreation.
North of the monastery Kaunas yacht club stands with many affluent people of Kaunas owning yachts in the Kauno marios. The pantheon is in northeast divided into sections by occupation scientists, priests, sportsmen, artists, Soviet political prisoners Alpinist section styled as a hill is interesting.
Like other cities of Lithuania Kaunas has a fair share of dull Soviet micro-districts that were built to be self-sufficient but today are nicknamed "sleeping districts" because many of their inhabittants supposedly come home only to sleep as they work and spend free time away from their districts. Much of them was built after completely obliterating the previous suburbs that used to stand in their locations. She is considered a martyr by the Catholic church as she died for her moral beliefs.
It consists of single-family homes rather than multistorey housing projects. After independence these boroughs received new churches and retail buildings. All the major shopping malls save for "Akropolis" are located there. While an interesting free sight if you need shopping, it is not on par with foreign oceanariums.
Another type of Soviet districts are the Industrial zones , located in eastern and western Kaunas. Expecting World War 3, factories had extensive nuclear shelters built underneath. Global evolution of gas masks as seen in the Atomic Bunker museum. It has little to offer but is famous for its Cepelinai, the traditional Lithuanian meal is provided here far bigger than usual.
People leave the city for private homes there: large self-designed mansions in the s and more modest yet elaborate today. Many of the new residential suburbs replace old "collective gardens", a uniquely Soviet program of allocating urban dwellers some suburban land to farm and spend summers at.
Vytautas Andziulis built it slowly and secretly under his garden greenhouse and managed to operate undetected from until independence, printing books with his Spartan machinery assembled underground using the parts government discharged. The place now operates as a museum that unites well-hidden original "printing dungeon", pre-PC era printing machinery, Andziulis's symbolic art and the heroic-yet-tragic stories of Lithuanians who defied the occupational censorships they endured Russian Imperial, Nazi German and Soviet.
Pre-arranging the visit at the War Museum may be necessary. A narrow ladder leads to the subterranean corridor and printing room. The entrance may be covered by a pool right by turning a crank left ; bells helped to keep contact.
Raudondvaris suburb west of Kaunas is famous for its "castle", actually a 17thth-century manor that has been built to look like one. No longer used for religion since a new church has been built uphill it is now an atmospheric venue for sporadic summer concerts hailed for great acoustics.
Thanks to its location on the confluence of two major rivers Kaunas was important for trade since its establishment in the Medieval era. By this time most of the trade went by rivers as there were no roads in Lithuania and everything was surrounded by lush forests.
Unfortunately, rivers were also used by enemy forces and the main enemy of Lithuania in those days were the Teutonic Order. Kaunas Castle was built in the 14th century to deter them from this strategic location.
Kaunas of the s had German merchants of the Hanseatic League among its inhabitants. Annexed by the USSR in , Kaunas suffered severe damage during World War II, but many historical buildings have been preserved, including the ruins of the castle at the confluence of the rivers. The city of Kaunas is situated at the confluence of the two largest Lithuanian rivers: Nemunas and Neris.
It is also located in the center of Lithuania, km northwest of the capital Vilnius. City bus number 29G connects Kaunas Airport with Kaunas city. If you decide to travel by train, there is a direct connection from Vilnius to Kaunas. Train tickets can be purchased at the train station or on the train. The journey takes about 1. There is a direct bus connection from Vilnius to Kaunas. You can find the bus timetables on the website: www.
The place where 30, European Jews were murdered by the Nazis and their Lithuanian accomplices between and The Ninth Forth is a vital part of any trip to Kaunas. On October 29, alone, a staggering 9, Jewish men, women and children were brought here from the Kovno Ghetto and shot. A vast memorial unveiled in marks the place where they were buried.
The main Vilnius Street is the most important street in Old Town Kaunas and many restaurants are located in its old authentic buildings. Smaller and less busy streets parallel to Vilnius Street are also great places to walk around and explore the Old Town of Kaunas which suffered less of the post-war Soviet destruction than its counterpart in Vilnius and is, therefore, more intact.
The Devil Museum , included in the list of the world's most unique museums, houses about 3, horned exhibits from all over the world. It is an opportunity to take a closer look at the mysterious mythical creature and various forms of its representation in no less than 70 countries around the world.
The monastery, a 17th-century baroque gem, was built by the wealthy, influential and religious Pacas family. Although the monastery was devastated several times during various wars, the works of art by Italian artists have survived the test of time. Located at the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers, the Kaunas castle was built in the 14th century to defend against enemies. It is not only one of the first stone castles in Lithuania but it is also the only one with two rows of defensive walls.
Kaunas is worth seeing at any time of year. The rainiest months are October, July and August. We recommend visiting Kaunas in the months of June, July, and August when the most beautiful colors of the city unfold. Uoksas was listed as one of the top 30 restaurants in the Baltics in and is sure to delight you with its creative cuisine. The unique atmosphere of Kaunas can be explored, which is distinguished by the heritage of the painter and composer M.
Kaunas is not only a city of old traditions, but also a large centre of business and industry. It can also lay claim to be a city of young people with over 35, students the largest number in Lithuania studying at one of the seven universities here.
For business and investors, our city offers friendly, open, and creative space for partnerships and cooperation.
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