About
Kaunas is a city in central Lithuania, set where the Nemunas and Neris rivers meet. It served as the country's capital between the two world wars, and that period left a visible mark. Much of the centre reflects the Art Deco style of the 1920s and 1930s, so a visit here feels more like a walk through a well-preserved interwar city than through a typical old town.
What to see and do
- Laisvės Alėja, the city's main pedestrian avenue, is the natural place to start. It is lined with cafés and shops and makes a good route for an unhurried stroll.
- The Old Town is charming and compact, with narrow streets and a relaxed pace that suits wandering without a fixed plan.
- The historic funicular offers a short, distinctive ride and a different way of moving between the city's levels.
- Quirky museums give the city much of its personality. The Devil Museum is the best-known example and is worth seeking out if you enjoy the unusual.
Around the rivers
The meeting of the Nemunas and Neris rivers gives the city scenic riverside walks. These are an easy way to balance time spent indoors and offer a calmer view of Kaunas than the busy streets.
Kaunas suits visitors who enjoy architecture, cafés and offbeat museums, and who like a city that rewards slow exploration. Its lively café culture makes it easy to pause between sights, and the rivers provide a quieter counterpoint to the urban centre.
