Kaunas County

A vacation in Kaunas County takes you to Lithuania's second-largest city, which served as the provisional capital between the world wars and still has a unique ensemble of modern architecture from that era. Kaunas, known in German as Kauen, sits at the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers. In the south of the county, the spa town of Birštonas, set in a bend of the river, invites you to relax.

Landscape and Location

The county lies in the center of Lithuania. The Nemunas flows in wide loops through wooded valleys; near Kaunas it was dammed to form the Kaunas Lagoon, a large reservoir with beaches and marinas. The Nemunas Loops Regional Park near Birštonas protects the river landscape with its steep banks and mixed forests. Jonava, Kėdainiai, and Raseiniai are other towns in the flat, agricultural surrounding countryside.

Sights in Kaunas County

The modernist architecture of Kaunas from 1919 to 1939 has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2023. Along Laisvės alėja, a long pedestrian boulevard, and on Žaliakalnis hill, you'll find buildings in the Art Deco and Functionalist styles, including the Church of the Resurrection with its rooftop terrace and the Central Post Office. The Old Town at the confluence of the rivers has a Gothic castle, the Town Hall, nicknamed the "White Swan" for its shape, and the Perkūnas House, a fine example of brick Gothic. The M. K. Čiurlionis Museum shows works by the painter and composer, whose symbolist paintings are cult objects in Lithuania. The Devil's Museum collects more than 3,000 devil figures. The Ninth Fort commemorates the victims of Nazi and Soviet rule. A funicular from the 1930s runs up Aleksotas hill.

Birštonas and the Surrounding Area

Birštonas is a spa town with mineral springs, sanatoriums, and an observation tower overlooking the river bends. Jazz festivals take place here in summer, and bike paths run along the riverbank. Kėdainiai has a well-preserved Old Town with market squares, a 19th-century minaret, and a summer Cucumber Festival that recalls the region's vegetable farmers. The Rumšiškės Open-Air Museum on the Kaunas Lagoon displays farmhouses, windmills, and churches from every region of Lithuania.

Culture and City Life

Kaunas was a European Capital of Culture in 2022, and many projects from that year still shape the city today. Large-scale murals decorate courtyards in the New Town, the Šančiai district with its old barracks has developed into a creative quarter, and jazz and street festivals take place in the Old Town in summer. Kaunas is also considered Lithuania's basketball capital: Žalgiris games in the big arena on the Nemunas are among the most emotional sporting events in the Baltics. At the Sugihara House, a museum commemorates the Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who in 1940 helped thousands of Jews escape with transit visas. Pažaislis Monastery on the Kaunas Lagoon is considered one of Lithuania's most beautiful Baroque ensembles and hosts a music festival.

Food, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

In Kaunas you'll find cepelinai, kibinai, and pastries such as šakotis, a tree cake baked on a spit. The city is a hub of the craft beer scene. Kaunas Airport is served by low-cost carriers; Vilnius is an hour away. The best time to visit is May through September, when the cafés on Laisvės alėja serve outdoors and the Kaunas Lagoon is inviting for a swim.