So you’re finally ready to visit Kaunas… It’s about time – in a few months, we’ll become the European Capital of Culture! Autumn is a great season to discover the city and its surroundings – it’s definitely the best time to admire street art and modernist architecture. There’s also no bad weather in the numerous museums, restaurants, and other places of interest. So, are you ready to learn the formula of the ‘kaunastic’ feeling? Here’s what’s inside it.
(Full list of kaunastic experiences)
Žalgiris Kaunas is, without a doubt, the number one team in the entire country of Lithuania. And Lithuania on its own is one of the few countries in the world where basketball is the number one sport, often referred to as the second religion. The club and the fans have achieved outstanding results for all their work, and Žalgirio Arena is always surrounded by unforgettable emotions, no matter the game’s outcome. With the unique package #ZALGIRISVIRGIN, the club encourages the people who want to be a part of real sport emotions but never tried the Žalgiris game in the flesh to lose their Žalgiris virginity by making their way to the arena and living out an unforgettable experience.
The #ZALGIRISVIRGIN package includes a ticket, Žalgiris scarf and a manual that will get you fully prepared for the game with the club’s history, achievements, some basketball terminology, the most popular chants and a to-do list for every real green-and-white fan.
Kaunas is a city rich in history – not only in terms of hundreds of years but also in the different eras that left indelible marks in the urban face and body. The old town, for example, is still full of the Hanseatic spirit, while downtown Kaunas and Žaliakalnis are full of fantastic modernist architecture examples. When you’re done with sightseeing, book a private tour of the new Art Deco Museum. It’s an authentic apartment full of fantastic objects of design and remarkable stories. Followed with a glass of bubbly.
Photo by Art Deco Museum
It took just a few years for Kaunas to become a street art city. It might seem like an ambitious statement, but collaboration between talented artists, the city municipality and building owners proved to be a successful formula. The less legal side of the subculture, graffiti and tagging, has been part of the urban face of Kaunas for decades; just recently, it became renowned, appreciated and anticipated form of public art.
You can quickly discover dozens of impressive murals by simply walking the streets of Kaunas. Not just the downtown – Šančiai, Dainava, Vilijampolė, Šilainiai and other parts of the city are getting more and more colourful. Additionally, you can discover the iconic street art of Kaunas with the It’s Kaunastic guide called “Wallographer’s Notes”. It’s available digitally at www.kaunastika.lt.
Photo by Andrius Aleksandravičius
Trying out new tastes is one of the main reasons people travel, and Kaunas is great for gastronomic discoveries. Try out doughnuts cooked according to a 50-year-old recipe, book a table in uoksas for Baltic-Nordic cuisine delights or head to the baroque Pažaislis monastery for a meal that Helen Mirren enjoyed while staying there during the shooting of ‘Catherine the Great’. You can stay at the monastery’s boutique hotel Monte Pacis, too, and if you do, we suggest you try the impeccable 6-course menu.
Unique bars await cocktail lovers (more on that in this article), as well as craft beer aficionados (click here). You can even book tours in local breweries!
If you’re an early bird, please note that the fullest breakfast bagels are served at Holy Donut, and the earliest buffet is available at Radisson Kaunas hotel (more breakfast tips).
Photo by Monte Pacis
The bikini season might be over, but nature is terrific 365 days per year if you dress accordingly and bring a thermal cup with you. Some of the most unique sceneries are revealing when walking by the riverside of Nemunas, Neris, Jiesia or Nevėžis rivers, all located inside Kaunas or around it. Plenty of cognitive paths to choose from!
If you prefer urbanised nature, there are more than a dozen parks in Kaunas, some smaller and cosier, some larger and wilder – it depends on what you are looking for.
If the sky is clear, we strongly recommend a flight above Kaunas with one of the pilots operating from the Aleksotas airfield, which is, by the way, one of the oldest in Europe – 106 years old, to be precise!
Photo by Andrius Aleksandravičius
We’ve already mentioned the Kaunas street art map – but did you know the It’s Kaunastic series includes 30 more illustrated routes? There are special maps for architecture, Jewish heritage, sports, diplomatic points of interest, theatre, literature, Kaunas fortress, and many more angles to discover Kaunas. Grab a free paper copy in the Kaunas IN Tourism Information Centre at the town hall or hop on www.kaunastika.lt and help save the planet using a digital version.
