Travelling with your pet is fantastic! It’s also good to know beforehand which cities are more pet-friendly than others, right? We’re happy to state that Kaunas is an excellent place for our four-legged friends (the list is not limited to dogs!). Here’s a brief overview of the level of friendliness.
Visiting places with your dog is kaunastic. You can meet Ipa all around Kaunas! Follow her on Instagram for pet-friendly inspirations.
First things first. Of course, the Kaunas IN tourism information centre at the Town Hall is pet-friendly! We kindly remind you the rest of the historical building, today the Kaunas City Museum, is not.
Checking in
There’s a wide choice of pet-friendly hotels and private accommodation options – this information is always stated in the description of the hotel website, booking.com or airbnb.com. Some places do ask to pay extra, and the fee can depend on the size of your pet. Check out BringFido for an extensive list of pet-friendly lodging options in Kaunas.
Eating and going out
Once you’ve checked in, time to see the city and get something to eat, right? Plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants, including Caffeine and Vero Cafe coffee shop chains (except malls), Casa Della Pasta, Genys Taproom, Višta puode, Buon Giorno, Pelėdinė, Talutti, Godo, Piano Piano, Hop Doc, Kultūra, Holas, Vingiu Dubingiu etc. will gladly accept your furry friend and pour him some water. Some beautiful and cosy places, however, have rather strict rules against pets, so it’s advised to call or contact a place of choice online before going there.
One of our favourite kaunastic dogs, Flying Lilly, loves the Buon Giorno trattoria. Find out more about this cute toy poodle and her family here and don't forget to follow Lilly on Instagram!
Probably the most dog-friendly pub in town is B2O! Not only they serve dog beer and offer an exclusive dog snack menu – every second weekend, the pub holds “Pet Sundays” and encourages asking your pet out.
Photos by B2O
Nature
Parks in Kaunas are very pet-friendly, and we’ve got plenty of parks! Some even have designated dog playgrounds, and Nemunas island is known for sporadical dog meetings every night. Don’t forget to collect what your dog left behind him or her – there are a lot of green bins designated for that all around the city. Also, please respect the people who don’t have dogs and don’t leave your peat unleashed or unattended.
The designated pet-friendly beach is the 2nd beach of the Kaunas Reservoir.
Culture
Taking your dog to an opera is probably not the best idea anywhere in the world. This doesn’t mean there aren’t other places you can enrich his or her cultural life. Why not start with paying a visit to the Kaunas Artists’ House? The historical villa hosts various events, including film screenings, exhibitions and performances.
Next door to the Kaunas Artists’ House is the A. Žmuidzinavičius Creations and Collections Museum, home of a famous interwar painter who happened to jumpstart the neighbouring Devils’ Museum. The house of the painter is pet-friendly, not the museum itself.
Here’s one more pleasant exception in the world of museums restrained by harsh rules. It’s the iconic Kaunas Picture Gallery, home to the George Maciunas Fluxus Cabinet, the local community art platform and a vast collection of paintings, as well as lots of interesting permanent exhibitions. Currently, the gallery hosts the exhibition of Kaunas Biennial.
There’s a handful of pet-friendly smaller galleries, though, including POST, Meno parkas and Kaunas photography gallery. The Yard gallery known for its street art is open-air and therefore pet-friendly.
The office of Kaunas 2022, the institution preparing our city to become the European Capital of Culture in 2022, located in Laisvės alėja, as well as its branch in the Old Town, are also very positive about pets visiting them.
All the branches of Kaunas Municipal Vincas Kudirka Public Library are pet-friendly, as well as Kaunas County Public Library. Both libraries often host various events, including film screenings and exhibitions.
On the International Day of Happiness (March 20), the Kaunas Municipal Vincas Kudirka Public Library is even more pet-friendly than usual! Photo by the library
Shopping
In need of new glasses? We suggest visiting one of the officially pet-friendly Fielmann stores – there’s a couple of them in downtown Kaunas.
Perfume and cosmetics store Kristiana and fashion boutique Minimal Muse are also included in the country’s general pet-friendly list (the website is Lithuanian-only, but you’re welcome to check it out). Many other shops and boutiques probably won’t mind, especially if your dog is toy-sized, but we recommend asking before stepping in.
Working
Popular takeaway coffee chains are mostly pet-friendly, as we’ve mentioned above, so are the libraries which offer freelancers desks and wi-fi. Co-working places like Talent Garden Kaunas are very much pet-friendly, too. So, if you decide to stay in Kaunas for a few weeks or even longer, and get some work done, your pet will be happy to assist.
Andy works in Talent Garden a few days a week...
Health
Kaunas is home to the veterinary academy, today known as the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (of course, the academy is pet-friendly!). It means we have a considerable amount of certified specialists and veterinary clinics all around town. If you have an emergency at night, you can contact the 24/7 clinic “Šnauceris Vet”. Their number is +37069821728.
Getting around
The easiest way to bring your pet to Kaunas (that is if you aren’t travelling by car) is by train. Lithuanian Railways offer a friendly-priced pet ticket; you can get your dog a fresh bowl of water in the pet-friendly railway station upon arrival. Check out the official rules issued by Lithuanian Railways here.
The Kaunas bus station is also pet-friendly, but you need a cage if you want to travel with Kautra buses.
Travelling by plane is an option, but the prices and conditions vary depending on airlines. Kaunas airport is pet-friendly.
Public transport isn’t officially pet-friendly in Kaunas. Some taxis are, but it’s usually a personal choice, and we suggest you ask beforehand. The taxi driver may apply a small extra fee.
For official requirements for pets crossing the Lithuanian border, press here.
PS. Oh, the Kaunas city municipality is also a pet-friendly place! This kind of sets the mood, right?
