Kaunas, the second largest city in Lithuania, was founded in 1280 at the confluence of the two largest Lithuanian rivers: the Nemunas and Neris. Now it is an important industrial and cultural center with a population of about 400 thousand people.

Local people call Kaunas "hotbed of the mafia", tourists rejoice at its stormy life and abundance of sights. The city itself looks at the bustle around itself with the serenity and wisdom of the elder: for a long and rich history, he just did not see.

Archaeologists date the city in the 13th century, until the 15th century it was considered an important stronghold against the Teutonic Order and the western outpost of the country .How the large river trade center of Kaunas was formed in the 15th and 16th centuries .Here they traded with German merchants, there was also a Hanseatic office .Because of this strategically important position, the city was repeatedly destroyed, but the abundance of ancient monuments proves that the inhabitants loved their city and tirelessly restored and retouched it .Today Kaunas is considered a fun student city with beautiful architecture and worthy museums..

How to get to Kaunas

Kaunas International Airport is located 10 km north of the city center. There are flights from Hamburg, Oslo, Billund, Munich, London and some other cities.

At the long-distance bus station (Vytauto prospektas 24) you can buy tickets for all flights around the country, as well as abroad. Kautra buses run through Lithuania and most European destinations, tickets can be bought at the office of Eurolines (Laisvės alėja 36, ​​9-13: 00 and 14-18: 00 Mon-Fri, 9-13: 00 Sat), and also in the tourist office.

Buses to Druskininkai (19Lt, 2-3 hours, six buses per day), Klaipeda (34Lt, three hours, 10 buses), Palanga (36Lt, 3½ hours, about 11 buses), Riga (40.50Lt, 3½ hours, one bus per day), Siauliai (22-26Lt, three hours), Tallinn (100Lt, 12 hours, one departure per day) and, of course, Vilnius (14.50Lt, 1½-2 hours).

You can also use the services of the company Nemuno Linija, which deals with water transport between Kaunas and Rusnė (Delta Neman), and between Kaunas and Nida (Curonian Spit). The journey time is approximately 4 hours, the ticket costs 99Lt for adults and 48Lt for children under 6.

Transport

Buses and trolleybuses run from 5am to 11pm, the ticket costs 0.90Lt in the newsagent and 1Lt from the driver. Marshrunks walk along small streets and work longer than regular buses; the driver sells tickets at 1.20Lt.

From the airport to the city center can be reached by shuttle bus number 120, it follows to the local bus station on Šv Gertrūdos gatvė. Buses leave every 10-15 minutes between 6 am and 11 pm.

Trolleybuses No. 1, 5 and 7 go north of the railway. stations along Vytauto prospektas, west along Kęstučio gatvė and Nemuno gatvė, then north to Birštono gatvė. Back they follow along Šv Gertrūdos gatvė, Ožeškienės gatvė and Donelaičio gatvė, then south down Vytauto prospektas to the bus and train. station.

You can order a taxi by phone (366 666), it's safer than catching on the street.

Kaunas Tourist Card

From September 2010 guests of Kaunas are offered a discount card of the tourist, thanks to which you can use public transport free of charge, as well as discounts of up to 50% in entertainment centers, museums and galleries and when ordering city tours.

The cost of the Kaunas Tourist Card is 69 Litas (20 EUR). It can be purchased at tourist information points, most museums and hotels.

On museums and other places of rest it operates for seven days, for public transport - three days.

Beaches

In the vicinity of Kaunas there are lots of nice beaches - on the Neman, on the lake Lampedziai and on the Kaunas reservoir. Beaches are open only in the summer.

Panemunes Park Beach is located on the Nemunas, on the territory of Panemune Park. The beach is easy to find, if you walk from the shopping center Molas (K. Barsausko str.) Along Gravrogku str.and then the pedestrian bridge across the Neman. Either take a taxi or a bus from the city center.

Lampedžiai Lake Beach is located in the western part of Kaunas. This small lake in the district of Lampedziai Park is very popular with local people in the summer. The beach can be reached by taxi or bus number 48 (from the Kaunas Castle) or No. 9 (from the Silainiai area).

Kaunas Reservoir Beach is located nearby Pažaislis, next to the temple and monastery ensemble. It is believed that here is the cleanest water in the whole district. You can get there by taxi or trolleybus number 9 or 12 (plying only in the summer). The reservoir is the largest fresh water reservoir in Lithuania, created artificially on the Neman between Kaunas and Rumsiskės.

Climate

March 1, Sunday Partly cloudy, light rain +7 ° C in the day +3 ° C at night ° С water	March 2, Monday Overcast, light rain +8 ° С in the day +3 ° C at night ° С water	March 3, Tuesday Overcast +5 ° С in the afternoon +2 ° С at night ° С water
Kaunas weather forecast for 10 days

The best time to visit Kaunas is from the beginning of May to August .The hottest weather is in July, around +25 ° C .Also at this time of the year, and even in the spring, most of the bright events in the life of the city take place .The rainy season begins, as a rule, in July, but rains happen and at other times of the year .Winter can be quite cold with short light days .However, it is believed that Kaunas has a relatively mild climate compared to other cities in Lithuania..Despite the fact that it is quite windy here, winters are warmer here than in Vilnius..See also the current weather in Kaunas city for 10 days .

Shopping and shopping

Well-known network shopping centers are Maxima, IKI, Rimi, Norfa, Šilas, Samsonas and Senukai (household products). There are several drains of Western brands, fashion designers' boutiques can be found in the city center. In summer, open markets with farm products often operate.

Popular souvenirs from Kaunas: hand-molded dishes (in the ImDeco store in the Akropolis shopping center or JSC Jiesia at Chemijos str., 29 in the eastern part of Kaunas), Šakotis is a popular national Lithuanian pie, vodka and tincture Degtiné (cherry, blackberry, lemon , black currant and classic), Mead (midus) - herbal tinctures on vodka, herbs and honey, rustic cheese, amber, linen or wooden toys for children.

Entertainment, excursions and attractions of Kaunas

To the buildings of the Gothic style here are the Kaunas Castle and the house of Pirkunas. The palace of the princes of Masalsk is a creation of the Renaissance. And in the Baroque style the monastery of the Kamaldolians in Pažaislis, the town hall and the Jesuit church were built.

Kaunas is a city with very old and well-established cultural traditions. This place, which gave the country whole generations of Lithuanian artists, composers and writers. Their works are presented in numerous museums and galleries, including the M. Zhilinskas art gallery and the Mironis Museum of Lithuanian Literature.

After visiting the sights of Kaunas it is pleasant to relax, strolling along the streets of the Old Town. One of the main ones is a one and a half kilometer Laisvess alley, extremely rich in souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes, whose doors are always open for guests.

• Which museums in Kaunas are worth visiting?

Photo of Kaunas (32)