Things to Do in Kaunas: Lithuania Under the Radar
Most people pass straight through Kaunas on the train between Vilnius and the coast, and I almost did the same. I am glad I changed my mind and stayed. Kaunas surprised me at every turn with a style all its own, a proud old town, a striking collection of Art Deco architecture, and a creative energy that felt fresher than anywhere else on my trip. Here is how I spent three days, and why I think it deserves a place on your own route.
Walk the Old Town and Its Squares
Kaunas old town may be smaller than Vilnius, but it is wonderfully intact and a lot calmer to wander. I started at the Town Hall square, a wide paved space ringed by pastel houses with the elegant white town hall nicknamed the Swan. From there the lanes fan out to the banks of the rivers, and I followed them down to find the ruins of the old castle by the water. The whole area took me a lazy half day of café stops, and the pace felt perfect for a place that does not push itself at you.
Marvel at the Art Deco District
Kaunas made a bold claim in the interwar years when it served as the temporary capital of Lithuania, and that era left behind a remarkable scattering of modern architecture. The strongest concentration is along Laisvės alėja, a long leafy pedestrian avenue, and the streets that cross it. I walked the avenue both ways just to look up at the facades, with their geometric deco details and clean lines. The old central post office and several sculptural bank buildings stopped me in my tracks, and I read the signs to learn the story of a city that rebuilt itself as a proud modern capital almost a century ago.
Follow the Street Art Along the River
My favourite surprise in Kaunas was the open air gallery at the edge of town, a stretch along the riverbank where a huge collection of murals covers the walls of an old industrial district. It all started in 2015 with a festival, and the works have multiplied since, drawing artists from around the world. I rented a bike and rode the length of it, stopping at every piece to shoot photos as the light changed. There is even more urban art in the centre, in the covered courtyard spaces and along the pedestrian avenue, and the city wears its status as a former European capital of culture with real confidence.
Climb to the Ninth Fort for a Sombre Lesson
No trip to Kaunas is honest without visiting the Ninth Fort, a grim tsarist era fortress on the edge of the city that served as a site of Soviet and Nazi terror. I took a short bus ride out there and spent a heavy but important afternoon walking the museum and the courtyards. The space is vast, quiet, and deeply moving, and the stories it holds are essential to understanding Lithuania’s painful twentieth century. I sat by the memorial for a while afterward before catching the bus back to the old town.
See the Church on the Water and the Hilltop Castle Ruins
Two quick sights rounded out my days. The first is the church of St George, whose baroque interior I found unexpectedly radiant. The second is the panorama from the hilltop above the old town, where I climbed a short set of steps for a fine view down over the rooftops. Both are free, easy, and worth the detour, and they gave me a sense of the city’s layered history without adding any stress to my schedule.
Eat and Drink Like a Local
Kaunas has a small but confident food scene, and I took full advantage. I tried cepelinai, the heavy potato dumplings stuffed with meat and drowned in sauce, at a classic local diner, and I loved them despite their weight. For something lighter I found coffee and pastries in a courtyard café off the main avenue, and in the evenings I grazed on small plates and local beer in the bars around the old town. The city is affordable compared with the rest of northern Europe, which made trying a bit of everything far too easy.
Plan a Day to Explore the Surroundings
Kaunas sits at a junction of rivers, landscapes, and history, and the region rewards day trips. I took a short drive out to the open air museum at Rumšiškės, a sprawling collection of traditional farm buildings from across Lithuania reconstructed in one place, and spent a sunny afternoon wandering between wooden chapels and windmills. I could also have headed to the famous hill of crosses or the spa town of Birštonas on the river. Having those easy options made staying in Kaunas feel like a base rather than a stopgap.
