What to see in Kaunas, the second most important city in Lithuania, an itinerary for 3 days of travel to see the most beautiful things in the town and also the low cost ones.
Kaunas is the second largest city in the Lithuania immediately after the capital Vilnius. Beautiful, lively with a liberty soul and projected towards a very friendly tourism, Kaunas is a destination able to satisfy both the traveler in search of nightlife, both the family with children, and the tourist attracted by history and culture. From museums to art galleries, castles to tree-lined boulevards Kaunas has a rich portfolio of attractions, all peppered with beautiful architecture and stunning parks. Here what to see in Kaunas in three days.
The Old Town
Entirely paved, lively and full of places to enjoy a good beer or Lithuanian specialties, the Old Town stands on the promontory formed by the confluences of the Nemunas and Neris rivers. A succession of Gothic architecture, souvenir shops and historic structures such as the Town Hall (known as the White Swan because of its elegance), as well as beer bars and crowded pubs at any time of day. By the way in Lithuania the sun sets after 21:00!
The Castle
In reality it is the reconstruction of an ancient manor that stands in the splendid park immediately behind the Old Town. The tower houses a small permanent exhibition of medieval relics, while in the dungeons it is possible to observe instruments of torture, a pillory, a noose and some multimedia installations.
Liberty Avenue
Two kilometers of pedestrian boulevard entirely crossed by a double row of lime trees that gives “Laisves Aleja” a beautiful liberty look. Here too a succession of shops for shopping lovers, public buildings with modernist architecture, the most renowned hotels and many restaurants. At the end of the avenue stand the domes of an imposing Russian Orthodox Church.
The Devil's Museum
A unique museum in the world that collects something like 3000 objects including masks, figurines, table sets and much more, all depicting "Him": Mephistopheles, Lucifer, Beelzebub in short, the Devil. Three floors entirely dedicated to the fallen angel in a collection of objects from all over the world.
The viewpoint of the Aleksotas Hill
Reachable via an ancient funicular (the oldest in Europe), this viewpoint is located on top of a wooded hill and overlooks the riverside and roofs of the Old Town, offering a beautiful view of Kaunas.
The Ninth Fort
Just outside the town of Kaunas, the Ninth Fort is what can be defined as Lithuania's Auschwitz, the place where thousands of Jewish victims of the Nazi occupation lost their lives. The museum collects the objects of the deportees in a moving and touching exhibition while in the Fort itself the cells where prisoners were locked up and tortured are still visible. The memorial that stands on the esplanade where Jews were killed en masse is 32 meters high and takes your breath away so much that it is poignant.
And for children?
Kaunas offers for families with children a set of attractions made of parks, dedicated museums and extraordinary shopping centers. The zoological garden located inside the town hosts very rare animals such as the snow leopard or the white wolf, while in the Mega shopping center there is an aquarium that houses the beauty of six sharks and a myriad of coral reef fish.
Rumšiškės Open Air Museum
For children but also for adults it is a must! Hectares and hectares of woods, meadows, villages and farms in what is the most beautiful and largest ethnographic museum in Europe. 4 macro areas representing the 4 regions of Lithuania in which entire original houses taken from the areas of origin have been installed. From the village to the church, from the school to the houses of the most authentic rural Lithuania: here it is possible not only to go back in time but also literally go back to being a child! The park also houses an inn where you can taste typical Lithuanian cuisine. Just as typical are the clothes of all the staff who will welcome you in the park! The Folk Museum can be reached by public transport but I recommend the car (or a taxi) as it takes a full day to visit it all!
