Kaunas
Kaunas was Lithuania's capital during the period from 1920 until 1939 when Poland occupied the area around Vilnius. It was previously known as Kovno. During the period from 1920 to 1939, when the region around Vilnius was occupied by Poland, Kaunas served as the capital of Lithuania. During that time the city's architecture is regarded as one of the finest examples of the Art Deco style and as a result Kaunas was inscribed in the UNESCO list of world heritage sites in 2023.
Kaunas sits at the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers. Kaunas Reservoir is not far from the city. It is the largest body of water in Lithuania.
The Old Town of Kaunas boasts many architectural monuments and other historical buildings. The Old Town is mainly a pedestrian area. The main street is called Laisvės alėja (Liberty Avenue).
- Kaunas Castle.
- The Town Hall was a center for trade and festivals during the Middle Ages. Criminals were brought there for punishment. Originally, it was built using wooden frames, but in 1542 it was rebuilt using stone, as frequent fires had damaged it. The current building dates from 1780. Nowadays, it houses the Museum of Ceramics.
- The historical Presidential Palace has exhibits on the interwar period..
- Kaunas Fortress is one of the largest defensive structures in Europe. It dates from the 19th century.
- On Vienybės square you can see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Eternal flame and Statues of Lithuanian national renaissance figures. The span class="b">War Museum is also on the square. It includes a branch of the so-called ab underground printing house mantioned next.
- The ab underground printing house was a part of the nonviolent resistance press during the Soviet times. It is located 8 km (5 mi) north of Kaunas in the village of Saliu. It was never detected by KGB.
- The House of Perkūnas.
- There are two funiculars in Kaunas; the Žaliakalnis Funicular Railway and the Aleksotas Funicular Railway.
- The open-air Ethnographic Museum has a variety of authentic resurrected buildings that display the heritage of Lithuanian rural life. It is east of Kaunas in the town of Rumšiškės.
The so-called 'New Town' is to the east of Old Town. Its developement started in 1847.
- The War Museum of Vytautas the Great.
- the M.K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum commemorates the work of the early 20th century avant-garde artist M.K. Čiurlionis.
- The Žmuidzinavičius Museum is also known as the Devils' Museum. It houses more than 2,000 sculptures and carvings of devils from all over the world.
- Lithuanian Aviation Museum.
- Museum of the History of Lithuanian Medicine and Pharmacy.
- Kaunas Museum for the Blind.
- Maironis Lithuanian Literature Museum.
- Kaunas Picture Gallery.
- Mykolas žilinskas Art Gallery.
- Povilas Stulga Museum of Lithuanian Folk Instruments.
- Tadas Ivanauskas Zoological Museum.
- Sugihara house-museum.
- Apartments of several famous Kaunas inhabitants have been turned into public museums. They can be found scattered across the city.
There are many theatres in Kaunas. Accommodation is widely available. There are many café's and restaurants in Kaunas. The city is about 100 km southeast from Vilnius.
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