11 Worthwhile Sights To See in Kaunas, Lithuania

When I decided to visit the city of Kaunas in central Lithuania, I knew quite little about the things to see and do in Kaunas. I mainly included it in my Baltic itinerary because visiting diverse destinations matters to me, and I was curious to see Lithuania’s second-largest city. I was already keen on visiting the Curonian Spit and Vilnius, but Kaunas remained a mystery.

While researching the route between Lithuania and Poland, it became clear that visiting Kaunas was a useful place to stop on the way. Kaunas proved to be a welcome surprise, both as one of Lithuania’s prettiest cities and as a place full of history and spirit. In my book, Kaunas is definitely worth visiting, and I think when you see what there is to do in Kaunas, you’ll want to add it to your trip.

How to get to Kaunas

Kaunas is located near the center of the country, making it an easy place to reach in Lithuania.

Trains run directly to Kaunas from Vilnius and Siauliai, with trains from the capital only taking a little over an hour. This means you can do a day trip to Kaunas from Vilnius without too much trouble.

Travellers have more options to reach Kaunas by bus, coming from Vilnius, Siauliai, and Klaipeda on the coast.

Otherwise, you can rent a car and explore more of Lithuania without issue.

Where to stay in Kaunas

Even though Kaunas isn’t a huge city or a famous destination, it has a broad selection of places to stay. From the modern center through to its old town, you’ll find hotels, apartments, and more, often at quite reasonable prices.

My time in Kaunas was spent at Moja Accommodation, a convenient budget option closer to the bus and train stations. While basic, it easily met my needs.

If you’re looking for something a little grander, consider these highly-rated places to stay instead:

• Moxy Kaunas Center
• Kaunas Hotel
• Bōheme House
• Berman House

Best places to visit in Kaunas

Whether you come for a day trip or spend some time in the city, there’s a nice mix of things to do in Kaunas. If you’re not sure what to expect from visiting Kaunas, seeing these attractions should give you a better idea of why it’s a good place to visit in Lithuania.

Of course, you don’t have to see the sights alone. A private guided tour of Kaunas handles everything for you, and there are even day trips to nearby destinations such as Rumsiskes and Pazaislis.

1. Visit the Kaunas Devil Museum

Without a doubt, one of the most interesting and unusual things to do in Kaunas is to visit its Devil Museum, just to see what it’s all about.

The Kaunas Devil Museum remains one of my favorite quirky museums I’ve been to, in part because it doesn’t take things too seriously.

Now, this is not your typical sightseeing activity, but I can’t deny it’s pretty entertaining to explore. Exhibits here are quirky, but informative, with plenty of artwork to look at. If you have any doubts about visiting the museum, please look at my article for a better idea, because I do think it’s not to be missed.

2. St. Michael’s Church of the Archangel

This imposing 19th-century church is found in the eastern end of the city centre, inside a large square.

The St. Michael’s Church of the Archangel looked a little worn during my visit to Kaunas, but I believe it’s been renewed since then.

It was built as a Russian Orthodox church for the military, which seems somewhat unusual given its central location. The church flaunts a typical Neo-Byzantine architecture, but less typical is the scale of the building, which makes it a key landmark in the more modern part of the city.

3. Laisves Street

As you explore the city on foot, Kaunas feels like a much bigger place than it is, partly due to the way Laisves Street stretches across the city.

This pedestrian thoroughfare cuts through the centre of the city from the above St. Michael’s Church of the Archangel to the Old Town of Kaunas. It connects the two parts of Kaunas, making it a little hard to avoid.

All sorts of shops and businesses line the outside of the street, while the centre has a pleasant leafy promenade park between an unbroken corridor of trees.

4. Streets of the Old Town

To my mind, one of the best things to do in Kaunas is simply to walk around Kaunas Old Town.

Kaunas offers a far more typical old town than you’ll find exploring Vilnius. It’s perhaps not as striking and extravagant as other Baltic old towns, but there’s a casual, unpretentious charm to its cobblestone streets.

At the end of the arrow-straight Laisves Street, you’ll find the edge of the old town area. I really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the old town and the bursts of colour from the blooming flowers in the balconies above.

You’ll also find wall-to-wall cafes and restaurants here, making it a popular choice for lunch and dinner.

5. See the Kaunas City Hall

Naturally, one of the central landmarks of the city is the Kaunas City Hall.

Surrounded by a nice open square, the historic building dates back to the 16th century. Aside from its architecture, it’s clearly an important spot in the city as I saw wedding parties heading into the building, plus a huge gathering of rally cars amassed in the square outside, the day before a big regional race.

If you want to know what’s going on in Kaunas during your visit, I can’t think of a better place to start than the city hall.

6. Other historic buildings

Besides the City Hall, you’ll see all sorts of historical buildings around the center of Kaunas.

The old Kaunas Priest Seminary is one of the largest notable buildings in the area, with multiple churches nearby as well.

Also of interest is the Gothic detail of the Perkunas’ House, a house where Napoleon Bonaparte resided in 1812, as his forces marched to Moscow.

7.  Visit Kaunas Castle

While only a fraction of Kaunas Castle remains today, it’s still quite a remarkable sight, especially when it glows at sunset.

First mentioned in the mid-14th century, the castle was a giant and daunting keep in its day. As is often the case, it fell into ruin and was left untouched for centuries. It wasn’t until the 1930s that teams excavated and restored it; they only fully restored the southeast tower in 2010.

If you’re seeking photogenic attractions in Kaunas, the castle should be right at the top of your list.

8. The Žaliakalnis Funicular

Considering how small the hill actually is, it’s a little odd that a funicular was built for the hill to the north of the city centre.

The funicular itself seems quite dated, but I find these older forms of transport quite fascinating, so I was happy to jump aboard. My small city guide said there was a viewpoint nearby, but I never really found it, although, heading towards the old town, I did find a few good spots to see out over the city.

9. Street art and statues

There wasn’t a lot of street art and sculptures throughout Kaunas when I was there.

This may have changed since then, but what I did see caught my eye. This huge mural above is near Kaunas Castle, and I naturally stopped because of its incredible detail and the way the pipe has been done. It’s these sorts of things that always encourage me to explore further in a place.

10. Take a hot air balloon ride

During my time visiting Kaunas, the city hosted a festival, so it’s hard to tell what was special or a regular occurrence.

I say this because it was cool to watch hot air balloons take off not far from the old town in the middle of the day. I imagine it would be great to see Kaunas and the rivers from up there. Still, it was also cool to just watch these balloons slowly rise through the trees.

11. Watch the sunset over the two rivers

Kaunas seems to be blessed with some pretty epic sunsets thanks to the meeting of two rivers, the Neris and the Nemunas, to the city’s east.

Sitting by the riverbank, watching the sun go down, is a pretty great way to end the day and certainly a special sight. At the confluence of the rivers is a wide-open park that is actually a great spot to relax at any time of day.

Have you visited the Lithuanian city of Kaunas? Where else would you include? If not, where would you head first? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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