A Day in Kaunas, Lithuania

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Happy Wednesday everyone! I’m back with the next installment from my Baltics road trip back in May, and finishing off my Lithuanian leg of the journey. Kaunas is Lithuania’s second city, and a perfect day trip from the country’s capital – Vilnius. I adored Kaunas, it had such a nice feel, beautiful architecture, and it was so completely off the tourist trail that we weren’t aware of any non-Lithuanians all day. If you’re visiting Lithuania, it’s a must visit.


  1. Contents
  2. How to get to Kaunas
  3. Things to do in Kaunas
    1. 1. Kaunas Castle
    2. 2. Town Hall Square
    3. 3. Old Town
    4. 4. Church of St Michael the Archangel
    5. 5. The Great War Museum
    6. 6. Blessed Virgin Mary Church
    7. 7. Presidential Palace
    8. 8. Vilniaus Gatve

Getting to Kaunas is simple from Vilnius and the easiest mode of transport is a train. The train takes 1hr 15 mins from Vilnius and from Kaunas station it’s a 30 minute walk to the centre. The trains in Lithuania are amazing – big, clean, efficient and really cheap. Our journey to Kaunas cost us 5 Euros each.

Alternatively, you could drive, and it would take around 1hr. There is plenty of parking in the city.


There’s lots to do in this beautiful city and as it’s quite compact it’s easy to fit in to only a day long visit.

This castle was built in the 1300s to defend against invasion from the Crusaders who were aiming to spread Christianity across Europe (with a lot of pillaging and destruction on the way). It sits where two rivers meet and on a hill, giving it a great vantage point. Today it’s lovely to visit, and sits in a nice open park area where there are markets, food trucks and things to do.

At the Castle

The hub of Kaunas is its Town Hall and square. Inside the Town Hall is a small museum on Kaunas, although it was being refurbished at the time of our visit so we couldn’t go in. I also loved the beautiful pink church.

Lovely open squares

Kaunas’ Old Town is really well cared for and is clean, tidy and picturesque. This year, in 2022, Kaunas was voted as the European Capital of Culture meaning it was filled with fun sculptures, art work and historic stalls to explore.

Gorgeous streets

We also thought the food in the old town was just incredible. We had some authentic Lithuanian treats from a street market, cocktails as we strolled along and an absolutely delicious Mexican meal at a restaurant called Agave. I could have spent the entire day eating to be honest.

Yummy lunch at Agave

One of the prettiest churches in Kaunas is the Church of St Michael the Archangel. It sits at the top of the main street in the city (number 8 below) and is well worth popping in to.

The gorgeous church

The Great War Museum is just outside of the centre, but easily walkable. It tells the story of Lithuania during war-time from pre-historic to modern times. There are galleries on Lithuanian wars with Russia as early as the 1600s, and then through to WW1 and WW2. It’s really interesting, and the highlight was an exhibition on the current situation in Ukraine. The Museum set up the exhibit years ago in relation to Russia’s activity in East Ukraine, and then recently expanded it following current events. You can read a bit more about the impact of the current political climate on the region in my post HERE.

The war memorial garden

Another beautiful building in Kaunas is the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, built in the 1400s and funded by Vytautus the Great. Inside it’s also beautiful and has a crypt which you can visit.

The striking church

The Presidential Palace in Kaunas is where the President lived in the inter-war years when the capital was moved from Vilnius to Kaunas. Today it’s an art museum which makes for a nice way to spend 30 minutes or so.

At the Palace

The main street in Kaunas is just beautiful. It’s a rally long avenue lined with trees and lively with cafes, bars, eateries and flowers everywhere. I loved the beds of tulips planted all over the place, just stunning.

A fountain in the middle of the street


So, what do you think of Kaunas? I thought it was a beautiful day trip and I’m very glad to have visited. Stay safe and happy travelling as always.

43 responses to “A Day in Kaunas, Lithuania”

  1. So nice to enjoy your Lithuanian travels without too many tourists, and your vintage architectural captures are lovely as always! Kaunas looks wonderful, especially the Town Hall and Church of St Michael the Archangel. It amazes me each time I read your posts, that such old and beautiful buildings are still standing! Thanks for sharing your experiences and local history, dear Hannah 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much Phil, and I totally agree about the old buildings – how have they all survived?! They sure built them to last in those days! Have a great weekend my friend 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. TY Hannah ~ you too 🙏😊

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Really lovely city! I love the architecture- it is so effortlessly graceful and inviting without being overdone. Even the castle seems to have that simple beauty to it. Wonderful tour Hannah 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I totally agree, it was so graceful but also really laid back. Effortlessly beautiful 🙂 Thanks for reading Meg

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Thank you for sharing your pictures of Kaunas! If I may ask, what’s that being roasted on the second photo for Kaunas Castle?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much for reading. I wish I knew the answer to that – it tasted like batter, not sure if you’ve ever had Chimney Cake or Churros – but that sort of texture in finger size bites. They were tasty!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Oh, I see. Thank you!

        Liked by 1 person

  4. I wanted to go to Kaunas, but due to limited time, I ended up forgoing it in lieu of a day trip to the Hill of Crosses. One of these days, I’ll have to return to Lithuania to explore Kaunas, as well as more of the country– absolutely beautiful!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ah so glad to show you a town that you weren’t able to visit on your trip. I totally fell in love with Lithuania and want to go back to visit the Curonian Spit as that looks stunning

      Liked by 1 person

  5. I’ve never been to the Baltic states and would love to go at some point and take in the scene in this picturesque city. Your photos remind me of some of the churches and building in Warsaw.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I can definitely see the resemblance to Warsaw; these European cities are all decked with beautiful and elegant architecture, and are wonderful to visit 🙂 Thanks for reading, have a great weekend John

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  6. Looks like another beautiful place to visit! I love the colorful flowers and whimsical outdoor art. One thing I really miss about living in Seattle is the great Mexican food we have there. It’s hard to find that here in France; so your lunch made me quite envious. 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was such a laid back but beautiful city. Ohhhh I hear you – whenever we visit France we get so annoyed all we can find is French food and maybe Italian. It’s super hard to find Mexican/Middle Eastern/Indian/Asian etc. I hope they start expanding their food soon!!! 🙂

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      1. Agreed; moi aussi! We have found a great Indian restaurant not far from us, and have become regulars there; yummy!

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  7. Well Hannah, Kaunas (and indeed much of Lithuania) looks nothing short of a hidden gem. Oh the joys of an empty train, which is my idea of travel bliss. I have a similar shot of an empty flight I was on from Singapore to Istanbul right in the heart of the pandemic. You say Kaunas is clean but boy it looks absolutely spotless, and so much greenery to compliment the charming architecture. Cobbled streets… an abundance of art, plentiful history… I enjoyed this very much.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh thanks so much Leighton, I’m so glad because that’s exactly how it felt – such a hidden gem. It was spotless, the whole of Lithuania was actually and I loved that. It was just such a gorgeous place to visit and I’m so glad I got to see all these wonderful and underrated cities 🙂

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  8. ThingsHelenLoves

    It looks lovely, definitely worth a visit if the opportunity ever arose. I’ve been reading and watching lots of stuff about Lithuanian history this year so I’d love to visit some historic sites, but also see the bright and beautiful modern face of the nation.

    And I know you mentioned clean but I’m amazed by quite how clean it all looks. Trains, city streets, churches… all looks immaculate. A few UK cities might learn a thing or two!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You are so good at reading everything – you must be a fount of knowledge and amazing on a pub quiz team 🙂 It really was spotless, it was so well maintained and so looked after making it just gorgeous to visit. The whole of Lithuania was like that actually, I didn’t come across any rubbish anywhere actually! You’re right, the UK could definitely learn a thing or two!!!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. ThingsHelenLoves

        Haha, thanks! Anything but sport on the pub quiz- I’m lost on that! I get a bit obsessed once something catches my eye and I’m very passionate about history. I love immersing myself in it all.

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  9. There is certainly no shortages of churches in Kaunas … the one as beautiful as the next! Love the touches of colour with the flowers along the way … and of course, who would not enjoy a Mexican meal like the one you had!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I really loved the flowers adding pops of colour and bringing things to life. It also just showed such a level of care of the city – it was clean, organised, well presented- just beautiful to spend the day there 🙂 Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. What a beautiful city, Hannah! I (Kellye) enjoyed tagging along on your trip to Kuanas. European churches never cease to amaze me and Kuanas has some beautiful ones. This is a trip we would enjoy someday. Thank you for sharing your adventure!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much for reading Kellye, it really was a great place to visit and totally off the beaten track which made it even better! Have a great weekend 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  11. What a lovely recap! You always plan such great itineraries!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Aw thank youuu! 🙂

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  12. Kaunas looks beautiful Hannah and after reading your informative post I’ll definitely try and add the city to my itinerary the next time I visit Lithuania.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s definitely worth a visit, it’s a really elegant but also quite calm and laid back city. I was really taken with it 🙂 Thanks for reading Marion, have a lovely weekend

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Janet’s Journeys

    Lithuania looks so interesting and it’s slowly making its way up my list of places to visit!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The country really took me by surprise, it’s such a hidden gem!

      Liked by 1 person

  14. I am glad to see you loved visiting Kaunas. I’ve had the fortune of exploring it more than once and absolutely loved it as Kaunas boasts some beautiful architecture, kooky museums, and historically important sites, making any trip worthwhile. My favourite part is Kaunas’ stunning medieval old town where many buildings have touches of German architectural influence. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much for reading Aiva, Kaunas really is beautiful and I totally agree about the old town. I feel like all of Lithuania is underrated and such a beautiful country. I’m on to Latvia next 🙂 xx

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Another fantastic and very informative post. Saving this. Cheers!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much!

      Like

  16. It looks so nice, especially the main street with all the lovely flowers.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It really was beautiful to explore, a real hidden gem 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Kaunas looks like a very beautiful city and I love that it’s very walkable. How neat that it was recently voted the European Capital of Culture. Sounds like you had a wonderful trip.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much for reading – it really was a lovely trip and we fell in love with Lithuania so very glad to have visited. Have a great weekend 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  18. I would add this country to my list..great place to see.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s beautiful, thanks Anita

      Like

  19. Such interesting architecture, especially that mysterious looking castle. Surprising to find good Mexican food in eastern Europe!

    Liked by 1 person

  20. […] as we drove from Vilnius to Riga to Tallinn. On the way we visited fairytale castles in Trakai, Kaunas and Cesis, unique spots like the Hill of Crosses, beautiful nature in Lahemaa and explored Soviet […]

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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