Kaunas

Eco-friendly travel guide to Kaunas advises how to be a responsible tourist. Learn how to explore the attractions in a sustainable way and how to respect the local people and culture. Make your trip green by supporting locally owned hotels, organic restaurants and other businesses. Read more on how to protect the environment by making conscientious choices and how to travel green in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Top to bottom, left to right: Kaunas Castle, House of Perkūnas, Kaunas Town Hall, Kaunas Reservoir, Our Lord Jesus Christ's Resurrection Basilica and Church of Saint Michael the Archangel

Air quality: 4.5 / 5

Exploring by foot: 4.0 / 5

Exploring by bicycle: 3.5 / 5

Public transportation: 4.5 / 5

Parks: 3.5 / 5

Outdoor activities: 4.0 / 5

Locals' English level: 3.0 / 5

Safety: 3.5 / 5

Accommodation: US$20 - $200

Budget per day: US$40 - $200

Responsible Travel

Being a responsible tourist should be the motto of each and every tourist who loves to travel and explore new places in the world. It should be the primary goal of every travel enthusiast who wishes to explore beautiful countries and cities located all around the world. Being a responsible tourist includes exploring a destination to the fullest while not harming the surroundings or the environmental beauty of the place. Located the Lithauana, Kaunas holds the second rank when it comes to the largest cities in the country, followed by Vilnius. It is considered to be the primary centre for the economic developments, academic as well as the cultural life in the country. Back in the day when it was an integral part of the empire of Russia, it used to be the most important place. There are tons of places that can be explored in the city of Kaunas. From its medieval-styled towns to the historic monuments, as a tourist, you are assured of getting the best travel experience in the city. As soon as you step into this elegant city, you will feel that the vibe of a city which is filled with tons of historic wonders and rest assured, the city has actually got lots in store for people who like to witness a rich heritage. The presence of museums, beaches, parks, etc. makes Kaunas very balanced when it comes to the perspective of a tourist. The place is very picturesque and due to its compact size, tourists are able to visit the place without any issues. Traveling in this city responsibly can make your experience even better, which is the reason why we are sharing some tips for exploring the place responsibly, so that you completely enjoy the experience of exploring the place without any issues.

Use Public Transport whenever possible. Kaunas offers many beautiful places for the tourists, and therefore, they can be explored completely on foot. However, in order to move from one place to another, transportation services are needed. Hence, plenty of public transportation services are available so that you do not face any sort of inconvenience while travelling.

Take care of the environment while you are exploring. Ensure that you are a part of making the place cleaner by doing your bit. It is very simple, really. All you have to do is not litter the tourist spots, use dustbins, opt for eco-friendly products, etc. Not too tough, is it?

Know when to visit Kaunas. The city experiences all seasons, but the winter is very cold and harsh. The temperature drops below 0 degrees, which is why you should try to avoid visiting the place, unless you really like winters and wish to explore the place during the cold season.

Air Quality and Pollution

Coming to the air quality of the city of Kaunas, the quality is usually acceptable when it comes to most people. However, if you are sensitive to air pollution, you may or may not experience little to normal symptoms due to being outside for too long. To conclude, the air quality is good in Kaunas with a few exceptions for sensitive people.

Talking about the pollution in Kaunas, it is fair to say that the city is very clean as the pollution levels are very low. The purity as well as cleanliness of the air, water, as well as the overall tidiness of the city is very high. The people, as well as the government should be appreciated for keeping the city clean and healthy.

Respect the Culture

As mentioned earlier, if you are someone who loves to visit places with a rich cultural heritage, then you will definitely love Kaunas. Featuring top-tier architecture as well as numerous magnificent galleries as well as theatres, Kaunas, in actuality, is stuffed with a rich cultural heritage. Kaunas, as a city, has successfully managed in preserving the country’s true national characteristics. It offers tons of activities for people belonging to all age groups. To truly get in touch with the place’s unique atmospheric vibe, you can visit Kaunas. The magnificent Old Town located in the city of Kaunas offers the tourists a breath-taking array of ancient architectural beauties in the form of monuments, namely the left-out remnants of the castle of Kaunas, as well as the buildings built during the middle ages, each of which showcase the Gothic as well as the Art Deco features.

To add to the accolades, the city has also been certified as a reputed design city by none other than UNESCO. Its intentions are to make sure that the rich legacy of the place gets to be showcased as an epitome of modernism and creativity. There are more than 60 visit-worthy museums as well as galleries. Also, numerous prestigious events as well as festivals such as the KAfes, Design Week, etc. are also held. The municipality of Kaunas has fostered a very big area of this beautiful old town for holding cultural as well as creative events.

Top 10 Places to Visit

Kaunas is full of tourist-worthy monuments as well as destinations. Some of the must-visit places you should visit at least once when you are in Kaunas have been listed below:

Vilnius Street or the Old Town – If you want to visit a pedestrian way which features tons of interesting cafes and picturesque traditional as well as modern spots, this is the place for you. An old town street by name, Vilinius Street is home to several traditional as well as modern restaurants, cafes, bars, etc. This place will definitely teach you a lot about the rich cultural heritage of the city. Locals usually come here

leisurely to spend a chilled-out time after a tiring day.

Kaunas Castle – Situated in the old town, the Kaunas Castle is one of the most beautiful monuments present in the city. The walls of this small yet impressive monument hold together many mysteries. The cherry on top is the small museum which is located inside the castle. You should definitely visit this place if you want to admire the beauty that the old town holds.

Town Hall Square – The town hall square is located in the old town and it is more commonly known as the White Swan. This building or monument is one of the oldest ones present in the whole of Kaunas. This place can also be rented as wedding venues, as well as for other important events. Every winter, a “Christmas Market” is also held for the masses.

Aleksotas’ Panoramical Viewpoint – If you are a keen photographer, this is the perfect place for you to click pictures from. The viewpoint is famous all around the globe for its view. The blending of the nature’s aspects and the man-made town can be witnessed from this point. Be it night or day, noon or evening, every view at every time of the day is exhilarating from Aleksotas’ viewpoint. Fair warning – You will have to climb lots of stairs in order to reach the viewpoint. Is it worth the climb? – Totally!

Liberty Avenue – This place is present in city center. The liberty avenue is yet another pedestrian street in Kaunas which is famous for its longevity (it is one of the longest streets in all of Europe) as well as its prettiness. If you want to witness some of the most beautiful functionalist architectures, Liberty Avenue is the best place for you. It houses structures built during the Interwar period. The place also features tons of bakeries, restaurants as well as cafes.

Pazaislis Monastery – This monastery, located not so far from the city, is one of the calmest places you can visit. The soothing environment gives a lot of time for introspection and self-reflecting. The architectural brilliance is vividly visible in the well-built monastery. Beside the monastery is the Regional Reservoir Park.

President’s Palace – The President Palace is located between the Old Town and the City Center. This monument has historic importance because it was the main office for the president until the country’s loss of independence back in 1939. If you have a keen enthusiast in learning about the history of Kaunas, you can learn a lot about how Lithuanian statehood evolved.

Unity Square – This place is famous for holding the statues of some of the most important figures in the history of Lithuania. It also holds the sculptures of those who sacrificed their lives while fighting for the freedom of Lithuania. Across the street of Unity Square, you can see that there are several other museums as well.

Fort Museum (IX) – The fort museum is an integral part of the Kaunas Fortress, which was built in 19th century (late). This place has a very interesting history. Back in the day, the fort was used for keeping prisoners which were later transferred to the labour camps. Moreover, the fort was also used as an executioner’s ground. If you want to truly understand the nation as well as the people, you should definitely visit this symbolic, once-tragic place.

Devil’s Museum – As the name itself suggests, the place houses more than 3000 artistic works, each depicting the devils accumulated from around the globe. Each and every one has a very interesting history regarding the superstitions as well as the legends. Horror-lover or not, you should definitely visit this place to get a hold of a chilling experience.

Kaunas Castle

Explore

Kaunas is a city which will never fail to fascinate you with its clean air, beautiful and exotic monuments, exhilarating structures and picaresque surroundings. Apart from these, there are tons of natural sites waiting to be explored as well. There are multiple lush green parks, in addition to tons of museums, as well as other landmarks. The smartly-constructed transportation system makes it very convenient to travel from one place to another. There are tons of places as well as ways in which you can explore the beautiful city of Kaunas.

City Parks

As a tourist, you can visit the parks and have a relaxing picnic day by yourself or your co-travellers. After all, who does not enjoy experiencing a scenic and relaxing trip to the park? Although there are not many parks, two of the most beautiful parks present in Kaunas include –

Azuolynas Park – This park is used by the common local public. The park is very large in terms of area as it covers approximately 85 hectares. It is also the largest stand where you can get hold of mature oaks in all of Lithuania. For the common people, this park is also the venue for numerous recreational activity.

Ramybe Park – The Ramybe Park was established in the year 1959. This park is part of the old city symmetry of Kaunas.

Azuolynas Park

National Parks

One of the most talked-about national park in Kaunas is the Kaunas Lagoon Regional Park.

Beaches

Since Kaunas is not far away from the Baltic Sea, the city features several beaches. All of the beaches are managed and maintained regularly by the authorities so that the tourists as well as the locals living in the place get to have the best beach experience. The beaches in Kaunas are clean and therefore, you are assured of having a tidy experience while visiting any of the beaches established in Kaunas. The beaches are:

Panemune Beach
Kaunas Reservoir Beach

Landmarks

The city of Kaunas is full of landmarks, which include historical structures, museums, galleries, etc. The rich cultural heritage of Kaunas has several varieties of landmark structures to offer to the eyes of tourists. Some of the famous landmarks located in Kaunas include:

The Ninth Fort
Sugihara House
Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul
Laisves Aleja or the Liberty Boulevard
Church - St. Michael The Archangel
Christ Resurrection Church

Museums

Museums are considered to be one of the topmost tourist attractions in Kaunas, Lithuania. There are a number of tourist-worthy museums located in the city. Tourists, especially those who love to get into how a place comes to be and its entire history, will surely love to visit the wide range of Museums located in Kaunas. Given below are the names of some of the most famous museums present in Lithuania’s Kaunas:

Sugihara House
Devil’s Museum
Atomic KGB Bunker
City Museum of Kaunas
The Great War Museum of Vytautas
Aviation Museum of Lithuania

City Museum of Kaunas

Eat

Kaunas is a place which leaves no stone unturned when it comes to food. There are tons of cafes, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, etc. present in the second largest city of Lithuania. As a tourist, you are assured of getting food at any time of the day. There are tons of restaurants that serve traditional food. Non-veg is preferred but there are some vegan restaurants present as well. In addition to all this, there are several street food stalls where fast food is available.

Traditional Local Restaurants

The essence of travelling to a particular destination lies in experiencing everything local, ranging from the music to the food. It is what truly completes the travel experience of a tourist. In the case of food, Kaunas has restaurants which offer the best of the best local food famous in the city. Let us take a closer look at some of the famous traditional local restaurants.

Berneliu Uzeiga – This restaurant offers the best food that Kaunas has to offer. Ranging from delicious cepelinai dumplings to seasoned mushrooms, customers can choose from a variety of food items. The reputation of this place speaks for itself as many food critics have also recommended this place. When in Kaunas, make sure that you check this restaurant out.

Folkas – Another place which serves top-tier local Lithuanian food is Folkas. This restaurant, with its fancy ambience and its exotic food offerings, manages to captivate the hearts of the customers. The food menu includes everything that you should try out in the city. One of the most vetted-for food item is the Saltibarsciai. The dining experience at this place feels very cosy and private.

Vegetarian and Vegan

There are several good vegan restaurants present in the city. Some of the best vegan restaurants that you can visit in the city include:

Jurgis ir Drakonas
Moksha
Momma Pizza
E/Way
Ridikas

Street Food

Street food truly describes the offerings of a place based on the surroundings. In simpler words, street food assists in understanding a place better. In Kaunas, there are tons of street food cafes, as well as vendors who sell local food items including fast food (kebabs, dumplings, etc.), drinks, etc. Some of the street food vendors have also managed to create a reputation for themselves by selling scrumptious food items loved by both tourists as well as the local residents.

ManGi
Express Kabababi
Bok Sotus Grills
Bok Sotus Kebabai

Drink

Water is the most essential aspect when it comes to life. Kaunas offers fresh water for its residents. When it comes to drinks, the city is filled with organic cafes and breweries which serve top-of-the-line drinks to the people. If you are an avid drinker who likes consuming alcohol as well as non-alcoholic drinks, you will surely enjoy exploring the cafes and bars.

Tap-water

As per the residents as well as the tourists who have visited Kaunas, there is no pollution in the drinking water. The water pollution bar for Kaunas is extremely low as well. The water is easily accessible to the masses for consumption. Talking about tap water, it has been deemed safe to drink by the people residing in Kaunas. The quality of water is very good, and therefore, you can drink tap water when in Kaunas.

Organic Cafés

In Kaunas, you need not worry about the food and drink availability. There are several organic cafes in Kaunas that serve vegetarian food. If you are a vegetarian travelling in Kaunas, you will have plenty of veg food items to choose from. Some of the cafes that serve the best vegetarian food include:

Jurgis ir Drakonas
Restoranas Siestaa
Casa Della Pasta

Breweries

Alcohol is served legally in Lithuania. In Kaunas, the primarily major brewery is the Genys Brewing Co. It serves all sorts of alcoholic drinks, including beer, run, whiskey, etc. The place has received various good reviews from multiple food critics. Apart from the Genys Brewing Co., not many breweries are located in Kaunas.

Activities

Apart from its rich cultural heritage and the uncountable restaurants, cafes and bars, Kaunas also offers several activities. The UNO park in Kaunas offers amusement rides as well as adventurous activities such as grappling and climbing. If you love sea rides, you can hire a cruise ship which will carry you around the water body. Similarly, you can also visit the Zoopark, which houses some of the most appealing animals and birds. Guns Club is yet another place which offers recreational gun training activities. If you are a gun enthusiast who likes to practice shooting for leisure, you will definitely find the place worth the visit.

Yoga and Retreats

Stress can be quite overwhelming, especially if you are on the move. Kaunas offers a few yoga retreats. You can easily book appointments online and that too with free cancellation’s availability. The Ayurvedic Spa Shanti yoga retreat is great if you want to have a spa session or a yoga training session. It is great getaway for relieving stress and calming down your body as well as mind. The place is located in the centre of Kaunas and therefore, accessibility will not be an issue at all.

Accommodation

Kaunas really knows how to welcome its guests, since it offers some of the most luxurious as well as cost-effective hotels and guest houses. The price bracket is very flexible, i.e., you can find both expensive and luxurious hotels as well as affordable and good guest houses. Major hotel chains such as Raddison have their ventures in the city. Therefore, finding a good hotel as per your needs will not be an issue at all when you are in Kaunas.

Green Hotels

Eco-friendly green hotels are available in Kaunas. The most preferred green hotel is the Park Inn (A venture of Raddison). It offers the best services, including free Wi-Fi, parking, etc. Other green hotels include Kaunas City Hotel, Hof Hotel, Kaunas Hotel.

Hostels and Guest Houses

Kaunas is a very hospitable place as it has to offer some of the best guest houses as well as hostels for tourists coming to visit and explore the historical city. The hostels and guest houses are very tidy as they are maintained very often. The maintenance staff are professional and well-mannered. Some of the best hostels and guest houses that offer a nice experience have been mentioned below:

The Monk’s Bunk
R Hostel Easy Kaunas
Extra Hotel
Duu Buliai

Apartments

When it comes to apartments, Kaunas offers all types of apartments, i.e., budget-friendly ones as well as luxurious ones. The apartments are modern in terms of design and the interiors are lavishly furnished to offer comfortable living to the residents as well as the tourists who prefer to stay at apartments. The apartments can be rented for a cozy and private stay as well. Therefore, no matter what your personal preference is, finding a good apartment will not be a hassle for you at all. Some of the most famous apartments include:

Laisves Avenue Apartments
Brother House
Loft – Owl Hill

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing allows you to live with travellers of different nationalities and cities. You get to interact with people belonging to different parts of the world and it is truly a divine experience. In Kaunas, there are various local hosts who offer couchsurfing facilities. Couchsurfing facilitates in diminishing boundaries and facilitates in the interaction of individuals belonging to different race, castes and creed.

Camping

In Kaunas, camping sites are very limited. One of the most famous spots is Kaunas City Camping. At City Camping Kaunas, you can rent out mobile/movable homes. There are many amenities available at the camping site as well, including an outdoor pool for swimming, wireless fidelity, etc. Some of the other camping sites include:

Camp Inn, Kaunas
Stovyklaviete Dubsya

How to Get There

If you wish to get travel to Kaunas, there are tons of ways to get into the city. It depends on where you are coming from. Let’s take a closer look at how you can come into the city.

Air

If you are from a different country, you can opt for a flight to Kaunas. The main airport of the city is the Kaunas Airport. In terms of the popularity, it ranks second in whole of Lithuania. It is the second busiest airport in all of Lithuania, just after Vilnius Airport. It is the main way to get in and out of Kaunas via air.

Kaunas international airport

Bus

The buses are very well-maintained in Kaunas. They are very popular aming the locals. There are several local buses available which can take you to and around Kaunas. The middle part of the city is easily accessible by Bus 29G. This bus stops at several places as well, and therefore, you can explore various spots in the city.

Bus in Kaunas

Train

If you have already reached Kaunas, there are several ways to explore it. One of the easiest ways to move from place to other is by using trains. There are several local train stations present in Kaunas. From Kaunas, you can visit other cities such as Milan and Warsaw by travelling via train.

Train to Vilinus from Kaunas

Hitchhiking

In Kaunas, there are several hitchhiking spots present and therefore, if you are a hitchhiking enthusiast, you will definitely love the place. One of the most famous stops is Biruliskes. You can reach the place by boarding bus no. 29 and getting off at the bus stop of Biruleskes.

Others

Apart from the aforementioned ways, you can also get to Kaunas or explore it using other ways. You can drive to Kaunas, which will roughly take around 5 hours. Several buses, as well as aeroplanes from different parts of the world, also leave for Kaunas every day.

Moving Around

Kaunas, as talked about before, is a picaresque place. It has lots of places which are worth visiting and can be explored by tourists. Moving around in Kaunas is very convenient as there are multiple ways in which the exploration of the city can be done.

Walk

To put it simply, the city is extremely walkable, therefore, we advise you to wear your most comfortable shoes while moving around the city. There are clean sidewalks as wells.

Bicycle

The bicycling experience has drastically improved in the city and therefore, you can ride bicycles on the streets of Kaunas without worrying about yor safety. You can conveniently rent bikes manually from shops or by using CityBee, an app which offers bicycles as well as cars.

Electronic Vehicles

Electronic vehicles such as cars are also available in the city. However, if you are in the central part of the city, you will need to pay for parking your car from 8 A.M. in the morning. Parking during the weekend is free of cost.

Public Bus

The main bus station (Kaunas B. S.) is considered to be one of the most busy as well as modernized bus stations in the area. It is open throughout the dat and night and offers numerous activities for people who are waiting, to indulge in. Several international, as well as local buses, leave from here and you are assured of finding the right bus to board.

Tram, Train and Subway

Most of the cities in Lithuania are interconnected to Kaunas by a well-developed railway system. There is also a work-in-progress project named “Rail Baltica Project”, which will ensure a faster, as well as better connection between Kaunas and other cities, including Warsaw and Tallinn.

Sustainable Shopping

There are several places where you can shop in Kaunas. The place is filled with high-end, budget-friendly as well as zero-waste shops. You can get gold of environment-friendly shops by visiting Zerowasteshops.com. There are various shopping malls located in the city, namely:

Akropolis Mall
Mega Shopping Center
Molas Mall

Food Markets

As a tourist, you don’t need to worry about getting hold of raw food items, as there are plenty of food stores that sell almost every grocery item you could possibly think of. Two of the famous food stores are:

Vilijampoles Turgus
Zaliakalnio Turgaviete

Flea Markets

When it comes to flea markets, there are not many markets or stores available in the city. There are only a few street markets available, one of which is Urmas. You can get hold of stuff at very cheap prices here. There are several stalls and shops available here and you can get hold of anything, ranging from beddings and headstones.

Second Hand Stores

In Kaunas, second-hand stores are really popular. You can get hold of literally any second-hand product you wish for, ranging from jewellery to clothing to books and furniture. You can also shop from markets, which are organized monthly or weekly. If you are on the lookout to buy car parts, you can get your hands on every part at the Kaunas Car Boot Sale or the Bagaziniu Turgus. Similarly, vintage products are also available in the sale at the Humana and Humana Vintage. The Aleksotas Market of Kaunas offers clothes, groceries, electronics, etc.

Eco-Fashion

Kaunas is a city which houses several talented designers who are strong believers in the environment-saving cause. There are several eco-friendly brands which design and manufacture clothes, which are, in every way, eco-friendly and are made in accordance with the zero-waste method. One such brand is the “House of Naïve”. Thi s[articular brand offers minimalistic clothes for females in addition to leather boots and shoes, which have been made carefully by hand, and that too in different sizes. Another ec0-friendly brand which follows the environmental safety rules is “The Knotty Ones”. This brand offers handmade sweaters as well as cardigans for the masses. Similarly, some of the other brands that follow this trend are:

Motula
Distyled
Babe Universe

Recycling

As mentioned before, Kaunas is one of those cities in the world which takes environmental safety very seriously. Therefore, there are tons of Waste and recycling companies situated in the throughout Lithuania as well as Kaunas. Rafimeta is one such company. It buys off scrap of electronics from different parts of the world including Spain, France, Poland, Germany, Latvia and it keeps expanding its operations and activities. It invites people to sell directly to it as well. Therefore, it fulfils its aim of keeping the place clean and green. Yet another esteemed organization is UAB Zalvaris. It was formed way back in the year 1965. Today, it stands at the top of the table when it comes to companies who manage and take care of both hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. As many as seven units present in the company house specialists who are qualified to look after the daily collection of wastes and their management. Other recycling companies present in Kaunas include:

Bacmetall
UAB R&R Ideas
Granevita

Waste

Kaunas, as any other city in the world, produces waste as a result of industrial and domestic operations. However, it is also one of the cities which is and has been taking steps to make sure that its waste is getting managed properly. The Kaunas Region Waste Management Center is one such organization. It was set up In 2005 and has been functioning tirelessly since then to make Kaunas a cleaner place. The main aim of the center is manage the waste in several areas as a unified company. It manages the waste of the following other cities – Raseiniai, Jonava, Kaisiadorys, and Kedainiai. Kaunas also houses its Waste-to-Energy CHP plant.

Work and Study Abroad

When it comes to education, Kaunas offers lots of courses as well as internship programs once you have completed the course. In addition to having a versatile range of courses available for aspiring students to choose from, there are lots of job opportunities as well. Degrees in different fields can be obtained in numerous universities and colleges in Kaunas. At the Vytautas Magnus University, there is a master’s course on Sociolinguistics and Multilingualism. Similarly, aspiring candidates can also choose to enrol in a PhD course in Social Science of Education. Some of the most popular universities located in Kaunas are:

Lithuanian Sports University
Kaunas University of Technology
Vytautus Magnus University

Exchange Student

Kaunas offers lots of great opportunities of foreigner students to come and pursue a specific course in numerous colleges. KUT or the Kaunas University of technology has in store more than 300 Erasmus+ as well as bilateral agreements – all with different universities situated around the globe. Hence, if you are an aspiring student who wishes to pursue a career by studying in a prestigious university abroad, then the universities in Kaunas have special programs as well as courses waiting for you.

Au Pair

Au Pair is a person who helps with different jobs in a household in a foreign place and in exchange, he or she gets to have their own room as well as a fixed salary. Like many other countries all around the world, there are several opportunities to serve as an au pair in Kaunas. Part-time as well as full-time au pair jobs are available in the city of Kaunas. By the help of online portals, one can find a job as an au pair which comes with other benefits such as pocket-money, live-in, etc.

Volunteering

Volunteering is a good opportunity for both students as well as tourists. For students, it is good because it strengthens their CV. On the other hand, for tourists, volunteering can be a part of the whole traveling experience. In fact, as a tourist, you should try out volunteering in order to contribute back to the place you are traveling to. In Kaunas, there are tons of opportunities for Volunteering in Kaunas. The volunteer centre in Kaunas is for students to get volunteering assignments but as a tourist, you can also join into volunteer for different organizations present in the city. Similarly, you can also choose to volunteer for summer camp organized for the children. Other volunteering opportunities include gardening and eco-building as well as broad farm activiites.