Kaunas

Kaunas (pop.364.1 thousand), the second largest city of the country, is situated on the confluence of the Nemunas and the Neris. The city originated in the 13th century when the first brick castle in Lithuania, the biggest defence fortress then, was built. In 1408 the city was granted the Magdeburg rights. Afterwards Kaunas began growing at a fairly rapid pace, especially its importance as the centre and main port for trade with Western Europe. In the 16th century Kaunas was one of the best developed cities in the Lithuanian Grand Duchy.

The city boasts a well-preserved Old Town, which is a concentration of valuable cultural and architectural monuments, including Kaunas Castle, Gothic Perkūnas House (The House of Thunder), Vytautas the Great and St. Gertrude Churches, Kaunas Town Hall, also called The White Swan, and a number of others. In addition, the city has interesting objects of engineering heritage, i.e. funiculars launched 70 years ago. One of them lifts people to the Aleksotas hill which, like the Insurrection Church, opens beautiful panoramas of Kaunas.

There are many museums in Kaunas. M.K.Čiurlionis Art Museum offers a chance to see the works of M.K.Čiurlionis, the genius of the Lithuanian art who is ranked alongside M.Shagal, V.Kandinski and K.Malevičius. Visitors to the Museum of Devils (with over 3,000 items), the only museum of its kind in the world, will experience a number of merry impressions. Vytautas the Great War Museum acquaints its visitors with the history of Lithuania. Nearby is a nice symbolic Statue of Liberty and the eternal fire commemorating those who died for Lithuanian independence.

Pažaislis Monastery, the pearl of the Lithuanian mature Baroque of the European scale settled by Kauno Marios (Kaunas Lagoon), hosts international Pažaislis music (classical) festivals every summer. The city offers a number of opportunities for cultural and leisure activities: several drama, pantomime and dance theatres, a puppet-show, and the Musical Theatre, which is the initiator of the perfect annual Operetta festival in Kaunas Castle. The International Kaunas Jazz Festival represents an annual emotional fiesta of music. The unique features of this festival include carillon jazz, the Jewish theme in jazz performed in a synagogue, and others.