Meet 3000 devils in the heart of Lithuania. Enjoy Jazz Festival or Classical music during the Pazaislis music festival. Be the first to discover the bird flight from the roof of Resurrection church, feel free and be brave to try professional acrobatic flights, wake a pilot inside yourself. Believe in the second “religion”- basketball and shake the famous Europe basketball players by the hand. Indulge water activities like yacht regattas or water biking. Don’t forget to relax at SPA, leisure and entertainment center.
Kaunas – the Real Taste of Lithuania!The hearth of Lithuanian culture, tradition and history is just waiting to be discovered. You can experience the real taste of Lithuania strolling through the cobbled streets separating the beautiful 16th century buildings scattered along Vilnius street and around Town Hall square, by following in the footsteps of ancient pagans in one of our many parks, and enjoying the mix of modern and traditional shops, cafes and bars on Laisves avenue.
Also basketball is synonymous with Kaunas not only because we held the very first official basketball game in 1922, but also because of the famous Zalgiris team and its NBA superstar Arvydas Sabonis.
Kaunas has plenty for everybody to see and experience. The macabre collection of nearly 3,000 devils at the Devils’ Museum and exhibitions showing the unique artistic styles of composer and painter M.K. Ciurlionis, as well as J. Maciunas originator of the avant-garde Fluxus art movement.
Near the confluence of Lithuania’s two largest rivers the Nemunas and the Neris Kaunas Castle, built in the 13th century towers over the historic Old Town. The Town Hall and the impressive Thunder House are worth visiting.If you need a relax , visit Birstonas. It’s a spa centre in Kaunas region. Here you can get the whole package: accommodation, food and health procedures.
The circle of nine forts, constructed at the times of the Russian Empire, surround Kaunas. The Ninth Fort hosting the commemoration museum for second World War deaths.
If you wish to see the entire Lithuania at one place visit the open air museum in Rumsiskes with its collection of authentic wooden villages representing each of the four regions of old Lithuania existing to date: Zemaitija, Aukstaitija, Dzukija, Suvalkija.
We invite you to enjoy our traditional Lithuanian country – side tourism sites and try the Lithuanian food – the fried bread sticks with cheese together with pint of local light, dark or a “live” honey beer. Don’t forget to try traditional. cold refreshing beetroot soup or “balandeliai”.
Every spring and autumn, the international Kaunas Jazz Festival invites you to jazz with famous performers in a mix of familiar and non-familiar, large and small venues around the city.
No doubt that Kaunas festival according to its range and stylistic content is on the world level” (Anastasya Kostiukovich – Jazz kvadrat”, 1998, No 11-12)
During the years of its existence Kaunas Jazz has deserved confidence of its performers, audience supporters, has justified the status of the international festival, gained its prestige. Polystylistic, democratic festival has become a holiday for Kaunas, the lead “importer” of jazz stars in Lithuania, the creative center of different international jazz styles. Every year Kaunas Jazz presents a wide and rich spectrum of modern jazz. Participants from more than 20 countries of the world have taken part in the festival. Kaunas Jazz doesn’t forget Lithuanian musicians as well, which get excellent possibilities to improve themselves and to make Lithuanian jazz known in the world.
The internationally recognized Pazaislis Classical Music Festival lasts for three months each summer and hosts stars from countries around the world. The Pažaislis Music Festival was first held in 1996 on the initiative of its Artistic Director Petras Bingelis and Coordinator Justinas Krėpšta. Very soon, the festival joined programmes initiated by the Council of Europe: the Baroque Route, the The Pažaislis Music Festival, lasting all summer, offers over 30 concerts of chamber, symphony, vocal and instrumental music of diverse genres and styles.
In May, we host the annual Kaunas City Days which lights up the main pedestrian street from the New Town all the way through to the Old Town with fancy dress parades, street stalls, theatre processions, concerts, fairs and other eye-catching sights. Kaunas City Day is celebrated on the 20th of May because Kazimieras Jogailaitis renewed and expanded the privileges of the city in 1463. The oldest original privilege is kept in St. Petersburg archives and its copy is kept in Kaunas City Hall.
Throughout the year, national and international orchestras, choirs, ensembles, soloists and dancers charm the audiences in one of the many inside and outside venues. You can see opera at the Kaunas Castle Operetta, marvel at the Modern Dance Festival or drool at the motorbikes and vintage cars exhibits of our annual Bike Show.
Reprinted from Kaunas tourism information centre