Sometimes the perfect stopover just happens – why get that direct flight home, when you can see another place for same price (or cheaper?!) Kaunas is one of places. Serviced by budget airlines, my Helsinki to London journey was cheaper via a long stop over in Kaunas, and I’m sure glad that I did that! The compact Lithuania city has tonnes of historical charm, great art and is low cost, making it a great stopover or weekend destination. Its also one of the 3 European Capitals of Culture for 2022, so there really is no better time to visit!

24 Hours – Centre and Old Town

Christ’s Resurrection Basilica

Start your day with a spectacular views over Kaunas from the roof of the Christ’s Resurrection Basilica. For just €3 you have access to the roof – via a lift – and the church itself. During my Monday December visit, I was only the visitor in this striking church and caught a free show of the organ practice!

Street Art + Sculptures

Next stop is street art! Looking at the front the of the cathedral, go left through the car park to Ausros Road. Walk downhill – checking out the monochrome street art on the corner of the car park wall – before walking down the footpath steps. When you meet the next road, go right and you will soon see the The Fight and then the colourful house on the corner as you meet the main road (Putvinskio).

Next, take a right and walk two minutes down the main road until you reach the Sculpture Garden, making sure to look at the pretty doors along the way. (As of December 2021, there was construction in the Sculpture Garden but all the sculptures were still visible through the fence). Walk a few more minutes along the road to the Pink Elephant and then to the Kiemo Galerija, with it various art works down an alleyway, including the fabulous granny mural (please ensure to be quite and to not disturb those living in surrounding houses).

M.K. Čiurlionis Museum of Art

Sitting opposite the Sculpture Garden, you can visit the M.K. Čiurlionis Museum of Art dedicated to the Lithuanian artist, composer, and public figure. There is a large display of his works and a room to listen to his music, along with changing displays from from other Lithuanian and international artists (check out their website before your visit for current exhibitions).

Laisves Aleja (Liberty Boulevard)

Laisves Aleja is a beautiful tree lined avenue running through the Central area of Kaunas, full of shops, cafes and restaurants. Start at St. Michael the Archangel’s Church and wander down the avenue popping in it shops, cafes and restaurants as you wish. I recommend the charming book shop the Book Ministry, getting a great coffee at Vagabond, and some classic doughnuts at Spurginė. The avenue is lovely day and night, but don’t miss it after sunset for its beautiful lights!

Old Town

Depending on how pressed you are for time, you can either walk down to the Old Town – around a 20 minute walk – or catch a Bolt (my trip cost less than €2.50). Start at the charming Kaunas Castle – set by the river it looks especially lovely in the snow when children use the slopes for sledging! In the the immediate area you can see some great art, including the ‘Kanklės Player’ sculpture, and the ‘Nesting Box‘ and ‘The Wise Old Man‘ murals.

Walk down Jaksto Road (starting at the Nesting Box mural) until you reach the main square at the heart of the Kaunas Old Town. Here you will find Kaunas Town Hall and in December, lovely Christmas markets with lots of food choices (especially desserts!) Down Vilniaus Gatvė you can visit St. Peter and Paul Cathedral Basilica and then the best thing to do is wander the charming streets of the Old Town.

Food and Drink

There are many food and drink options in the Old Town – I recommend the retro-styled Chaika cafe (10-8pm) for great coffee and a vegan menu of toasted sandwiches and lots of cake! For a drink head to the Nisha Craft Beer Bar for their excellent (if pricier) range, or the hipster HOP DOG gastro pub for good food and drinks. If you are in the Central area don’t miss the Vingiu Dubingiu Aludė beer hall.

48 Hours – Out of Town

If your are on a weekend trip or just have a little more time on your stop over, then head a little out of Kaunas to see the further afield sights. These are my future travel plans for when next in Kaunas:

• Holocaust Jewish Monument – a monument to the WWII Jewish ghetto, with the unique house marking the sight of the gates to the ghetto. The monument includes a map showing the area where the ghetto was. Across the river from the Old Town, this is the nearest of the further afield sights (around a 15 minute walk from ‘The Wise Old Man’ mural).

• Ninth Fort Museum and Monument – the complex memorialises the atrocities of the Ninth Fort, known as the ‘Fort of Death’, where 45-50,000 Jews were murdered during WWII. The fort was also used by the Soviets pre and post-WWII to imprison political prisoners.

• Pažaislis Monastery and Church – a beautiful baroque monastery and church, set in stunning country and riverside surroundings.

• Atomic KGB Bunker – an eclectic KGB museum for the history nerds! It is private run, so contact the owners in advance to secure a visit (info@atominisbunkeris.lt).

Where to Stay

You are spoilt for choice for accommodation in Kaunas – the key decisions is whether the stay in the Old Town or the Centre. Both are excellent choices, with their own sights and places to eat and drink, so it comes down to your personal preference (e.g. you may want the charm of the Old Town streets).

My stay was at the Moxy Kaunas Centre hotel in the Centre area, which was excellent and cheap (around £45/USD $60). The rooms were smart and stylish, with a large bar and common area in the foyer. The breakfast was varied and if you sign up for the hotel scheme (its free), you can get a free breakfast included.

How to get there and get around

Kaunas is serviced by the budget airlines Ryanair and Wizzair, so is cheap to get their from Europe (though as always with budget airlines, factor in the additional luggage costs!) The easiest way to get from the Airport is via bolt, which was only €16 to the Central area, or get the 29G bus for only €1 (buy your ticket from the driver in exact money).

The Old Town and the Central areas are walkable, but recommend using the cheap Bolt between the two if you are short on time (costs around €2-3). This is important if there are sights you want to see in the day time during winter – Keep in mind that Kaunas sits as high as Denmark, so sunset is as early as 4pm.

What would you like see the most in Kaunas? What are your recommendations? Let me know in the comments!

Unless otherwise stated, all pictures are my own and full rights reserved.