Kaunas

This is a branch of the MK Čiurlionis National Art Museum in New Town. It houses 20th-century Lithuanian and émigré art, and a collection of North American Indian art.

A striking example of "flamboyant Gothic", from 1440 until 1532 this was the offices of the Hanseatic merchants, then became a Jesuit chapel. The Jesuits again own it and it houses a small museum about Adam Mickewicz. Perkūnas was a Baltic pagan god of thunder, and around 1900 an image said to be of Perkūnas was found within its walls, hence the present name.

Gothic redbrick church built in 1400 for the Franciscan monks. It's suffered repeatedly from river floods, occupying armies and religious upheavals, but since 1919 has been Roman Catholic.

At the south end of Vytautas bridge is this 133 m funicular, built in 1935 to connect the Old Town with Aleksotas district up the hill. It runs every 10 minutes with a midday lunch break.

Small church at the north end of Vytautus bridge built in 1682-83 in Baroque style.

The church is a fine 15th-century Gothic building.

Small private museum with rare minerals and precious stones from around the world.

Lithuania was first independent from 1918 until 1940, when the Soviets crushed the "First Republic". This neo-baroque palace was home to its presidents. It houses furniture, artwork and other material from the period.

Gothic redbrick church from around 1500.

Built in 1872 in reformist decorative style, though the façade looks neo-baroque. It remains in use, hours erratic, with a display of rabbis' paintings on the second floor.

Old-style natural history museum with thousands of stuffed animals and skeletons.

This beautiful domed building closes off the prospect down Laisvės Aleja. Opened in 1895, it was built in neo-Byzantine style for Russian soldiers based here, and to remind the townsfolk who was in charge. However the main reason to visit is the Catacombs (accessible M-F 10:00-14:00). You descend a spiral staircase into total darkness then feel your way through an underground obstacle course, eventually re-ascending a similar staircase into the light. It started out as an art installation but is now run by the Museum for the Blind, donations welcome. Not for the fainthearted, small children or anyone with difficulty moving around.

Closed for reconstruction, the re-opening date is not known.

Grandiose chunk of interbellum architecture, built at huge cost in 1937. Part of the "Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919–1939" UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main façade is adorned by the granite sculpture Three Giants (Trys Milžinai) that became a symbol of the Club. The second floor is the piano nobile with the Grand Hall, Hall of Vytautas, Hall of Dukes and Hall of the President, festooned with chandeliers, paintings, frescoes, furniture, and stained glass. It's now an events venue.

Display of Kaunas' turbulent times from prehistory to the present day, with an immense collection of weapons and armour. One poignant highlight is the remains of Lituanica, a modified Bellanca Pacemaker in which Darius and Girenas flew east across the Atlantic in 1933; they were 650 km short of Kaunas when they crashed. You can climb the tower on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Grandiose neo-classical building of 1928. Primarily a commercial bank, it has a small exhibition of Lithuanian banknotes and coins of the First Republic, and occasionally hosts larger art installations.

The Art Deco main branch of the museum was built in the 1930s and is next to the war museum. It showcases Lithuania's cultural heritage and especially the works of M K Čiurlionis (1875–1911), whose style ranged over symbolism, secessionism, abstractionism and romanticism. The building also houses the War Museum. It was designed by V Dubeneckis and is considered a significant example of Lithuanian modernist architecture; it is a candidate for UNESCO recognition.

Antanas Žmuidzinavičius (1876-1966) was a distinguished landscape painter but now is better known for his huge collection of sculptures of devils. Some 3000 of them are here, from around the world but mainly central European.

Striking modern RC church, completed in 1940 but suppressed by the authorities, so it was only repaired and consecrated in 2004. You can climb the stairs or take the lift to the rooftop terrace.

Dinky little whitewashed brick mosque and minaret built in 1930. The city's first Muslims were Tatars in the 15th century, and this patch was their graveyard, hence the street name Totoriu. It was their quarter of Ramybė Park, which elsewhere interred Catholics, Lutherans and Orthodox. Eventually a wooden mosque, imam's house and school appeared on the site.

The house of sculptor Juozas Zikaras (1881–1944).

In 1940 thousands of Jews from Poland and Lithuania were desperate to get out, but they needed visas. The Dutch issued many visas for Curaçao and their Caribbean colonies, but getting there became much more difficult when Italy joined the Nazis and closed the Med. The main escape route was then across the USSR to the Pacific. In Kaunas the Japanese vice-consul Chiune Sugihara (1900-86) issued hundreds of Japanese transit visas, blithely disregarding orders to conduct all sorts of checks. He may have saved thousands of lives, as a whole family could travel on one visa; from Japan they moved on to North America and elsewhere. His mission ended when the embassy closed, Germany crushed Lithuania, and anyone who hadn't got out was exterminated. Sugihara spent his later years in obscurity in Japan; his Kaunas residence is now this museum.

Within Ąžuolynas Park, this was renovated in 2023 and now offers a better experience for animals and visitors.

Two km south on the former Darius & Girėnas Airport, which now only has light aviation. The indoor exhibits (such as the flight simulator) closed during covid and have yet to re-open. So you can only see the outdoor collection of vintage aircraft.

Extensive gardens and greenhouses established in 1923 and managed by the university.

Kaunas Fortress was a military defensive complex encircling the city, with ten forts built by the Russians 1882-1915 to protect their empire from the growing power of Germany. But when World War I came, after 11 days of assault the forts surrendered, so the Fortress had impeded the enemy advance but proved far from impregnable. From 1920 much of it was demolished or turned over to other state use. The Ninth Fort was the best preserved and was put to horrific use during the Nazi occupation of 1941-44. You enter via the Exposition of Occupations which has the ticket office, and documents the wartime terrors, and the ensuing Soviet terror under Stalin. You then visit the 9th Fort and the 32-m-high memorial to the victims; the fort tunnels can only be seen by special tour.

By appointment only.

Built from the 17th century as a Camaldolese monastery, this is a riot of Baroque thanks to its Italian architects and sculptors. During the 19th / 20th centuries the complex was variously a military stables, psychiatric hospital and art gallery but restored as a convent in the 1990s. The main sight is the Church of the Visitation.

Skansen-type outdoor ethnography museum on lake shore, with traditional buildings brought from around the country. In winter their interiors are closed up but you can still stroll around the park. Dogs permitted on leash outdoors.

The house was built in 1932 for soprano Adelė Nezabitauskaitė-Galaunienė (1895–1962) and art historian Paulius Galaunė (1890–1988). The architect was Arnas Funkas (1898–1957).

Variety of classical opera and operettas in their original language.

Small theatre founded in 1976.

Mix of classical and contemporary drama.

Founded in 1980, they host a contemporary dance festival in autumn.

The concert hall is within the former Parliament House.

Shows for all ages and a museum of puppets.

The largest indoor arena in the Baltics, with a capacity of 15,500 for basketball and up to 20,000 for concerts. It hosts Žalgiris basketball club.

Large athletics stadium (capacity 10,000) plus indoor hall and sports science facilities.

Not to be confused with Žalgiris Arena, this hosts mixed sports and has 7 tennis courts, 4 of them indoor.

Flight experiences with small planes or gliders at Darius and Girenas airfield. They no longer have skydiving here: that's moved out to Pociūnai 30 km south.

Set on the shore of Kaunas Reservoir, they cater to water sports of all kinds.

Combat games on the lakeside site of the former 5th Fort, where you splatter your opponents with paint blobs or airsoft guns.

Combat games such as paintball, airsoft and lasertag.