More time in one place
Getting used to the place also means more time for art. Try spending three hours at the National M. K. Čiurlionis Museum of Art – it’s bound to change you for the better. A visit to the Art Deco or Amsterdam School museums and a host of writers’ and artists’ houses turned museums guarantee a journey into a wonderful past of Kaunas, once known as the Little Paris or even the Casablanca of the North.
Additionally, one has to find time for concerts or even cinema screenings on holidays. The historic Romuva cinema and its arthouse repertoire (as well as the champagne bar that has just opened in the cinema’s basement) are at your service. During the warm season, Romuva brings movies to life under the stars in its own open-air cinema, nestled in the charming Teatro Kiemas courtyard on Laisvės Alėja (Kęstučio St. 62).
Slowing down the city tempo
Shinrin yoku is the ancient Japanese relaxation process, also called forest bathing, which has become increasingly common in the last few years – especially during the pandemic, when people realised the benefits and advantages of nature. You won’t need a swimsuit, though – the baths are waterless, and the ‘water’ one would imagine is the greenery around you. This meditation-like practice in the woods or the park activates the senses and brings the mind and attention to the present moment. You can experiment on your own, or you can book a session with a nature therapy guide. After all, you can study nature therapy at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences in Kaunas.
Kaunas is a magnificent city that is good for long walks and has over a dozen parks and urban forests. The centrally located yet ancient Oak Grove (Ąžuolynas) inspires with its tranquillity, while the Panemunės Šilas suggests lovely spots for breathing sessions and meditation.
Feel Kaunas as a local
Fast food is for fast travellers, and we’re not like that. Maybe you’ll pick up some garden produce at the farmers’ market and prepare a fresh salad or a generous stew yourself? You can also have lunch in Kaunas in a vintage trolleybus parked in Vilijampolė (14 stotelė/Stop 14)) or on a terrace overlooking the Christ’s Resurrection Basilica (Kuhne) or Kaunas Castle (Brastos skveras/Brasta Square). Why not try cepelinai in an old canteen on Laisvės Avenue, famous for its authentic interior? Local vegetarians or health food seekers flock to the centrally located spot called Žalia Pupa (Green Been) or the legendary Vilties pharmacy tea room.
Laisvės Alėja and Vilniaus Street are full of trendy bars, but sometimes it’s worth turning to narrower side streets to get the true city vibe. In the very centre, on A. Mickevičiaus Street, the courtyard of a blue house covered in vines, is a summer gathering place for the local cultural and academic crowd, who cram into the same house in winter. Vingiu Dubingiu pours craft beer from Lithuania and neighbouring countries, and behind the wall is a small indie bookstore.
Another seemingly secret venue is O Kodėl Ne? (And Why Not?) – a truly authentic spot, located on the railway tracks in the former stationmaster’s house, where music, stand-up, contemporary art, and tattoo machines buzz to the same beat.
