Peter and Paul Cathedral
As you move from the main square of the Old Town to the main street of the area (Vilniaus gatvė), there is a large church right at the beginning of the street, known in Lithuanian as “Kauno šv. Peter and Paul Archcathedral Basilica ”. It happens and happens all year round, and usually there is a photo or art exhibition on the side of Vilniaus Street, which is the responsibility of the Kaunas Gallery on the other side of the street .
The most famous and significant Grand Duke of Lithuania , Vytautas the Great , was responsible for the construction of the cathedral., which ruled from 1392 to 1430, and the construction of the church began in 1413. The Grand Dukes after Vytautas also considered this church to be the main church of the city, as the church was one of the first brick buildings in Lithuania. Its outer shell mainly represents the Gothic style and the Renaissance, and the interior is dominated by Baroque elements. Inside the church is worth a visit, as there are nine altars, lots of all kinds of beautiful and precious, tombs and all sorts of other significant things. The most important parts of the church also include the famous organ, and there is also a chapel that is like a separate little church. You can go to see the church outside of church time, but there are a lot of occasions, especially weddings, especially in midsummer, so there is no sure access inside.
Vytautas the Great War Museum
In addition to the old town, the new side of the city center has a fair number of attractions, most of which date back to the 20th century. There are some attractions in the Žaliakalnis area, where the hill can be driven up and down the funicular. One of the most monumental buildings is the Vytautas the Great War Museum, which is quite close to the funicular . It’s just an exterior-looking building with all sorts of interesting things in front of it, but if you have enough time, it’s worth going inside to visit as well.
This museum building was completed in 1936, and since the beginning it has housed all sorts of things related to the history of Lithuania and this whole region, from prehistoric times onwards. Special emphasis is placed on matters related to warfare, and the museum has considerable collections of weapons, ammunition, uniforms, and all sorts of other war-related but also archaeological finds from different eras. In addition to the collections, the museum has changing exhibitions that bring out something new at intervals of a few months. In the courtyard of the museum there is a park with a monument in memory of those who died in the Lithuanian independence struggles in the early 1920s. The park also has bells that occasionally give concerts and an eternal flame.
The museum is open Tue – Sun from 10 am to 5 pm, and there is a two-euro entrance fee for adults.
MK Čiurlionis Art Museum
Just behind the War Museum is the city’s most significant art museum. MK Čiurlionis was a Lithuanian artist and composer who lived from 1875 to 1911, and in just over a decade he composed more than 400 compositions and painted more than 300 paintings. His art mainly represents romance, symbolism and art nouveau, and in this museum one can see his paintings and can hear his compositions. In addition to these, the museum has significant collections of Lithuanian folk art and other art from the 15th to the 20th century, usually material found in art industry museums, some foreign art and also old banknotes and coins.
There is a small entrance fee to the museum, and it is open Wed – Fri 11 am – 7 pm and Tue, Sat and Sun 10 am – 6 pm.
Kaunas Cathedral
Close to the museums is the city’s main boulevard, at the beginning of which, on the bus side, is one of the city’s major churches. St. arkangelo Mykolo bažnyčia or in brief “Kaunas Sobor” is in a square with an art gallery and more to see. The church represents the late Byzantine style, and its construction was started by Russian Tsar Alexander III, and in 1895 the construction of an Orthodox church began in Kaunas. The church was designed by Russian architects and its art was carried out by artists from St. Petersburg, but in 1919 it was converted into a Roman Catholic Church and given a new name (Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church). However, it did not remain a church, but had different roles in different decades, and for a long time it served as a glass and sculpture gallery.
Today, the cross has been restored and the building serves as a church, and it is an impressive sight, as churches of the same style are not met everywhere. The church often has concerts, which are perhaps the easiest to get information about tourist information, and there are constant art exhibitions.
Botanical Garden
The Kaunas Botanical Garden, or VMA, is far from the core, but it is a good place to visit for those interested in botanical gardens. The garden, maintained by Vytautas Magnus University, originated in 1923 and is the largest plant collection in Lithuania, located over a large area. Its greenhouses are also the largest in the country, and there are numerous events in the garden, especially in spring and autumn. You can read about people’s experiences in the garden on TripAdvisor
There is a euro entrance fee to the botanical garden for those who only want to see the garden, three euros for those who also want to go to the greenhouses, and it is open from 9 am to 8 pm.
You can get to the park from the center by several bus lines, and for example, lines 20, 35 and 35A run to a stop near it called “Botanikos Sodas”.
