The more advanced travellers have long stopped measuring their achievements by the number of tourist attractions visited. Kilometres walked or cycled, hours spent learning traditional crafts, local culinary experiences, appreciation of art, and the search for the spirit of a place are some of the components of the slow tourism movement. This movement (a state of mind, really) can be followed anywhere in the world—in Kaunas, too! Are you ready for a conscious journey that will help you discover new sensations?
Photo by Andrius Aleksandravičius
If it’s already holidays, why run around like you’re ready to be burned out? It’s much nicer to stay in one place for at least four nights, ideally a week. After a couple of days, you’ll start living the rhythm of the place, saying hello to the neighbours and maybe even picking up their habits. Local shops, neighbourhood markets, pubs, and cafés are discoveries much better than other Instagram-friendly bars that only serve trends.
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. Romuva also has its own open-air cinema in one of the courtyards of Laisvės Alėja, where films are shown after dark. It’s called Teatro kiemas (Kęstučio str. 62). If you came to Kaunas for just half a day, you would never find time for this, right? Besides, if you stay longer, you’ll catch a concert at the iconic Pažaislis Music Festival that runs all summer.
Photo by Andrius Aleksandravičius
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.
Photo by Andrius Aleksandravičius
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? If your vacation means no chores, look at the Kaunas gastronomy map.
We are very proud that five Kaunas restaurants have been included in the newest edition of the Michelin Guide. Your lunch or dinner here will take time, and your meals will be made with the finest local ingredients. There will certainly be time for deep conversations, too! Even before the secret agents of Michelin arrived in Kaunas, Dia, Arrivèe, Nüman, and Uoksas in the city centre, and Monte Pacis in the Baroque Pažaislis Monastery were highly appreciated by local gourmets and visitors alike.
Photo by Andrius Aleksandravičius
Photo by Arrivèe
Another way to discover the taste of Kaunas is to sip it. Our city is home to several kombucha producers, including Acala and Tealure. Not only can you grab a bottle or two as souvenirs, but you can also organise an excellent tasting session. Genys, the producer of hopped drinks in Šančiai, invites the curious to visit their brewery by prior arrangement. Skilled travellers may also be interested in the historic Stumbras spirits factory museum in the very centre of the city.
A contemporary Kaunas curiosity is a mill in a private house in Aleksotas. The granddaughter of its founder opened a café in the city centre a couple of years ago. Gently opened, the blue door of Bundu reveals the beauty of the cinnamon buns, and your stomach will immediately suggest that it is time to sit down.
Photo by Bundu
Fishing is a unique combination of sport, knowledge and meditation that requires careful preparation. You probably won’t get any tips from the silent Kaunas fishermen lining the banks of the Nemunas and Neris, but you can certainly learn from watching them closely. Of course, you can also fish in the Kaunas Lagoon. Check out all the permissions you need; Kaunas is full of shops for everything you could possibly need.
If you don’t fancy spending long hours at the riverside, why not pick up a paddle? Kayaking or SUPing down to the confluence of Nemunas and Neris on a summer evening reveals some spectacular views. Lake Lampėdis is also a favourite with paddlers, and those who prefer to sail usually choose Kaunas Lagoon.
Photo by S. Jankauskas
Kaunas, with a recorded history of almost 700 years, is rich in spiritual treasures that reveal the innermost recesses of the city and the human soul. This is why Kaunas is a vital pilgrimage stop, a part of the Camino Lituano, which connects the north and the south of Lithuania and is part of the main Camino. The bronze shells on the pavement in the centre of Kaunas and in the Old Town will help you to stop and consider your next steps. They symbolise the pilgrimage towards the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
As you travel through Kaunas’ sanctuaries, you will discover what lies behind the doors of the magnificent buildings and the colourful stained glass windows. For example, have you ever heard that Kaunas Benedictine Monastery preserves not only the secrets of Gothic architecture but also the canvases of the famous inter-war Kaunas painter-scenographer Liudas Truikys, which feature the twelve apostles in a stylised Byzantine manner? The canvases had been lying unnoticed in St. Nicholas’s church attic for many years. Find out more about this treasure on a special tour you can book with us.
With a good book, any journey will be exciting. And if you’ve already read yours, libraries and bookstores will help satisfy your literary hunger in Kaunas. We’re particularly fond of the newly renovated Ąžuolyno (Oak Grove) Library in a park; the building itself has a green oasis and even massage chairs (free of charge!). The Kaunas Vincas Kudirka Public Library, located in a former bank by the fountain on Laisvės Avenue, also offers cosy reading nooks. This library invites you to its reading rooms in Santarvės, Dainavos and Kalniečių parks in the summer - maybe you’ll be staying near one of them during your slow holiday in Kaunas?
We bet you will love the independent bookstore Kolibris, located in a cosy blue wooden house near Laisvės Alėja. It offers quality novels, historical books, a special shelf for publications about Kaunas, a shelf of foreign literature, and a couple of chairs to sit down and enjoy your purchase. Behind the wall is the pub Vingiu Dubingiu and its spacious courtyard, which also has a reader-friendly aura—just like the cosy little cafés of Kaunas.
Photo by Arvydas Čiukšys
For more slow joys in our city, visit the Kaunas IN Tourist Information Centre. Ask us anything that comes to mind—we have plenty of time to chat.
