2025-02-06 Back to list

Kaunas Celebrates Love and Independence: What to See, Where to be?

Kaunas, affectionately nicknamed the ‘City of Love,’ is exceptionally vibrant in February. Even more important than February 14th, internationally known as Valentine’s Day, is February 16th.

Kaunas, affectionately nicknamed the ‘City of Love,’ is exceptionally vibrant in February. Even more important than February 14th, internationally known as Valentine’s Day, is February 16th, when our country celebrates the Day of Restoration of Lithuania’s Independence. To help you navigate the options of the festive weekend, we’ve prepared a list of recommendations.

Butterflies in the Stomach

It’s fun have something a little more lavish than your favourite pizza for Valentine’s Day. Monte Pacis, the Michelin-recommended restaurant located in the baroque Pažaislis Monastery, offers just that. “We invite you to journey along paths of experience, flavours, and poetry. Each dish is like a different expression of love,” reads the invitation to the 7-course tasting menu called 7 Gestures of Love.

Many other Kaunas restaurants also have special Valentine's Day evening offers, including La Papa Loca, Park Avenue, Mamma Kitchen Stories, Daugirdas, Miesto sodas, Medžiotojų užeiga, and Victoria.

For Culture Lovers

Since Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year, there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate the occasion surrounded by culture. For symphonic music lovers, there’s a concert featuring the young pianist Gabrielė Sutkutė, the renowned German conductor Markus Huber, and the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra at the Kaunas State Philharmonic Hall. The program includes emotionally stirring works by Edvard Grieg and Jean Sibelius.

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Romuva Cinema hosts two events on February 14. The evening begins with a concert by Domantas Razauskas and Saulius Petreikis. The Lithuanian performers, who have been improvising together for almost two decades, are known for their… unpredictability!

If you're looking for something a little more celestial, how about a date under the stars? Mokslo Sala (Science Island) invites lovebirds on a cosmic journey from 7 to 8 PM. Guided by a professional astronomer, you’ll explore real-time visuals from space observatories, marvel at the Andromeda Galaxy, and uncover the mythical figures behind constellations like Orion and Perseus. A Valentine’s night spent gazing at the stars – how romantic is that?

Prefer something a bit more active? Don’t miss the Valentine’s Ice Disco at Žiemos miestelis (Winter Town) in Darius and Girėnas Stadium! From 6 PM, enjoy open-air skating under the night sky, with music setting the perfect mood for a winter romance.

Later on Friday, there is a special event from the upcoming 30th Kino Pavasaris film festival, called Blind Date with Kino Pavasaris. A film awaits, the title of which you will only learn once the screening begins. A little about it: THEY, after 15 years together, finally dare to DO IT. But after the spontaneous emotions have evaporated and hearing the reactions of those around them, SHE and HE inevitably ask the question: is IT even possible to celebrate?

For night owls, the electronic music club Auditorija is also preparing something Valentine's-themed – the Ašaros (Tears) party will take place here on February 14.

For Eurovision Fans

Between two occasions of national importance, there is also a third, also not to be missed – it’s the national Eurovision final. On February 15, it will take place at the largest venue in the country, the Žalgiris Arena. Join the crowd and find out who you will cheer for in May!

For Freedom and Independence

On February 16, we will celebrate the 107th anniversary of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania. At 11.30 am, the festivities will kick off with a carillon music concert in the garden of the Vytautas the Great War Museum. Later, the ceremony of raising the flag of the Order of the Cross of Vytautas the Great will take place, as well as the laying of flowers and the swearing-in ceremony of the junior officers' training. An open-air concert will wrap up the official part of the celebrations.

Traditionally, on this festive day, the Vytautas the Great War Museum welcomes visitors free of charge and invites them to revisit the history of our statehood. Visiting the Historical Presidential Palace of Lithuania is also free that day.

The festive Sunday is also an excellent opportunity to visit the National M. K. Čiurlionis Art Museum, where two important exhibitions covering the arts of diplomacy and scenography will be open for the last day. The Kaunas Picture Gallery will also be open that day, inviting to explore Soviet-era childhood, as well as the A. Žmuidzinavičius Works and Collections Museum, now hosting a historical exhibition about fashion.

February 16th is also a great time to explore the kaunastic identity, and the best place for that is Kaunas Town Hall. It and all other branches of the Kaunas City Museum will be open on the festive day.

Folk dances are an integral part of Lithuanian culture. For those keen to discover this intangible heritage, the Kaunas Culture Center hosts a free concert, starting at 4 pm.