Kaunas, Lithuania | A Return to Kaunas 2025

Just a year after our last visit, Susann and I returned for another summer weekend in Kaunas. In the summer of 2024, we had explored Lithuania’s second-largest city with Little A, but this time it was an adventure just for the two of us while she spent the weekend with her grandparents. It felt both familiar and new to be back; we were excited to revisit a city we had enjoyed so much, but also eager to discover new corners and experiences that we had missed on our previous trip. This weekend was all about relaxed exploration, good food, and enjoying the city’s unique atmosphere together without a tight schedule.

Our plan was to blend revisiting old favorites with seeking out new adventures. We remembered the long pedestrian avenues and the beautiful Old Town well, but we also had new destinations on our list, like the historic 9th Fort. Kaunas is a city that is remarkably easy to explore on foot, and we were ready for a weekend of long walks, no matter the weather. It promised to be a perfect short getaway, offering a chance to reconnect with the city and with each other in a relaxed setting.

An Afternoon Flight from Stockholm

Our journey began on a Friday afternoon with a Ryanair flight from Stockholm Arlanda Airport. The flight across the Baltic Sea was quick and smooth, offering a straightforward start to our weekend away. After landing at Kaunas Airport, we took a taxi directly to the city center, arriving at our hotel around 5 PM. It was great to be back and to have the whole evening ahead of us to settle in and start exploring immediately. The timing felt perfect, giving us the luxury of a full first night without the rush and exhaustion that usually comes with a late arrival.

Checking into our hotel, we quickly dropped off our bags, eager to head back out into the city. There is a special kind of excitement on the first evening of a trip, a sense of all the possibilities that the weekend holds. We didn’t have a strict plan for the evening other than to find a good place for dinner and take a walk. It was a refreshing feeling to be in a familiar city where we already knew our way around a little, allowing us to relax and simply enjoy the atmosphere from the very first moment.

A Cozy Evening in Kaunas

For dinner on our first night, we decided to try some Georgian food. We found a lovely restaurant along the main pedestrian street, Laisvės Alėja, and sat down for a delicious and hearty meal. The food was fantastic and served as a great way to begin our culinary explorations for the weekend. After dinner, we went for a long evening stroll through the city. Our walk took us all the way through the charming Old Town to the historic Kaunas Castle, which was beautifully lit up against the dark night sky, creating a picturesque backdrop for our evening.

On our way back to the hotel, we were not quite ready to call it a night. We spotted a cozy-looking bar with a welcoming atmosphere and decided to stop for a drink. It was an ideal way to wind down after a day of travel and a long walk. Sitting there and chatting, we found ourselves reminiscing about our many past travel memories together, from different cities and adventures we had shared. It set a wonderful tone for the rest of our weekend, offering a great blend of sightseeing and simply enjoying the moment.

A Day Exploring More of Kaunas

The next day, we set out on a long walk with a clear goal: to visit the historic 9th Fort. Our journey on foot took us past the Old Town and across the river into the Vilijampolė district. This area holds its own deep history, as it was the location of the Kaunas Ghetto during World War II, which added another layer of meaning to our journey. About halfway through Vilijampolė, the sky began to look threatening, and a light rain started to fall. We quickly ordered a taxi, which arrived just as the light drizzle turned into a heavy downpour, saving us from getting soaked.

Our timing with the taxi was incredibly lucky, though we did need to wait at the fort for a few minutes for the worst of the rain to pass. It was only afterward that we could walk up to the fort and enter the museum. Originally built as part of the Kaunas Fortress, the 9th Fort was transformed by the Nazis into a site of mass murder. We spent a considerable amount of time inside, learning about the horrific events that took place there, where tens of thousands of people lost their lives. It was a somber but very important and moving experience.

Back Towards the Center

After visiting the fort, we continued our day with a walk into the nearby Šilainiai district. This area offered a stark contrast to the rest of the city, characterized by large, Soviet-era apartment blocks that felt a world away from the historic center. We were headed for the Mega Shopping Center, where we stopped for a light lunch and strolled around for a bit. The shopping center itself was modern and busy, providing another completely different environment from the morning’s historical site.

We took a taxi back to our hotel to rest for a while before heading out again. Later that afternoon, refreshed and ready for more, we set out on a new walk. This time we tackled the many steps up the hill to the Žaliakalnis district. Our goal was to see the grand Christ’s Resurrection Church, a massive white basilica that offers incredible views over the city. It was a completely different experience from the morning’s activities and a great way to see another side of Kaunas before we walked back down towards the city center.

Another Evening Socializing Together

After our long day of walking and exploring, we took a short break at the hotel before heading out again for the evening. This time, we were in the mood for something different and found a vibrant Mexican restaurant for dinner. It was their impressively large margaritas that first caught our eye as we were walking past, and we knew immediately that we had found our spot for the evening. The food was luckily better than the drinks, and we had an enjoyable meal together.

We found ourselves once again on the main street, Laisvės Alėja, but this evening we decided against another long walk to the castle. Instead, after dinner, we found another cozy bar, different from the one the night before, and settled in for a second drink. It was a very relaxed and enjoyable evening, spent simply talking and soaking in the city’s nightlife. It felt like we were truly on vacation, with no rush and no plans other than to enjoy our time together before heading back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.

A Rainy Last Day in Kaunas

We checked out of our hotel on our last morning and were greeted by gray, rainy skies. We went for a short walk in the city center, but the weather soon pushed us to find shelter. Our walk quickly turned into a visit to an Italian restaurant for a delicious pizza lunch. As we sat inside eating, the rain that had been threatening all morning began to pour down outside. After lunch, the rain eased up a bit, and we walked towards the train station, with the sun almost making an appearance.

Our hopes for better weather were short-lived, and we soon found ourselves heading to the Akropolis Shopping Center to stay dry. Our plan to visit a large grocery store there was thwarted, as we discovered it was closed. This led us on another walk to the other side of town to find a different one. With our shopping finally done, we walked back towards our hotel, this time taking a route over the hill of Žaliakalnis. We picked up our luggage from the hotel and then, fittingly, returned to the same Georgian restaurant from our first night for an early dinner.

Returning Home

After our final meal, we took a taxi to the airport. While Susann relaxed and read a book, I stretched my legs with a short walk to see a little of the nearby village of Karmėlava. The airport itself is very small, and it was extremely crowded that evening, as a few earlier flights had been delayed. This meant there was a lot of waiting around with many other passengers. It really is a place where you just have to sit and wait for your flight to be called.

Eventually, we were on board our flight back home. It was a short and easy journey across the Baltic Sea before we landed at Stockholm Arlanda Airport. Once there, we quickly found our car and began the final drive home to Vagnhärad. It had been a wonderful weekend, a perfect mix of exploring a familiar city, discovering new things, and simply enjoying some time away together. We returned home feeling refreshed and with many new memories from our return to Kaunas.

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