Kaunas

9th Fort Museum

Kaunas Fortress was a military defensive complex encircling the city, with ten forts built by the Russians 1882-1915 to protect their empire from the growing power of Germany. But when World War I came, after 11 days of assault the forts surrendered, so the Fortress had impeded the enemy advance but proved far from impregnable. From 1920 much of it was demolished or turned over to other state use. The Ninth Fort was the best preserved and was put to horrific use during the Nazi occupation of 1941-44. You enter via the Exposition of Occupations which has the ticket office, and documents the wartime terrors, and the ensuing Soviet terror under Stalin. You then visit the 9th Fort and the 32-m-high memorial to the victims; the fort tunnels can only be seen by special tour.

Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00·Adult €8, conc €4, child 0-6 free

Akropolis

Mall in a 4-storey building near bus and train stations, next to the Žalgirio Arena. Lots of retailers, restaurants and cafés, casino and multiplex cinema, pharmacy. Has a multi-story parking lot.

Daily, shops 10:00-21:00, restaurants 10:00-22:00, supermarket and pharmacy 08:00-22:00

Aleksotas Funicular

At the south end of Vytautas bridge is this 133 m funicular, built in 1935 to connect the Old Town with Aleksotas district up the hill. It runs every 10 minutes with a midday lunch break.

Daily 07:00-12:00, 13:00-19:00·Adult €1

Arena Pizza

Offers a huge range of pizzas and side dishes at good prices.

Mon-Thu 11:00-00:00, Fri-Sun 12:00-00:00

Aura Dance Theatre

Founded in 1980, they host a contemporary dance festival in autumn.

Avilys

A great place to get a beer, all home brewed. The restaurant serves beer-based dishes such as soups and desserts.

Daily 12:00-00:00

Bank of Lithuania

Grandiose neo-classical building of 1928. Primarily a commercial bank, it has a small exhibition of Lithuanian banknotes and coins of the First Republic, and occasionally hosts larger art installations.

Mon-Fri 08:30-15:30

Bokštas

Bajorkiemis City

"Bokštas" means tower, as it's on the city wall near the Music Theatre. European cuisine.

Sun-Thu 10:00-22:00, Fri Sat 11:00-00:00

Cathedral of Sts Peter & Paul

This is first documented in 1413, in the reign of Vytautas the Great, but construction dragged on to 1624, nicely in time to get smashed up by the Russians and Swedes. It's 84 m long by 34 m wide and mostly red-brick Gothic, but refurbishment added Renaissance and Baroque features. It was promoted to a cathedral in 1895: notable burials include bishop and author Motiejus Valančius (1801-1875), poet Jonas Mačiulis (1862-1932) and Cardinal Vincentas Sladkevičius (1920-2000).

Daily 08:00-19:00·Free

Choral Synagogue

Built in 1872 in reformist decorative style, though the façade looks neo-baroque. It remains in use, hours erratic, with a display of rabbis' paintings on the second floor.

Church of St George

A wooden church was built outside the castle in 1471, then rebuilt in Gothic redbrick from 1492. It's been much bashed about over the years.

24 hours

Church of St Michael the Archangel

Garrison Church; Soboras

This beautiful domed building closes off the prospect down Laisvės Aleja. Opened in 1895, it was built in neo-Byzantine style for Russian soldiers based here, and to remind the townsfolk who was in charge. However the main reason to visit is the Catacombs (accessible M-F 10:00-14:00). You descend a spiral staircase into total darkness then feel your way through an underground obstacle course, eventually re-ascending a similar staircase into the light. It started out as an art installation but is now run by the Museum for the Blind, donations welcome. Not for the fainthearted, small children or anyone with difficulty moving around.

Church of Vytautas the Great

Church of the Assumption of Holy Virgin Mary

Gothic redbrick church built in 1400 for the Franciscan monks. It's suffered repeatedly from river floods, occupying armies and religious upheavals, but since 1919 has been Roman Catholic.

24 hours

Church of the Resurrection

Striking modern RC church, completed in 1940 but suppressed by the authorities, so it was only repaired and consecrated in 2004. You can climb the stairs or take the lift to the rooftop terrace.

Daily 10:30-18:00

Dariaus and Girėno Sports Complex

Large athletics stadium (capacity 10,000) plus indoor hall and sports science facilities.

Devils' Museum

Antanas Žmuidzinavičius (1876-1966) was a distinguished landscape painter but now is better known for his huge collection of sculptures of devils. Some 3000 of them are here, from around the world but mainly central European.

Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00 (Thu until 19:00)·Adult €8

Evangelic Lutheran Church

Small church at the north end of Vytautus bridge built in 1682-83 in Baroque style.

Galaunė House-Museum

The house was built in 1932 for soprano Adelė Nezabitauskaitė-Galaunienė (1895–1962) and art historian Paulius Galaunė (1890–1988). The architect was Arnas Funkas (1898–1957).

Gemstones Museum

Small private museum with rare minerals and precious stones from around the world.

Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-16:00·Adult €2

Historical Presidential Palace

Lithuania was first independent from 1918 until 1940, when the Soviets crushed the "First Republic". This neo-baroque palace was home to its presidents. It houses furniture, artwork and other material from the period.

Tue Wed Fri–Sun 10:00-17:00, Thu 11:00-19:00·Adult €5, conc €2.50

House of Sugihara

Diplomats for Life

In 1940 thousands of Jews from Poland and Lithuania were desperate to get out, but they needed visas. The Dutch issued many visas for Curaçao and their Caribbean colonies, but getting there became much more difficult when Italy joined the Nazis and closed the Med. The main escape route was then across the USSR to the Pacific. In Kaunas the Japanese vice-consul Chiune Sugihara (1900-86) issued hundreds of Japanese transit visas, blithely disregarding orders to conduct all sorts of checks. He may have saved thousands of lives, as a whole family could travel on one visa; from Japan they moved on to North America and elsewhere. His mission ended when the embassy closed, Germany crushed Lithuania, and anyone who hadn't got out was exterminated. Sugihara spent his later years in obscurity in Japan; his Kaunas residence is now this museum.

Adult €10, child or conc €5

Kaunas Aeroclub

Flight experiences with small planes or gliders at Darius and Girenas airfield. They no longer have skydiving here: that's moved out to Pociūnai 30 km south.

Kaunas Botanical Garden

Extensive gardens and greenhouses established in 1923 and managed by the university.

Daily 09:00-21:00·Adult €6, conc or child €3

Kaunas Castle

The first castle was built mid-14th century at the confluence of the rivers Nemunas and Neris. It was destroyed in 1401 and the new castle was constructed in the 15th and 16th centuries. It is the oldest building in Kaunas. Today the round tower houses an art gallery, and the castle hosts occasional festivals. The tip of the confluence is Santakos Park.

Sep-May: Tue-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-17:00; Jun-Aug: Tue-Sat 10:00-18:00, Sun 10:00-16:00·Adult €4, conc €2, child free

Kaunas Mosque

Dinky little whitewashed brick mosque and minaret built in 1930. The city's first Muslims were Tatars in the 15th century, and this patch was their graveyard, hence the street name Totoriu. It was their quarter of Ramybė Park, which elsewhere interred Catholics, Lutherans and Orthodox. Eventually a wooden mosque, imam's house and school appeared on the site.

Fri 12:00-23:00, Sat-Thu 13:30-23:00

Kaunas Yacht Club

Set on the shore of Kaunas Reservoir, they cater to water sports of all kinds.

Kauno Alus Brewery

Tours available. They also have a taproom at Laisvės al 21 in front of St Michael Cathedral.

Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00

LLB Museum

Skansen-type outdoor ethnography museum on lake shore, with traditional buildings brought from around the country. In winter their interiors are closed up but you can still stroll around the park. Dogs permitted on leash outdoors.

Daily May-Sep 10:00-18:00, Oct-Apr 10:00-16:00·Adult €10, conc or child €5

Legionas Paintball Club

Combat games on the lakeside site of the former 5th Fort, where you splatter your opponents with paint blobs or airsoft guns.

Mon-Sat 11:00-18:00

Lithuanian Officers' Palace

Grandiose chunk of interbellum architecture, built at huge cost in 1937. Part of the "Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919–1939" UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main façade is adorned by the granite sculpture Three Giants (Trys Milžinai) that became a symbol of the Club. The second floor is the piano nobile with the Grand Hall, Hall of Vytautas, Hall of Dukes and Hall of the President, festooned with chandeliers, paintings, frescoes, furniture, and stained glass. It's now an events venue.

Mon-Thu 08:00-17:00, Fri 08:00-16:00