%ft%s4%cr%bLet's start virtual walk around Kaunas! and other Kaunas, Lithuania Things to Do Tips

TOWN HALL SQUARE (ROTUSES

AIKSTE)

Welcome to a walk or better to say a few walks around Kaunas. I started at main square of the Old Town that was Town Hall Square (Rotuses aikste). It was large square with interesting architecture, churches, restaurants and museums around. A place to see, to eat/drink something and to meet someone.

All a must see activities, I visited, where located either in compact and quiet Old Town or in larger and more busy the New Town. There were a few must see, I skipped both in the above area and outside. Read my first Warnings Or Dangers tip here for more, please.

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Directions: Clickable map of Lithuania (online) is here. Search Kaunas and zoom in to get detailed map with numbers of houses marked.

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Things To Do: White Swan

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Written by matcrazy1

on Sep 15, 2004

KAUNAS TOWN HALL

At the main square of the old town I paid attention to this high, white structure on my picture. It was not a church but old Town Hall (Kauno Rotuse, 1542) often called White Swan, a symbol of Kaunas. It was interesting to observe its mixed style of both Baroque (mainly), Gothic and early Classicism.

RICH AND (UN)FAMOUS VISITORS
The Town Hall during Russian occupation in 19th century was the seat of tzarist governors. There were luxary apartmerts put up inside for leisure of Russian tzar during his visits to Kaunas. Some rooms were hired for rich and famous visitors since the rail track reached Kaunas.

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Address: Rotuses aikste, 3000 Kaunas, Lithuania
Directions: From Minotel hotel: go eastwards Muitines gatve to southeastern corner of the Town Hall Square. The Town Hall was put in its western part.

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Things To Do: Wedding Hall

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Written by matcrazy1

on Sep 15, 2004

KAUNAS TOWN HALL (ROTUSES AIKSTE)

Nowadays Kaunas City Municipality is located on the main walking street of the New Town, at Laisves aleja # 96.

The old Town Hall was renovated and reconstructed many times in the past. Since the last reconstruction in 1970, it housed the Ceramics Museum underground and the Wedding Hall called after Soviets the Wedding Palace above. Well, I didn't see any brides and grooms although I was there twice on Saturday. Maybe I was at wrong time or maybe... they used to get married on Sundays or they skip civil ceremonies and get married exclusively in nearby Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul. Other visitors to Kaunas were more lucky, look here, please.

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Address: Rotuses aikste, 3000 Kaunas, Lithuania
Directions: The Town Hall was put in western part of the square.

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Things To Do: Orientation point

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Written by matcrazy1

on Sep 15, 2004

TOWER OF THE TOWN HALL

White and octogonal tower of the Town Hall was 53 m (174 ft) high that was the height of, say 17-store building. Well, old edifice had only 7 floors. The tower was good orientation point in the old town. Four clocks put below its top were still operating.

Unfortunately it was impossible to climb to the top of the tower to admire panoramic views of the old town. Top balconies were empty and ready. Maybe sometime...

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Address: Rotuses aikste, 3000 Kaunas, Lithuania
Directions: The Town Hall was put in western part of the square.

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Things To Do: Hidden excavations and wax

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Written by matcrazy1

on Sep 15, 2004

GLASS PLATE WITH EXCAATIONS

UNDER

There were some archeological excavations seen under this green and glass floor plate, on my picture. Unfortunately there was something wrong with that glass which became not at all transparent although was put in 2002, two years before my visit to Kaunas. There was information in English under the glass plate but it was not so easy to read it.

As I understood, the place was discovered in 1973 by Lithuanian archeologists and it was wax cupola from 15th century. The wax cupola was already mentioned in the privelege granted to Kaunas City by Vytautas Magnus, Grand Duke of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Here, wax brought from all parts of Lithuania, was melted into the so-called wax-stones which weighted about 14 kilograms. Wax was used to make seals in the past and was exported from Kaunas to other European states.

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Address: Rotuses aikste, 3000 Kaunas, Lithuania
Directions: The Town Hall was put in western part of the square, front to the east. The glass plate was put by the town hall, south-east of its front facade.

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Things To Do: Ceramics in beautiful cellars

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Written by matcrazy1

on Sep 15, 2004

CERAMICS MUSEUM - ENTRANCE DOOR

The Ceramics Museum (Keramikos Muziejus) was placed in beautiful, authentic cellars of the Kaunas Town Hall. So, except both old and contemporary Lithuanian ceramic art I could admire stone walls and vaults of the cellars there. I admired both :-). Add temporarily exposition of ceramic art by one local artist I liked a lot.

HOURS
Tue - Sun: 11.00 am - 5.00 pm
Monday: closed.

TICKETS
Adults - 3.00 Lt
Pupils and students - 1.50 Lt.

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Phone: +370 (37) 203572.
Address: 15 Rotuses aikste, 3000 Kaunas, Lithuania
Directions: The entrance door was at the southern wall of the Town Hall, right to the southern portal.
Website: http://www.muziejai.lt/Kaunas/keramikos_muziejus.en.htm

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Things To Do: White church behind trees

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Written by matcrazy1

on Sep 15, 2004

ST. FRANCIS CHURCH

This white edifice behind trees, on my picture, housed Church of St. Francis Xavier and Jesuit Monastery (Sv. Pranciskaus Ksavero baznycia ir Jezuitu vienuolynas).

Its facade was built in late Baroque style in 1666-1720 and reminded me many Baroque churches in Krakow, Poland. The church was closed during Soviet occupation and was restored to its original owners - Jesuit monks in 1990. Unfortunately the doors to the church were closed when I was there. Go there at time of holy service/mass.

The holy service/mass schedule:
Mon - Sat: 5.30 pm,
Sun - 10.30 am, 12.30 pm.

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Phone: +370 (37) 423098
Address: Rotuses aikste 7-9, 3000 Kaunas, Lithuania
Directions: At southern part of the Town Hall Square (Rotuses aikste).
Website: http://www.inyourpocket.com/lithuania/kaunas/en/venue?id=LIKUENW0005

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Things To Do: Jesuits in Kaunas

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Written by matcrazy1

on Sep 15, 2004

JESUIT PROPERTIES IN KAUNAS

Jesuits, the Society of Jesus, is a religious order (for guys) in the Roman Catholic Church founded by Spanish cleric Saint Ignatius Loyola (1481-1556) and officially confirmed by Pope Paul III in 1540. They came to Lithuania before 1570 and put important role in Lithuanian and Kaunas history especially on field of education. Schools and colleges run by them were among the best that time. They founded the Jesuit college in 1649 in Kaunas.

Kaunas Jesuit College and since 1924 High School (Kauno Jezuitu Gimnazija) were located in these buildings of the Church of St. Francis Xavier and Jesuit Monastery on my picture. The front facade of the church looked quite different and better than the backside. Surprized?

No wonder, the construction in late Baroque style started in 1666, but this complex of buildings was destroyed by fires a few times. In 1825 it was turned into the Alexander Nevski orthodox church. Then, after World War I, the buildings were returned to the Jesuits and from 1962 they belonged to a vocational school and were given back to the believers in 1990.

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Phone: +370 (37) 42 30 98
Address: Rotuses aikste 9, 3000 Kaunas, Lithuania
Directions: South of the Town Hall Square (Rotuses aikste). From its southeastern corner walk southwards Aleksoto gatve (street) and look to your right.
Website: http://www.jesuit.lt/english/index.html
Other Contact: gvsj@lcn.lt

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Things To Do: Late and... Lithuanian Baroque?

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Written by matcrazy1

on Sep 15, 2004

LATE AND LITHUANIAN BAROQUE

Kaunas old town, in contrast to Vilnius, was not a Baroque city. A few Baroque edificies, including the Town Hall, were mixed in style. Additionally, all Baroque structures, I saw in Kaunas, looked different than Baroque masterpieces I saw in, say, Italy or France.

Look at facade of late Baroque church of St. Francis. It had few curving forms and no domes. Was it Lithuanian school of Baroque? Typical Baroque facades were highly decorated by sculptures, columns, and oval decorations. Look at Baroque church in Wadowice, Poland, where Pope John Paul II was born and baptised here.

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Phone: +370 (37) 423098
Address: Rotuses aikste 7-9, 3000 Kaunas, Lithuania
Directions: At southern part of the Town Hall Square (Rotuses aikste)
Website: http://www.inyourpocket.com/lithuania/kaunas/en/venue?id=LIKUENW0005

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Things To Do: What a sculpture!

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Written by matcrazy1

on Sep 15, 2004

WELL AND SCULPTURE