London Stansted to Kaunas Airport
Kaunas is the second most important city in Lithuania after Vilnius. It served as the country's capital between 1920 and 1939 when Vilnius fell under Polish rule, and there are a number of museums and monuments in Kaunas that reflect the city's importance. Kaunas has an easygoing atmosphere, especially within its well-preserved Old Town.
Flights between London Stansted and Kaunas Airport are operated by Ryanair. The airport is 13km (8 miles) from Kaunas city centre. The 120 shuttle bus service operates between the airport and the city centre. A single ticket costs just 1LT (£1 is approximately equal to 5LT). A taxi from outside arrivals to the city centre should cost around 20LT, but you should negotiate the fare beforehand to avoid being ripped off.
Places of interest in Kaunas include:
- Ninth Fort. This defensive fort, accessible by bus from Kaunas bus station, was built by the tsar's troops in the late 19th century to protect Russia from German invasion. It was in the surrounding fields that the Nazis murdered around 50,000 people, over half of them Jews, during the Second World War. The New Museum traces the history of Stalin's deportation of many Lithuanians to Siberia. Within the fort is the Old Museum containing cell no. 5 where French Jews carved insciptions on the walls prior to being executed in 1944. Beyond the fort is a giant Soviet sculpture commerating those killed during the holocaust.
- Vytautas The Great War Museum. Vytautas was a Lithuanian ruler who conquered much of Eastern Europe in the 15th century. The museum which bears his name houses a large range of military equipment including armour from the 17th century, 19 century cannons and a huge collection of pistols and rifles. The highlight of the museum is the 'Lituanica' aeroplane in which two American-Lithuanian pilots attempted to fly non-stop from New York to Kaunas in the 1930s but crash-landed in Poland.
- Kaunas Castle. Constructed in the 13th century, Kaunas Castle originally walls measuring 2 metres wide and 13 metres tall. However, it was destroyed by crusaders during a siege in 1362 and a stronger castle was rebuilt on the site.
- Kaunas Cathedral. The largest Gothic church in Lithuania with its red-brick tower is thought to have been built in the early 15th century. The interior is notable for its baroque and Renaissance. Next to the altar is the neo-Gothic Chapel of St John the Baptist which contains the tomb of the important Lithuanian poet, Maironis.
- Town Hall Square. In the centre of the Old Town is this square surrounded by 15th and 16th century houses. The square is dominated by the town hall with its 53 metre tall tower. Built between the 16th and 18th centuries, the hall features a range of architectural styles. Next to the town hall is a statue of the poet Maironis. On the southern side of the square is a 17th century Jesuit church. The church was originally part of a larger monastery complex and has fulfilled a number of different roles during its history.
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