Kaunas, Lithuania is a very interesting and beautiful city. I was so amazed at how romantic and almost magical the city was. There has been so much that has happened there and the people of Kaunas have been through a very rough history. But still it is so charming and sweet like out of an old movie, but with new characters (extremely well-dressed characters from today).

Kaunas, Lithuania’s history…

According to legend there town of Kaunas was founded in 1030 and was first officially mentioned in written sources in 1361. Though the birth of the town can be debated as to when it actually happened, Kaunas was always a place that people wanted to fight for. It is located at the intersection of two large rivers and trade routes so it began to really gain prominence in the fifteenth century.

Fast forward a few centuries (and more than a few occupations by other countries and a whole lot of destruction to the city, many times over) to 1919 when the Russian Bolsheviks occupied Vilnius, the Lithuanian government moved to Kaunas and made it its main office. Then later when Vilnius was seized by Poland, Kaunas became the temporary capitol of Lithuania. That lasted until 1939. And if that wasn’t enough, then (I’m just going to quote this part from wikipedia because they say it better than I can) “Kaunas became the interim capitol of the Lithuanian government, a position it held until 1939, when Poland was partitioned between Nazi Germany and the USSR. Stalin returned Vilnius to Lithuania, and the process of moving the capital was initiated. Before it was complete, however, the whole country was occupied by the Soviet Union.”

Then between the two world wars, Kaunas boomed. It was the largest city in Lithuania and was prospering. They paved all of the streets and changed the horse drawn carriages to modern bus systems, built bridges and parks, there were thousands of new buildings built, libraries and schools and so much more. They were really doing great after the rough history the city had endured.

The annexation of Kaunas by the Soviet Union happened on June 14, 1941. This fateful day was the beginning of “mass arrests, executions and deportations of townspeople to Siberia and other parts of Russia.” Then the Germans invaded the USSR and in Kaunas there was an uprising. The Lithuanians were able to again claim their very short-lived independence again on June 23, 1941.

To make a long story short from what I understand after 1941 they were invaded by the Germans which was a tragedy that wiped out Kaunas’ rich Jewish population at once. When they were first occupied by the Soviet Union the Jewish community almost disappeared overnight. Then when the German organized insurgents came after that they murdered hundreds more Jews in Kaunas.

Once the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania again, they remained until 1991. And as for what has happened since, I cant seem to find any good info on the web about it. It’s very interesting.

My experience of Kaunas really reflects the tragic history of the city. It is beautiful and romantic in a very haunted way. The homes are beautiful and the architecture is amazing, but all very haunted. While I was in Kaunas I did not know all of this (because I learned most while writing this post) and it makes so much sense of my experience there. There is a feeling of something that you cant quite put your finger on. It’s like there is something in the air.

I know I say “haunted” but I don’t want you to think of that in a scary or negative way. It’s just the best way to describe the feeling that you get there, while walking around the town. It is such a unique city that if you ever have the chance, I would highly request visiting.

The city center is (I am told) the longest pedestrian street in Europe. It is lined with trees down the center and you can see the church’s domes at the end. I visited the third largest shopping mall in Kaunas called the “Akropolis”. And I have to say how impressed I was for a place with such a devastating history to be thriving so well. This mall really was amazing. Even here in Norway, there is nothing even close.

The Akropolis had four levels, a bowling alley, movie theatres, grocery stores, and an ice rink. It was just as modern as any mall in Los Angeles that I’ve seen but way bigger. One day we went shopping (because the prices of things in Lithuania kick Norways behind, so we were stocking up on everything) and I felt like I had run a marathon by the time we were done. I was so sore the next day, and we did not even see half of it. The mall in Kaunas is a shoppers paradise!

The home of my friend that I stayed in while in Kaunas (which is where I was most of my time in Lithuania) was a beautiful mansion in one of the wealthiest parts of town before the occupation of the Soviet Union. It is on the hill directly above the city center with the woods around it. There are some huge stairs that go from the few houses up in the hills down to the city center through the woods that while I was there, were covered in golden leaves and was so beautiful. I kept telling my friend that it was so gorgeous but something felt a little haunted about the place we were staying in. He told me that the apartment that we were staying in (which is the bottom two floors of a big old house) was a part of a mansion that belonged to a successful Doctor and his family who were Jewish. When the city was occupied in the 1940’s, the Doctor and his whole family were taken away and the house was sectioned off into apartments. I know it sounds spooky, but its more of a tragic feeling that you get. It really feels like you can still feel these people around in a way and being terrorized and having their lives destroyed and many times ended. In those woods there really is something in the air, you can feel it. And like I said, at the same time the beauty amazes you.

For more about my trip to Lithuania:

• Lithuania - The Introduction
• Lithuania - Trakai Island Castle
• Lithuania - The Food & Drinks