Kaunas, Lithuania

Ted. After our long weekend in Oslo, it was time to move on to our next extended stay destination. Judy and I have never been to the three Baltic countries so we decided to devote this part of 2025 to exploring a bit of Lithuania and Latvia. We also wanted to make a short trip to see our friends in Białystok, Poland. 

Kaunas, the second largest city in Lithuania, proved to be the ideal base. There is a lot of history here and the buildings are beautiful. It is also strategically located with easy connections via highway and railway to the other destinations we had in mind. 

After taking a short flight from Oslo to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, we rented a car and made the 1-1/4 hour drive to Kaunas. Our home for four weeks now is a very nice Airbnb that is within walking distance of most local sites. We still have a car for more distant exploration. 

The day after we arrived, our long time Polish friends, Robert and Ania made the drive to Kaunas to spend a few days with us. 

Borders in this part of the world are notoriously fluid. Five hundred years ago, Poland and Lithuania were united into a single country. Incorporating parts of modern day Germany, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic countries, it was one of the largest kingdoms in Europe. By 1795, though, Poland and Lithuania had ceased to exist. The twentieth century saw them reappear but the borders moved repeatedly. However, the culture, food, language and traditions of the region have remained stubbornly in place over the years. It was fun to have Robert as our tour guide, explaining the fascinating history of Kaunas. I won’t go into any detail but Wikipedia has a nice summary. Judy and I look forward to more adventures in this small country with a bright future.

Flag of Lithuania