We arrived in Warsaw in the morning and set off in our car for Olsztyn – our overnight stop on the way to Lithuania.
After a rest and nap we went in search of a place to eat and absolutely got lucky with the discovery of Ges I Zajac (Goose and Hare). The menu was unlike anything we’d find at home and everything was delicious.
While in the restaurant there was a torrential downpour, but it had cleared up by the time we left. We made a quick visit to the Basilica of St. James the Apostle which was built primarily in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Kaunas grew around a strategic location at the meeting of two major rivers. In 1408, Grand Duke Vytautas granted Kaunas city rights, helping establish it as an important commercial town.
In the late 18th century it became part of the Russian Empire. From 1919 to 1939 Kaunas was the provisional capital of Lithuania.
The Soviet Union occupied Lithuania in 1940, followed by Nazi German occupation from 1941–44 and then renewed Soviet rule.
Kaunas had a large Jewish population before the war, but during the Nazi occupation the Kaunas Ghetto was established and most of the city’s Jewish community was murdered during the Holocaust.
Lithuania restored its independence in 1990–91. Since then, Kaunas has developed into an important center for universities, technology, business, arts and culture.
We spent several hours in the picturesque old town with its very expansive square flanked by several churches.
