Laisvė  means liberty in Lithuanian. So it's Liberty avenue. Indeed, Kaunas was always a symbol of freedom in Lithuania. 
Laisves avenue is the longest pedestrian street in Kaunas and, perhaps,  one of the longest in Europe. Pine trees grew and a swampy marsh was in this place in the past..
​The first buildings appeared in this place in 1847 and it was  named Nikolaj’s avenue after the Russian tsar Nikolaj, because Lithuania was under the Russian rule at the time.
​The overall lenght of Laisves avenue is approx. 1,7km.  Furthermore, you can continue walking down Vilnius str. until you will reach the Old Town. 
For traveller convienience - museums, shops and coffees and also modernism interwar architecture: Post Office, Musical Theatre, The Bank of Lithuania,  Kaunas Garrison Officers' Club Building,The headquarter of former milk processing company "Pienocentras", former Ministry of Justice Palace.
Famous Polish-Lithuanian poet A. Mickewicz lived in the house demolished in 1940) which was located in current A.Mickevičiaus street, close to  Laisvės av.
You will meet many young people in the central part of Kaunas because Kaunas is an academic city with many universities and other educational facilities.  
Laisves avenue is  the most popular street in Kaunas. ​
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 You will find interesting attractions near Laisves avenue. Do not pass by them...
  • The former office of the bank of Lithuania​
  • Kaunas synagogue
  • The palace of former Kaunas governorate house (O. Kanto 23, built 1898)
  • Kaunas State Philharmonic is located in the former Palace of Justice and the Parliament The former House of Parliament (Gimnazijos str.3). The Constituent Assembly of Lithuania worked here in 1920-1922. The former gymnasium of Kaunas governorate that was opened in the 19th  century. Famous people related to  this building: A. Mapu, Oskar Minkowski, Herman Minkowski, K. Jaunius, poet Maironis.
  • Former embassies buildings (Kaunas - the temporary Capital of Lithuania  1919-1940)
  • As mentioned in various sources, the German cemetery existed in the 17th century in the site where  the current building of Kaunas District Court is standing (Laisvės ave. 103). The cemetery has not survived into the present.
The pedestrian area that stretches from the beginning of Laisvės ave. up to Rotušės sq. in the Old Town is long enough to spend all  day there.
Various churches, old houses in the Old Town,  many cafes in Vilniaus str. which changes into Laisves ave., museums, buildings of Modern period and more cafes and restaurants -  thanks to all these attractions and places of interest you will really not get bored.
Want to relax?   Go to Nemunas Island which is not far from  Laisvės ave. Would you like to see the city from the bird's flight?  - Take the Žaliakalnis Funicular Railway and get on the roof of Kaunas our Lord Jesus Christ's Resurrection Basilica.
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Kaunas had a problem of spring flooding for many years. Flooding was a result of excess water of  the Nemunas River. The biggest floods captured in photos occurred in 1926, 1931, 1946,1958. You can find a mark on the wall of the building of Kaunas Central post office  and  Kaunas Municipality. Imagine the level of water in the streets of the city at the time. The level of water was high and therefore walking or drive a car down Laisves avenue was impossible. Just to use boats!
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