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The oldest and the main square in Kaunas. The central point - Kaunas Town Hall.
It was originally used as a market place of Kaunas. The end of the 16th century marks the beginning of construction of non-wooden buildings. The first main brick buildings were built after the Great fire in 1537 during which wooden houses were destroyed. The following buildings can be seen nowadays in the square: the Bishop’s palace, both old (the 16th and the 17th centuries, Rotušės sq. 29) and new (the 19th century) post office houses, several churches the Sirutis Palace (Sirutis was the governor of Kaunas since 1742) that was built in the 17th century in the late Baroque style (Rotušės sq.13 ), the Zabiela house that was built in Gothic, Renaissance styles in the 17th century and was owned by noble family Zabielos (Rotušės sq. 10), the Holy Trinity Church and Kaunas Priest Seminary, Museum of the History of Lithuania Medicine and Pharmacy (built in the 16th century, Rotušės sq.28), many coffees and restaurants. |
Commemorative plaques dedicated to Tadas Daugirdas, nobleman and painter of Lithuania, and to Vladislavas Starevičius, a pioneer in the puppet animation, can be found on the wall of the former Kaunas horse-post station (built at the beginning of the 19th century, Rotušės sq. 17-20, more info). The first puppet animation movie in the world was created by V. Starevičius in Kaunas (1910). The fragments from his movie can be seen on the screen installed on the wall.
There were 8 wax melting furnaces in the square in the 15th century. One of them is now exhibited near the Town Hall. An exposition of bronze casting furnace can be found in the yard of the former horse-post station.
Old houses (Rotušes sq. 1-4) that survived into the present from the 16th – 17th centuries. The houses were used for the trade purposes: as storehouses, shops, manufacturing facilities.
Museum of the History of Lithuania Medicine and Pharmacy (Rotušės sq. 28) operates in the old house built in the 16th century. The house belonged to Foltin Betker, the burgher of the town .
The first post office of Kaunas (the 17th century) operated in the house located at Rotušės sq. 29 (info in Lithuanian, use Google Translator). The house in the 17th century belonged to a goldsmith Hanus Zager .
The first Lutheran church, which stood at Rotušės sq. 12, was established in 1580. The church was ruined during the Russian invasion in 1655.
A pharmacy operated since 1609 in the house located at Rotušės sq. 1.
The house No. 23 was built in the 16th century. It housed winery, tavern and brewery . The building belonged to Kazimieras Kulvietis, the clerk of Kaunas district. The house was restored in 1982.
The house No. 3. One of the oldest brick houses in Rotušės sq. It was built at the beginning of 16th century. The city hospital operated in the building since 1634. The building was abandoned at the beginning of the 17th century, and later was restored. The building currently houses y a homeopathic pharmacy.
Commemorative plaque dedicated to famous Polish-Lithuanian poet A. Mickewicz, can be found on the wall of the Church of St. Francis Xavier church and Jesuit seminary, where poet lived.
You can look around the Town Hall square from a terrace of the Church of St. Francis Xavier and the Jesuit monastery. The terrace is open for visitors only during the summer season (you will find the entrance to the terrace through the door of the Jesuit monastery at Rotušės sq. 8) .
There was the town’s cemetery near the Town Hall Square in the 17th century, but it has not survived into the present.
There were 8 wax melting furnaces in the square in the 15th century. One of them is now exhibited near the Town Hall. An exposition of bronze casting furnace can be found in the yard of the former horse-post station.
Old houses (Rotušes sq. 1-4) that survived into the present from the 16th – 17th centuries. The houses were used for the trade purposes: as storehouses, shops, manufacturing facilities.
Museum of the History of Lithuania Medicine and Pharmacy (Rotušės sq. 28) operates in the old house built in the 16th century. The house belonged to Foltin Betker, the burgher of the town .
The first post office of Kaunas (the 17th century) operated in the house located at Rotušės sq. 29 (info in Lithuanian, use Google Translator). The house in the 17th century belonged to a goldsmith Hanus Zager .
The first Lutheran church, which stood at Rotušės sq. 12, was established in 1580. The church was ruined during the Russian invasion in 1655.
A pharmacy operated since 1609 in the house located at Rotušės sq. 1.
The house No. 23 was built in the 16th century. It housed winery, tavern and brewery . The building belonged to Kazimieras Kulvietis, the clerk of Kaunas district. The house was restored in 1982.
The house No. 3. One of the oldest brick houses in Rotušės sq. It was built at the beginning of 16th century. The city hospital operated in the building since 1634. The building was abandoned at the beginning of the 17th century, and later was restored. The building currently houses y a homeopathic pharmacy.
Commemorative plaque dedicated to famous Polish-Lithuanian poet A. Mickewicz, can be found on the wall of the Church of St. Francis Xavier church and Jesuit seminary, where poet lived.
You can look around the Town Hall square from a terrace of the Church of St. Francis Xavier and the Jesuit monastery. The terrace is open for visitors only during the summer season (you will find the entrance to the terrace through the door of the Jesuit monastery at Rotušės sq. 8) .
There was the town’s cemetery near the Town Hall Square in the 17th century, but it has not survived into the present.
XVI century yard
Former XVI century Neries street and facades of XVI century Kaunas house
Kaunas sightseeing tour
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A sightseeing tour starts and ends at the Town Hall square. It is possible to arrange Kaunas City Tour in English, German, Russian, Polish, French, Spanish, Italian or other languages upon request.
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