Experience in Kaunas, Lithuania by Aiste

What is it like to live in Kaunas? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Kaunas is the second biggest city of the country, located in the centre of Lithuania. To live in Kaunas means to live surrounded by the nature, because it has many parks, where people play sports, and there are many rivers as well, so that usually, people spend time there. I would recommend this city for sure, if you want to see an old city which was occupied by the Soviet Union, and was devastated many times, but still can show fascinating views. :)

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What is the student lifestyle like in Kaunas?

I think student lifestyle in Kaunas is like everywhere else. Students usually have lectures in the morning till 4PM, and then they go home, but when Thursday comes we often go out to the city centre with friends and have a great time there (we usually go to night clubs). On weekends, students from other cities go home to visit their family and they come back on Sunday.

How much does it cost to live in Kaunas?

In Kaunas, prices are low enough if you live with parents, but if you come from other city, it is recommendable to find a job, for example, as a waitress or so on, because you have to pay for accommodation. If you live in student halls you have to pay about 100 euros per month. Food is really cheap, Kaunas also has many places for students to eat. Talking about night clubs, the entrance is usually free, so students can go any time they want. Transport is cheap as well (with the ISIC card), you just need to buy a card for 5 euros, and you can travel with buses all month for this price :)

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Kaunas? Is there any advice you can give?

For me, it is very difficult to talk about accommodation, because I live with my parents, but many friends of mine live in student halls, or they share apartments with other students. As I know from them, they didn't spend much time looking for a place, so I guess it's not difficult to find one :) I would suggest to join the group on Facebook: Ieškau kambarioko Kaune (that means looking for a roommate in Kaunas)

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

The food is very varied, in the shops there are many types of meat, like chicken, pork, beef and turkey (you can get it for a normal price). In the restaurants you can find a lot of lithuanian food, it is popular to eat dishes made from potatoes. There are also many italian cuisine restaurants with a large selection of pizza, pasta and so. Personally I love traditional lituanian dishes, for example, I like "Cepelinai", which is made of potatoes and meet, served with sour cream, you have to taste it for sure! For summer it is popular to eat traditional cold soup with beetroots, served with baked potatoes.

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What places would you recommend visiting in Kaunas?

I would recommend to visit:

• Monastery of Pazaislis
• Panemune Pinewood
• Valley of Kadagiai
• Ąžuolynas Park
• IX Kaunas fort, where many Jews were murdered (now it is a museum)
• The Kaunas Castle in the city centre
• Christ's Resurrection Church

Is it good to eat out in Kaunas? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

There are many places to eat in Kaunas, my favourite italian restaurant is called "Pas Paollo", this restaurant is in the city center, very good service at first, and food is wonderful, pizzas are very tasty, can't describe it with words. Another good place is "Rezisierius", they serve very tasty sushi and other Chinese food.

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Is the nightlife good in Kaunas? Where is good to go?

The only thing missing in Kaunas is good nightlife... There are not many clubs in Kaunas. The main clubs here are Mojo lounge and Taboo, but there is not much room. Here is popular to go to places like pubs, where you can eat and drink and dance at the same time. The most popular pub is Republic, it has a unique country style, and there they gather many foreign people as well.

What advice would you give future students heading to Kaunas?

To enjoy all your time during your staying in Kaunas, to go everywhere as much as you can, go to all the organised events to meet new people, take Lithuanian language courses (because it is always worth to learn a new language, at least the main phrases :) ). Travel all around Kaunas with other people and have a great time! :)