Where to stay in Kaunas

The Old Town is the oldest part of Kaunas, at the confluence of the Nemunas and the Neris beside Santaka Park. Kaunas Castle, built in the mid-14th century on a rise near the confluence, survives in part, and Town Hall Square holds the Church of St Francis Xavier and the Jesuit monastery.

East of the Old Town, Laisvės alėja runs through Naujamiestis, the New Town; it is a pedestrian avenue that Wikipedia calls the longest pedestrian street in Eastern Europe. Žaliakalnis, one of the largest residential areas of the city, rises to the north between the Neris and Girstupis valleys; its funicular, built in 1931, runs 142 metres up to the Basilica of the Resurrection, consecrated in 2004. Aleksotas lies across the Nemunas on the left bank, with a funicular opened in 1935 and a view back over the Old Town.

Since summer 2024 Kaunas has run a reduced-emission zone in the Old Town. Ten number-plate cameras on the approaches, on A. Jakšto, M. Valančiaus, Kumelių, M. Daukšos, J. Jablonskio, Kurpių, Palangos and L. Zamenhofo streets and on Karaliaus Mindaugo prospektas, record each car that enters, and signs read "Mokama zona 2 Eur". The charge is EUR 2 per entry and counts as the first hour of parking, so a visitor who stays longer pays only for the time beyond that hour. When it announced the zone in May 2024, the city said the charge could be paid through parkavimaskaune.lt within 7 calendar days, by bank transfer or at the office on Puodžių g. 24.

From May 2026 the Old Town parking zone between Santaka Park and Birštono gatvė, now including Town Hall Square again, costs EUR 2 an hour, every day around the clock. The green zone, which covers part of the central streets, Savanorių prospektas and since 2026 a wider area of Žaliakalnis, costs EUR 0.50 an hour on working days from 08:00 to 18:00. In May 2024 the city gave the red zone rate as EUR 2 an hour; which streets are red was not verified, so read the sign.

In summer the beach car parks by Kaunas Lagoon on T. Masiulio gatvė, by Lampėdžio ežeras and on Raudondvario plentas and Gervių gatvė charge EUR 0.50 an hour from 08:00 to midnight between 1 May and 30 September. GetCar's car rental page for Kaunas compares cars for the trip.

Kaunas charges a local fee for the use of its tourism and leisure infrastructure, the pillow fee, under council decision T-541 of 29 September 2015. The city announced in June 2024 that it would rise from EUR 1 to EUR 2 per person per night on 1 January 2025, and no change for 2026 was found. Children under 18, patients whose rehabilitation the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund pays and people with 0 to 40 per cent work capacity pay nothing.

The accommodation provider collects the fee, shows it as a separate line on the bill, and declares it through the city's system by the 25th of the following month. Since July 2025 that includes people who let short-term under individual activity or a business certificate, including through Airbnb or Booking. Long-term rental is exempt, but the city's pages differ on the threshold: one month or more on the e-service page, more than one month in the June 2024 announcement.

The green zone is free at weekends, while the Old Town zone charges every day. A weekend in a Žaliakalnis apartment with a car meets no hourly charge on green zone streets until Monday morning.

Non-EU travellers arriving from outside the Schengen area pass the EU Entry/Exit System, fully operational since 10 April 2026, at their first Schengen border. Compare prices on this page before booking.

A first visit on foot: the Old Town.

The modern centre with the Old Town a walk away: Laisvės alėja and the New Town.

A longer stay with a car on cheap weekday parking: Žaliakalnis.

The Old Town in view across the Nemunas: Aleksotas.