Kaunas

Sister cities

• Kharkiv

History

According to the archeological excavations, the richest collections of ceramics and other artifacts found at the confluence of the Nemunas and the Neris rivers are from the second and first millennium BC. During that time, people settled in some territories of the present Kaunas: the confluence of the two longest rivers of Lithuania area, Eiguliai, Lampėdžiai, Linkuva, Kaniūkai, Marvelė, Pajiesys, Romainiai, Petrašiūnai, Sargėnai, and Veršvai sites. Kaunas was first mentioned in written sources in 1361 and at the end of the 13th century the brick Kaunas Castle was constructed to defend the residents from attacks by the Teutonic Order. At the time only two brick castles stood near the Nemunas River (in Kaunas and Grodno), which was the main front line of fights between the Crusaders and Lithuanians. Consequently, Kaunas Castle had a strategic importance, as it prevented the Crusaders from intruding deeper into Lithuania and its capital, Vilnius. In 1362, the castle was captured after a siege of several weeks and destroyed by the Teutonic Order. Lithuanian rulers Kęstutis and Grand Duke Algirdas arrived to help the castle's defenders, but the castle was already surrounded by the fortifications of the Crusaders, and they could only watch the collapse of the castle. }} In 1408, the town was granted Magdeburg rights by Vytautas the Great and in 1413 became the centre of Kaunas Powiat, in Trakai Voivodeship. At the time, Kaunas became an important port and centre of trade with Western Europe, thus rapidly growing. By the 16th century, Kaunas also had a public school and a hospital and was one of the most firmly established towns in the whole country. The late 16th and early 17th centuries saw the greatest period of economic growth in Kaunas, which throughout the city…

Geography

The city covers 15,700 hectares. Parks, groves, gardens, nature reserves, and agricultural areas occupy 8,329 hectares. The city follows in suit of the country and is lowland. Kaunas is known for its landscape complexes of rivers and stream valleys as the city is located at the confluence of Neris and Nemunas rivers. In Kaunas there are 16 urban parks (Ąžuolyno, A.Šančių ąžuolynas, Dainavos, Draugystės, Kalniečių, Santakos, Vilijos, Nepriklausomybės, Santarvės, Marvos dvaro, Girstupio, Gričiupio, Kovo 11-osios, Neries krantinės, Antakalnio g., Sargėnų dvaro) which total territory is 1080 hectares. Moreover, there are three forest parks (Panemunės, Kleboniškio, Lampėdžių), three landscape reserves (Jiesios, Veršvos, Nevėžio), one regional park (Kauno Marios Regional Park), five teriological reserves, and one ornithological reserve. In Kaunas and its surrounding area there are 43 mineral deposits that are suitable for extracting: anhydrite and gypsum, sand and gravel, freshwater limestone, clay, chalk marl, peat, and mineral water.

Most-observed species

• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,067
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,177
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,047
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  956
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow

  Passer montanus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  806
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  765
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  750
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  738