How Much Can I See On A Dull November Day? My Flying Visit To Kaunas, Lithuania...
Вставка
- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- This one isn't how it was meant to be. I had originally planned a good day and a half here, but my itinerary was broken by a non-existent train so I had to dash around this cool city with much less time than it deserved. It was still fun though and I'm happy with how much I ended up seeing. I hope you enjoy the video and thanks for watching!
Filmed on Monday 12/13 November in Kaunas Lithuania
Music courtesy of epidemicsound.com
'Berceuse 1' by Patrik Alikvisth
Thumbnail designed using Canva
This video is not sponsored and all opinions are my own
I don’t pretend to be a travel expert, but I love what I do and would be honoured if you came along with me. My channel focusses on the wide-eyed wonder and excitement of finding somewhere new, and my genuine reaction to it. You might not get a history lesson in my videos, but who knows, you might pick up some useful travel tips along the way, add a few destinations to your bucket list and hopefully be entertained by what you see. Thanks for watching, it means a lot to me :)
I do ALL of this myself. Planning, filming, editing, promoting, all with a weekly upload schedule, so please understand not every video will be an epic adventure. But my pledge is to always do my best in any situation.
Donate here to future videos: (thank you!)
www.paypal.com...
Or why not become a SteveMarsh Supporter?
/ stevemarsh
FAQs:
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I was born in Glasgow but have lived in Carnoustie, Dalgety Bay, Stonehaven, Edinburgh, Montrose, and further afield (Salamanca, Spain & Devonport, New Zealand)
WHEN DO YOU UPLOAD?
Saturdays at 10am Scottish time. Occasionally a bonus midweek video will pop up.
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE?
I film with a GoPro11 and my iPhone12. I edit on iMovie and use epidemicsound.com for music. I also use canva.com for thumbnails etc.
WHY DON'T YOU SPEND LONGER AT DESTINATIONS?
The usual suspects I'm afraid - time and money! Hotels especially these days make my eyes water like a true Scotsman.
WHERE'S ALICJA?
Alicja will feature whenever possible, but she has her own life and a proper job so it can take a while for our schedules to match up. Trust me though, I prefer it when She is there too!
DO YOU PAY FOR YOUR OWN TRAVEL?
Yes I do. I've only ever accepted a complementary ticket as compensation for a previous problem. All my opinions are frank and honest reflections of travel as I experience it.
WHY THE ADS?
It's my income, I can't do this for free.
CAN I CONTACT YOU?
I used to list my email address but felt bad not having the capacity to respond to everything so took it down (and I got a LOT of spam so missed many genuine messages along the way).
HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE CHANNEL?
Watching my videos is of course support enough, but if you'd like to support further, I'll pop links below for Paypal and Patreon. All kind donations are super-appreciated and will go 100% towards future filming trips.
DO YOU ACCEPT SPONSORSHIPS?
I don't like to upset the flow of my videos, so I don't even include mid-roll ads anymore (at significant loss of income to myself), so I prefer not to include sponsorships either. I'm open to a small slide at the start/end of each video, but I don't want to get into talking about products, it's something I don't like as a viewer myself (especially as a viewer who pays for UA-cam Premium). So it's probably a polite no, although all of this goes out the window if you offer me something which can give me the chance to make a video for my audience that would otherwise be impossible.
#SteveMarsh #Kaunas #Lithuania
Went to Kaunas and Vilnius in 2011. I'll always remember we were on the bus from the station in Kaunas and asked the driver where to get off for the centre. He didn't speak English but he rang his daughter who did and she told us! That's customer service.
Hi Steve. Thank you for your wonderful travel videos. I live in Australia and have travelled mostly in the Pacific, once to India and a number of times to the US, once to UK and once to Paris.
I look up the countries you travel to and so did some research on Lithuania. It seems to be a really wonderful country and the food seems delicious also.
My great grandparents and dad's father all came from various parts of the UK, and I used to read a lot of books by a Scottish author so fell for Scotland!
Best wishes.
Its amazing how genuinely friendly people can be towards strangers when the place hasnt fallen victim to mass tourism yet.
I made a quick stop-over in Vilnius this summer. Had about 36h there and I never enjoyed a city this much - I even felt bad to go asleep because I didn't want to miss out on anything. What struck me most in Lithuania was that it seemed to be so calm and respectful. Not overrun by tourists like me, yet very welcoming and kind. No litter, no trouble, no weird people. I cannot wait to re-visit it in 2024!
No weird people? 33:01 explain this square then. You cannot legally go there and cannot realize what is painted on the ground from the street level. (It's a man showing a tongue from an Aztec calendar) What kind of people if not weird does this? Also the street that goes uphill is closed every year for half a day so that people could walk uphill dressed weirdly preferably backwards.
Interesting video again 🤔
Hey Steve. My Wife is Lithuanian and we think Kaunas also has the edge over Vilnius. When you visit Klaipeda make sure you pop over to Nida. The sand dunes are epic and probably not what you expect at all.
Have a pint of Volfas Engelman Alus (Beer) for me. Cheers 🍻
You are right about Christ's resurrection church being art deco. This year Kaunas was included in Unesco heritage list for its art deco architecture. It represents interwar period, when Vilnius was controlled by Poland and Kaunas was the capital of Lithuania.
P.S. there's also Aleksotas funicular, dating back to 1935. It takes you to a rather scenic spot.
Thank you for a great video, thoroughly enjoyed it!
Steve, not sure how you do it. You take a visit to a mostly unknown city with no known sightseeing potential, that I had frankly never heard of, and turn it into a really interesting, delightful view and video. Your talent Steve is to show us that the joy of traveling and visiting new places has nothing to do with their size or their prominence. Anyone can go to big cities and see the main tourist sites but you show us the heart and soul of a new place that is more interesting than the "normal" tourist spots. Thank you. I loved your video today. Look forward to each new video.
When you suddenly have a few days off and no plans yet, just take the absolute cheapest flight you can find and you often end up in weird places. Thats a fun way to "randomize" your traveling and end up in places that arent very touristy and it gives you this amazing sense of discovery. Also, if its a more popular place, you can just take a random tram or bus or something and ride it to the end of the line and have a walk around or a bite to eat there. A place just feels completely different when you are the only "stranger" there.
Kaunas have amazing and also world famouse people like soho new york creator fluxus muvement and jonas mekas, jurgis maciunas and female feminist emma goldman
Thank you for your information. Learn things every day.
Good job, Steve, come on in the May - June period-is it much more to see...
I love it when you say the words..."this trip hasnt entirely gone to plan"...that usually means something special is around the corner :)
Lol
Oh dear, you made a huge mistake there Steve! That Georgian restaurant you were filming in front of when you announced to go to Hesburger instead is GREAT! Absolutely delicious food and nicely priced too. It is a must go place for me every time I visit Kaunas. Their menu is in English too, even got photos of most dishes in it. So if you ever come back to Kaunas: correct this mistake! 🙂
Georgian cuisine is not well known outside the former eastern bloc, but I agree, it is underrated.
Hesburger is interesting, too, though, probably one of the few hamburger places where you can have a burger in black rye bread buns. I tried them when I was in Turku, they were not too bad.
Kaunas is a living organism whose heart beats strongest at the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers, the mythical birth point of the city.
Thank you for visiting my hometown.🙂
But there was another funicular near where you were, in the old town, on the other side of the Nemunas River, just after crossing the bridge. From there, a panorama opens up to the old town of Kaunas.( 2 pre-war funiculars in Kaunas are the only surviving ones in est Europe.)
Will be an opportunity to return again.🫶
There are funiculars dotted all around Europe
Built in 1931, it is the oldest funicular in Lithuania and is among the oldest vehicles of such type in the world still operational@@JK_Clark
Everything looks so new, so current...on my trip to the UK cities there are a mashup of ancient, old and brand new all side by side. Kaunas looks to be so modern. That said, as gorgeous as it appears of grey November day, I would love to see it in high summer, or even in mid spring when everything is in bloom.
Well said!
Great video Steve, I was in Kaunas in August and can confirm it’s a lovely time to visit, with the opportunity for al fresco dining and beers.
Hi Steve.
It might have been a "dull November day", but we total enjoyed watching this video. Thanks for filming it.
Alty, I did get tired from all the walking. That city is definitely pushing for " fittest people in Europe" ...lol 😂
So many walkways, parks and pedestrian paths , and squares !!!
A visit to the Sugihara museum is well worth. A Japanese diplomat who saved 1000s of European Jews. A humbling visit. Also the MK Ciurlionis art museum is worth seeing on any day but certainly a wet wintery day.
I read about that Japanese man too!
It is detailed in the Holocaust museum in Vilnius.
What a beautiful place! I love all the gorgeous churches and town square.
Regarding 25:00 - it's quite opposite of river separation, it's actually a place where two biggest rivers in Lithuania (Nemunas and Neris) converge and become one (Nemunas overtakes, since it's bigger). It's pretty common destination for summer walks.
Completely agree about the parks. I usually travel alone nowadays and there is no point in spending alot of money in a cafe or restaurant, so I usually just get stuff from the local supermarket and eat on a bench in the park. Its always just the best place to take a break and just watch the locals strolling about without annoying noisy traffic. My best memory is probably from this park in Seville that had all these orange trees and quite a few overripe oranges lay there on the ground spreading this incredible smell. The bottle of wine and some local ham I had went down very nicely there.
I booked my flights for my trip from Riga to Sarajevo last week and planned to only visit Vilnius on my Lithuania leg but now I've added a stop in Kaunas as well. Another great video 👍
Excellent again from Steve. Amazingly clean looking, all credit to the local people.
That Kunas city hotel was a real gem. Such a nice location too. I am always so amazed at how clean all these places are. No graffiti or garbage everywhere. Loved it Steve, a always.
I loved this video Steve! I watched it twice. What a nice, quaint town. And I loved the churches ⛪️. Can’t wait for the next adventure ✈️ 🚌 🚂 🚶
Hey thanks so much!!!
The Baltic states have been on my must visit list since school, looks amazing, and clean
It was 11 years ago since I visited Kaunas, and it was around autumn. I met a friendly brit on my flight and we travelled to Vilnius and had a meal at the rotating restaurant tower and a bit of a pub crawl into the city. Prices were very reasonable before they switched to the Euro. I visited Lithuania again a year later and took the bus to Riga. Such a safe, modern and clean country. I also brought back a few items including cigarettes for my Lithuanian workmate.
What I noticed and impressed me was the paving in the centre of Kaunas, the cleanliness and the lack of graffiti.
The High Street in my town was changed to a single lane road with the pavements made wider, about three weeks after the work was finished they had the lift quite a few of the paving slabs again to do maintenance work on some of the utilities and, of course, the slabs weren't put back in a decent manner.
My parents went there on holiday years ago. Spotlessly clean and tidy. Your room looks alright. What an impressive white Church. Great viewing platform. Looks so different at night. Great video.😊
The Lithuanian aesthetic is a visual treat, good for the soul. Thanks Steve!
The last country I'm missing in the Baltic states is Lithuania.
Hoping to go there next summer :)
Great video as always 👌
I have never seen my hometown Kaunas filmed so beautifully. Great talent, excellent perception of the art. Amazing performance of the moviemaker. Bravo!
Thank you so much!
I have only been in the bus station of Kaunas on my way from Vilnius to Warsaw, so I hope I get to visit it soon. I definitely agree, Lithuania is lovely, such a calm and cosy vibe. Not sure if you've been there, but you should try going to Trakai - the castle, the lake and the village are stunning and it's just a short trip by train or bus from Vilnius. Next time you should definitely get a taste of Lithuanian food, such as cepelinai, kibinai or pink soup :)
BTW, all movies in Lithuanian cinemas are shown in original language, independent of what it is, with subs. The cinema you showed is from the inter-war era and specializes in art-house. The scene, however, is dominated by the large pop-theaters with 7-10 halls each, just like everywhere else.
Hi Steve from Ontario, Canada. Ever since Covid and my husband passing away I have been housebound. Watching your videos is just like being there with you. This is the closest I will ever get to fulfilling my dream to visit the UK. Thanks for doing these videos in all weather good and bad. Glad I don't have to walk in the rain, lol. Cheers.
Thank you so much for your kind words and sending you all my strength ❤
Another excellent video Steve, everything I see about Lithuania makes me think it would be an amazing place to spend time, the people the places the food ....brilliant !
Glad you enjoyed it John :)
What a fascinating place those statues looked great, well done for showing us around
Another gem, mate.
Gotta get more of the Baltics done soon. Such beautiful places and not too far away.
Brave of you to travel without checking
the basic words in the local language.
I always try to learn a few words and numbers
in the local language before I travel.
Lithuanian is one of those fascinating languages too
It has many many archaic Indo-European language elements.
It is said that a Sanskrit scholar can be understood
in rural Lithuania.
Fascinating video.
Poppadoms.
It's not the kinda place you'll get many instagrammers, sounds perfect to me.
Just found your channel recently and it's for this reason I think I'm enjoying it so much. Real world travel from a real normal guy. Fab work
That large church on the hill was an incredible looking building. So different from most of the churches we see in most of Europe.
Such a cool country with amazingly respectful people....that says it all 😊
Really enjoyed this Steve, thank you for sharing. What a beautiful place and so very clean. Xx
The architecture and street furniture really makes the city aestheticly pleasing (not sure if that's how to say that) Also the streets are clean, my dad would have approved, his favourite place to vist was Singapore because it was so clean. I always scope out the station before getting a train/bus in a new place when I'm there the day before.
Great to stroll around Kaunas with you, thanks for taking us all along.
Can't believe you visited lithuania again!
Wishing to go to scotland soon haha.
Nice video about Kaunas Steve. The city where I was studying, had a good moments there. Glad you enjoyed it, Kaunas have improved a lot since I lived there
Another quality video Steve which brought back some great memories as I visited Kaunas on November 2017. I totally agree with you. It was a fabulous place to visit with the old town down by the river and then the newer soviet style buildings encircling it. I stayed in the Ibis which is right next door to the bus station. I went and wandered around the castle and rode the funicular. I also went to the museum of aviation which had loads of planes on display, mainly old Russian ones. Would definately go back if I get the chance
No russian planes at this museum
Another enjoyable and entertaining film, but also practical, because Lithuania is on my list of places to visit, now sooner rather than later. Cheers Steve
Thank you Steven please return to this place its so lovely, very enjoyable and loved that little railway hill thing stay safe regards Doc from Down Under
Thanks, Steve for another wonderful video. Kaunas looks like a very interesting place to see. Wish I could see the place for real. I'm too old to travel anymore.
An interesting look at a city that I hadn't even heard of! Thanks for showing us around
What a lovely city. The church and park are nice. Beautiful at night, the bus station looks busy. The whole city looks lively at night. Your hotel room is nice. Just an all round beautiful trip.
Well as much as I prefer your UK trips out, I really enjoy these excursions to cities & places I will never go. Another great video Steve.
You packed a lot into your short stay. Loved the dancers on the wall near the end of the video. Now many of us will spend a 1/2 hour researching the city online. Thank you.
Very enjoyable to watch Steve, Looks a nice place to visit and nice buildings/Churches .
We went to Lithuanian last year to Klaipeda on a cruise and we love it so beautiful thanks again steve for the lovely video 👍
Oh I'll be there in the next video! Cheers!
Such a lovely looking city - and clean too! Many thanks for the tour.
Kaunas is familiar to me because I live nearby I know all the beauties and all the remaining Soviet trash. In the Soviet Union, it was one of the freest cities, but it was difficult for foreigners to get there Had its own alkali . Therefore, I mostly observed Steve's reactions and warm Nordic comments Everything is realistic, nothing is embellished, and I haven't heard anything bad. Like.
Thanks for taking us with you to Kaunas, Lithuania - it looks like a lovely city. I loved seeing the teenage girls in the background of one of your shots - teenage girls are the same the world over and it brings it home to me how we are all connected
A belated "Hi" Steve as we're just got back from our annual Christmas double header in Glasgow & Edinburgh. Kaunas looks great, especially on a night. It looks lovely lit up, a real gem 👍
Steve, I enjoy your videos so much because our travel sensitivities are so similar. I love to visit the churches, castles and the old towns. Additionally, I like to scout the stations and stops I'll need in advance to lower my travel stress. Kaunas was a lovely city and you did a wonderful job of showcasing it for us, thanks.
Thanks for the great video. It's always interesting to see my hometown through the eyes of a guest. I managed to show you several main highlights of Kaunas.
We look forward to other interesting trips.
Thanks for showing us around Kaunas Steve. Another great video about a town a bit off the regular tourist route. My daughter's ex-boyfriend was from there and we were planning a visit, but then they split up!
Very enjoyable visit to Kaunas, Steve. Traveling vicariously by watching your videos suits me right down to the ground! 👍
What a beautiful and unique place to visit!! Thanks for picking a great town and for taking us along. Loved it!!!
Nice video Steve. I think Kaunas definitely needs a visit in summer. There seems a lot to see and a two day trip seems adequate. Thanks Steve
Great video Steve, glad you enjoyed it. Kaunas looks even better in early autumn with all those leaves. Also there are still many places you didnt explore!
what a lovely looking place steve one thing i noticed how clean it was no litter anywhere far cry from montrose
Steve, your video in Kaunas, Lithuania (complete with music) is terrific. 'Nice job.
I went to Kaunas in a dull November a couple of years ago and I loved it. Problem with doing it in a day is that the city is really LONG, basically stretched out along the river and then up a hill. It isn't necessarily the most beautiful city in the world, but it is really nice and interesting. Shame you've left, there's some nice small places a bus ride away - Prienai and Birstonas.
Nice winter's sunrise over Scotland, love the frosty mornings. The Baltic states are lovely.
Ahhh, this reminds me of my first visit to Kaunas years ago. I had 4 hours between flights and made full use of it - to
the point that I almost missed my flight as the bus back to the airport was the slowest ever - we actually stopped at a pond to pick up a bunch of kids out for a swim and some of them were still in the water when the bus pulled in!
Anyway Kaunas is one of my favourite cities - going there again after Christmas. I never knew there was a viewing deck on that church so looks like I'll be going there then! Sadly the town has been getting more touristy in recent years (the Ryanair effect, no doubt!), I'd rather have it all for myself to enjoy!
PS. If that boulevard felt long it indeed is - they claim it's the longest pedestrian street in Europe!
PPS. There's a great tiny hole-in-a-wall curry house (I know!) in Kaunas which I always eat lunch at.
That looks like an amazing city to visit. So clean and quiet with an amazing array of architectural styles to appreciate. It seems we both like to do similar things when exploring cites. Find the water, find the view and when travelling alone, make the meals as simple as possible.
Thanks for sharing Steve. Kaunas looks a lovely city! Always amazed how you find your way around. Before you said it, I would've been in two minds about walking through a park at night, in a strange city, but seemed OK. Liked the vernacular! Good that you didn't show off, by lifting up that stone slab!! Nice one Steve! 👍
I've been to Kaunas a few times 15 years ago or so. I recognised some sights from your great video - other stuff could be new or I just didn't see it. It's a beautiful city and full of quirky stuff which makes it interesting. Vilnius and Klaipediai are great too. I'm sure the restaurants have menus that include English translation. Loved the Dodo joke.
The plaque on the bridge mentioned Jurgis Kairys, a Lithuanian Aerobatic pilot and Red Bull Air Racer - I believe he flew under that bridge at some time...inverted!
Wonderful post...totally on brand for Steve Marsh( going to the bus station in advance to make sure you know where and what in the morning).....almost an A+, but I was CRUSHED you didn't stop in a real Cafe Sunday night and take us for Cepelinai.....Hesburger?!?!, you have got to be kidding me. Lithuania is for sure on my bucket list...can't wait until your next post...Cheers Steve!
Fair point mate, I was knackered and lacking food inspiration I'm afraid!
Cracking trip Steve, looked a lovely place to visit and yes Summertime it would be a great destination. I have a feeling it would be a lot busier though 🙂
That dull November day in Kaunas looked very relaxing. Better than the tornadoes we had in the Nashville area today.
Oh stay safe!!!
@@steve-marsh Thanks Steve! It's one of the reasons I'm considering a move to Scotland - it doesn't have tornadoes!
Lovely video once again Steve, we always look forward to the Saturday morning fix :-) Beautiful city with stunning architecture, not to mention the wonderful park and churches, just wow.
Thanks for taking us here 🥰
Great video Steve so nice to see Kaunas it looks a lovely place to visit. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to the next instalment
Cheers mate! Off to a very Scottish place next time :)
Baltics again! What a nice place at the confluence of the rivers. I was there during the summer, and it truly is a pleasant destination. However, 50 euros for a hotel seems a bit steep for the off-season.
Tippical baby night instrumental music for the night life 😊
Really enjoyed the tour of the city. I love castles and this one was very nice. The churches were beautiful. Thank you and see you at your next city 🤗
Really appreciating your videos Steve - I was privileged to travel widely for work for many years, but that meant my visits were always fitted in around the main purpose of the trip: time-limited, somewhat haphazard explorations of fascinating places. Would often take a bus/tram/metro somewhere and walk back to the centre so your style feels really familiar, and I was forever making mental notes to return and explore properly! (never been to Lithuania though)
Thanks so much Dave!
Hi Steve. Such a fascinating city. Love the mix of new and old. It looked exceptionally clean. Stay safe. Thank you so much for sharing. 👏👏👍😀
I love what you said - 'I try to find the sea or I try to find the river'. That's absolutely the way to go, I try for that whenever it's possible. I haven't yet been to the Baltic countries but am very keen to get in those trains.
Wow Steve that was such an amazing place particularly the old town & the stunning church!! You are certainly wetting my appetite to visit so many places that you would not normally consider!! Thanks again Steve very enjoyable 👍
Brilliant. I've binge watched your videos over the last few days - and subscribed of course. Thank you for the down to earth vlogs with personable presenting from you - and Alicjia of course. Your videos will touch a lot of people because it's just how most of us would make the same trip, making them feel perfectly do-able.
Another awesome video Steve! Your videos are some of the best I've ever seen and each one surpasses the other! Looking forward to the next one!
I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this before but you should add a pair of Yaktrax to your winter kit. Makes walking on icy roads or paths so much safer. Enjoy winter walks instead of worrying about slipping. I use them often here in Montana, US. Thanks for all your enjoyable videos
Another interesting video thanks Steve. It would be interesting to see Kaunas during the middle of the week on a fine summers day. Looking forward to the next leg of your adventure.
I love "walking" along with you -- it is exactly how I would have seen this lovely small city if I had gone -- maybe would have stayed a day or two in order to "rest" in the vibes/culture. But this is wonderful. Thanks for taking us along for the walk.
Thanks so much :)
Very beautiful place, Steve. Thanks for taking that walk up to the church, some building! 😍
The funicular's English voice sounded like a spy movie - I expected her to say "Dooors opening, Mr BOND!"
Looks like a well kept place and the church was a stunner wasn't it? The trees did look good lit up😄
Thoroughly enjoyed the sights of Kaunas. The gloomy day was yucky, but with the lights on it’s beautiful. ❤😊
Using Google translate, I see that the sign on the bridge at 7:24 in the video says that "Laküna Jurgis Kairys was the first person to fly a plane under the bridge on 1996 07 04".
(I always wonder what the signs say!)
Cool !
I loved those pedestrian crossing lights on the ground.
I thought that too! We should steal these ideas :)
I love Lithuania, my partner is from there originally, I have been about 6 times now, mainly Vilnius and Trakai too.
Still need to try Kaunas and Klapeida, great videos Steve and like you say people are so well behaved and such a clean and safe country!
Fabulous video, Steve. Funicular was cheaper than Wellington cable car at $11NZ. Although Wellington was longer and has a couple of fabulous short tunnels that light up as the car approaches. Well worth a UA-cam search. Enoy your travels 😊😊
Another great video Steve!
Looks an interesting place…
Would be great in summer 😎
Keep up the good work 💥
Love your approach to these videos Steve, Great work. You're inspiring me for my own vlog channel.
Great to hear it!