Hanseatic city of Kaunas

Kaunas

Welcome to Kaunas, the only Hanseatic city in Lithuania. It’s a city full of merchants, craftsmen, travelers, and amazing stories. People have been living in the confluence of Nemunas and Neris rivers for ages, and the legend of Kaunas is most certainly older than the first chronicles. We all agree, however, that the history of Kaunas begins In 1408, the year when Grand Duke Vytautas gave the city Magdeburg rights. The latter allowed the freedom of growth, and, in 1441, Hanseatic merchants established their Kontor (foreign trading post) here. Kaunas, as a member of the Union of Cities THE HANSA, celebrates this occasion every year in May as its birthday party.

Facts & Figures

Founded

Year 1408

Location

23.90448 latitude and 54.89821 longitude

Population

289380

UNESCO World Heritage

No, but Lithuania has filed a nomination case to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre to list the modern 1920s and 1930s architecture of Kaunas, Lithuania's second-largest city, as a World Heritage Site.