The hermit beetle or Russian leather beetle is one of the rarest bee- Portraits of artists, writers, musicians, cultural figures, and their houses ...Or Arvydas Sabonis! After all, the most famous Lithuanian basketball tles in Europe. And you can find larger numbers of it in Ąžuolynas! are another, perhaps an even more varied way to get to know Žaliakal- player of all time is inseparable from Kaunas Sports Hall, and Sabonis’ We decided to dedicate the nature lovers’ route in Žaliakalnis to it, nis. You can spend several hours at many stops of this route. house is right next to it. However, pilot Steponas Darius brought many other sports from the United States that found their place in Lithuania. essentially, in Ąžuolynas, which is divided by street network today. Let’s jog around Žaliakalis together with one of the two pilots of Litu- ŽALIAKALNIS So, first, let‘s talk about what we call Ąžuolynas today. 19 KIPRAS PETRAUKAS (1885–1968) 30 JUSTINAS VIENOŽINSKIS AND MIKAS PETRAUSKAS (1886–1960) anica. And look around - there are so many athletes! (1873–1837) A. Mackevičiaus g. 27 K. Petrausko g. 31 KAUNAS SPORTS HALL 1 OAK GROVE (ĄŽUOLYNAS) 5 THE SMALL OAK GROVE In 1921, this artist had organized the Advanced drawing 39 42 NATIONAL FOOTBALL (MAŽASIS ĄŽUOLYNAS) The fact that after a performance the opera singer courses at the People’s House, which paved a way for the Perkūno al. 5 ACADEMY One of the largest oak parks, located in the terri- rushed home located on the street named after him says establishment of Kaunas Art School. Later he headed art Aukštaičių g. 51 tory of the city, in Europe (more than 700 trees) is It was in this arena, which emerged in a record time - The array of trees that you see when ascending Parodos almost everything you need to know about the popula- commission of M. K. Čiurlionis Gallery and contributed to half a year - (when many famous architects refused to much smaller now than it was before when Kaunas This is where the eyes turn when we talk about the fu- Hill, on the left, is the small Ąžuolynas, where the agri- rity of Kipras Petrauskas in the interwar period Kaunas. the establishment of Kaunas Art Museum. The Faculty of design it due to the shortage of time, it was finally cre- ture of Lithuanian football. In addition to talents being did not exist. Kaunas oak groves once merged with cultural and industrial exhibitions took place during the But there is more, of course. You can learn more about Arts of Kaunas College is named after one of the found- ated by engineer Anatolijus Rozenbliumas) that the most fostered here, city’s professional and amateur teams play Karmėlava, Rumšiškės, and even Kaišiadorys forests. interwar period (that is why it is called “Parodos”, which the colorful and talented theatre and music personali- ers of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association and we invite important basketball victories of the First Republic and here as well. A league matches also take place in the sta- The deforestation intensified in the 14th century, means exhibition in Lithuanian). During the years of the ties of the time, including Kipras’ older brother Mikas, you to visit it if you want to know more about the former during the Soviet occupation were achieved. That is also dium, so the spotlights are rarely turned off. Vytautas after all, the castles and ships needed to be built. A Soviet occupation, large youth dance parties took place at the branch of the Kaunas City Museum operating in Kaunas Art School. where the massive love for journalist, host of the show Narutis’ sculptural composition Celebration on the edge hundred years ago, Ąžuolynas and the surrounding here, with all the Kaunas residents present, and later a their home. In the World of Basketball, Vidas Mačiulis was born. Cur- of the stadium, in Petras Vileišis Square, reminds us of district became a prestigious place to be, get settled, library emerged in the park. Next to it, Kaunas Cham- rently it is under reconstruction. the first Lithuanian song festival organized here in 1924 and create. And a little earlier, several objects of Kau- ber of Commerce, Industry, and Crafts established the 31 ANTANAS SAMUOLIS- nas Fortress appeared here. Business Alley. 20 VINCAS KRĖVĖ- SAMULEVIČIUS (1899–1972) MICKEVIČIUS (1882–1954) RAIMUNDAS SAMULEVIČIUS 40 S. DARIUS AND S. GIRĖNAS Vydūno al. 47 STADIUM 43 LITHUANIAN SPORTS 2 THE VALLEY OF SONGS 6 LITHUANIAN ZOO (1937–1981) Perkūno al. 5 UNIVERSITY (DAINŲ SLĖNIS) Radvilėnų pl. 21 The memorial apartment of Lithuania’s universal classi- STASĖ SAMULEVIČIENĖ cal writer is in the capital, but he did spend a significant Sporto g. 6 Tadas Ivanauskas, the Lithuanian Indiana Jones, foun- (1906–1988) When the renovation is completed, Kaunas will be proud The first Lithuanian song festival took place at part of his life in Kaunas, where he taught at the univer- Vaisių g. 16 ir 16A of the stadium of the highest - fourth - UEFA category. ded a zoo and a natural history museum as well as pro- sity, did other jobs, and wrote. It is likely, that his novella We will not even attempt to count how many Lithuanian the other end of Žaliakalnis, in the current Petras vided these two symbols of Kaunas with residents. Some- The historic stadium was opened in 1925 in the marshy champions and their coaches graduated from this his- Raganius (He-witch) was born precisely in this wooden Anatanas Samuolis’ work White Apple Tree can be area of Ąžuolynas. Soon after that it was reconstructed Vileišis Square. It was the quarter, where the State times we joke that Lithuanian Zoo (established in 1938) is toric university, that operates in the Palace of Physical House was supposed to emerge. However, people house. You can find more traces of Vincas Krėvė - who seen at the National Gallery of Art in Vilnius. That ap- and in 1936 the first game between Lithuanian and Es- the place where most of the world’s languages are spoken eventually moved to the US - in the Old Town and Dai- ple tree that inspired the well-known painting, grew in Culture designed by Vytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis of culture did not think it suitable for dances and tonian football teams was played here, which Lithuania in 1934. Institute, academy, university - the names are during Christmas Eve. Only a monument to a vulture at nava, and Vytautas Magnus University has a classroom Žaliakalnis, on Vaisių Street, near the Synagogue. Later, songs sung by thousands, thus a picturesque valley won 2-0. In 1938 the first National Olympiad took place changing, but it does not affect the achievements of the the entrance to the zoo is silent. Of course, there is plenty this is where the folk artist and maker of the legend- here. Among the most impressive events held in the was found on the edge of Ąžuolynas. It was named to do on all the other days too - the number of events named after him. graduates. by composer and conductor Klemensas Griauzdė. ary fluffies and her son, the playwright Raimundas stadium were the World Lithuanian Games, the World for both the children and the accompanying adults is Samulevičius, lived. The playwright was often visited by Lithuanian Song and Dance Festival, the Baltic Sea growing. 21 PETRAS GALAUNĖ (1890–1988) the underground elite. Countries’ Sports Games, European Athletics Champion- AND ADELĖ NEZABITAUSKAITĖ- ships, the reception of Pope John Paul II, the European 44 FITNIE ACADEMY 3 ADOMAS MICKEVIČIUS U-19 Football Championship, our national team’s match- Sporto g. 3 VALLEY 7 HILL OF OWLS GALAUNIENĖ (APIE 1895–1962) es with French and Spanish teams, FBK Kaunas matches A. Mackevičiaus g. Vydūno al. 2 32 BALYS SRUOGA (1896–1947) B. Sruogos g. 21 with Glasgow Rangers. The most picturesque sports club in Kaunas? Most defi- nitely! It would be hard to find a better wallpaper than Right here, in Ąžuolynas, you can find the valley The most romantic hill, which allows you to see the pre- Galaunė family home - that is how a subtle building near In 1938, architect Vladimiras Zubovas designed a house the view of the old Ąžuolynas. Next to the sports club you of Girstupis stream that Adomas Mickevičius, who viously unseen faces of the city, was once called the Oak Mikas and Kipras Petrauskai home was called back in the for the writer on Ramioji Street. A decade after B. can find a beauty parlor, SPA center, healthy food lunch- had worked as a teacher in Kaunas for several years Hill. A new - and permanent - name was given to it by 41 KAUNAS ICE ARENA BALTŲ years of the First Republic and carries the same name to Sruoga’s death, the street was renamed after him and room, and tennis courts. and led an active cultural life, was fond of. It was owls that were put around the Kaunas Art School that AINIAI this day. In the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art’s then a decade after that a memorial museum was es- immortalized in the poet’s work Gražina and gained was built there. The author of these sculptures is Vincas branch filled with Art Deco, you will learn everything Aušros g. 42C tablished in the house, where you can learn everything ROUTE DARIUS STEPONAS the name of Mickevičius after the suggestion of his Grybas, a student at the school, at the time. about the first director of this museum and the pione- about Forest of the Gods and more. By the way, the writer 45 KAUNAS SQUASH CLUB beloved.