Aukštaičių g. 39 12 km 33 6 km 10 9 5 km 4 km 43 11 31 32 19 51 THE CITY OF Jonavos g. 3 km 3 km 5 km Aukštaičių g. CHAMPIONS Žalioji g. Aušros g. Savanorių pr. 18 Žemaičių g. Jonavos g. V. Putvinskio g. K. Petrausko g. 44 A. Mackevičiaus g. 5 Radastų g. Kauko al. Benediktinių g. Šv. Gertrūdos g. A. Jakšto g. Maironio g. 46 K. Donelaičio g. A. Mickevičiaus g. A. Mackevičiaus g. 25 Savanorių pr. 8 Šv. Gertrūdos g. Gedimino g. Papilio g. 24 17 Kumelių g. E. Ožeškienės g. 4 Parodos g. M. Valančiaus g. A. Mapu g. Laisvės al. 22 15 16 Laisvės al. 7 45 Laisvės al. 13 Vilniaus g. J. Gruodžio g. 47 3 Vilniaus g. Rotušės a. 45 Nemuno g. 6 2 45 49 26 48 53 Santakos g. 14 20 D. Poškos g. Kęstučio g. Birštono g. Maironio g. M. Daukšos g. 52 Kęstučio g. Muitinės g. Kurpių g. Smalininkų g. 54 DaukantoS. g. Muziejaus g. T. Daugirdo g. Nemuno g. A. Mickevičiaus g. Gedimino g. Aleksoto g. Karaliaus Mindaugo pr. L. Zamenhofo g. I. Kanto g. Karaliaus Mindaugo pr. Druskininkų g. 21 50 42 16 km Karaliaus Mindaugo pr. Miško g. 38 1 ŽALGIRIO ARENA 7 THE ARVYDAS SABONIS HOUSE Perkūno al. Karaliaus Mindaugo pr. 50 Vytauto pr. Vytauto The largest multifunctional arena in the Baltic As impressive as its first owner, the Sabonis’ house in Žaliakalnis was built in 1991 and reconstructed in 2009. g. Trakų states and the home of the legendary Žalgiris 23 Vaižganto g. basketball team and its’ sea of thousands of fans. The most convenient time to see it is, of course, on Attendance records have been broken here, mo- your way to the Sports Hall or the stadium (after the 37 mentous victories have been reached. This is the renovation is finished). go-to place for a true spectacle of basketball, and 4 km 36 fans from all over Lithuania and abroad will be 34 35 there to attest to it. It is also a venue for the top 40 artists and musicians from all over the world and 2.5 km 1 hosts a number of different types of events. 8 KAUNAS TENNIS CLUB 2.5 km Sporto g. 3 2 km Karaliaus Mindaugo pr. 1 41 Established in 1924 and brought back to life in 1989, the Vytauto pr. Bažnyčios g. Kaunas tennis club is one of the oldest organizations in Lithuania. Tennis was brought to the country around 15 SANTAKA PARK 22 RŪTA MEILUTYTĖ LIME TREE 29 MONUMENTAL STONE TO THE KAUNAS SPORTS HALL the year 1900 by Count Tiškevičius, as the first court was Laisvės al. 12 2 In the birthplace of Kaunas, where Nemunas and Neris OLYMPIANS Perkūno al. 5 built in Astravas manor. Karo Ligoninės g. 4 km meet, you will meet people running or exercising at any Just two weeks after Rūta Meilutytė’s fifteenth birthday, she A. Juozapavičiaus pr. (next to house 87) Girstupio g. The legendary sports hall came into existence at a time of the year. There is also a ramp for extreme sports struck gold in the 2012 London Olympics. In her honor, the record-breaking pace, as it was built in half a year enthusiasts, the Lithuanian Sports Museum and the loca- citizens of Kaunas planted a lime tree right in front of a mon- After returning from Lithuania‘s debut at the 1924 Olym- before the 1939 EuroBasket. Some of the greatest tion of the planned House of Basketball. The sports aura ument to Grand Duke Vytautas the Great. Look down when pic Games in Paris, the athletes planted an oak in Šančiai. Šiaulių g. basketball victories in Lithuanian history were you’re in search of it, the tree is marked with a special plaque. Despite the fact that no medals were brought back home, Kaunakiemio g. 9 NATIONAL FOOTBALL ACADEMY in Santaka Park is also complemented by artistic inclu- achieved here, both during the First Republic pe- Aukštaičių g. 51 sions, with a sculpture of an old-style weight designed and they paved the way for future generations and were com- riod and during the Soviet occupation. The Žalgiris sculpted by Tadas Vosylius. The half-meter weight lays memorated 84 years later. The author of the monument legend was nurtured between these walls, and once Besides training budding talents, this is the go-to place there with a weight of a ton. stone is Arvydas Rymeikis. the renovation is complete, it will continue hosting for professional and amateur teams in Kaunas to train. 23 SIMONAS DAUKANTAS BRIDGE The renovation of the academy in 2009 was completed basketball, futsal and handball competitions. The monumental pedestrian bridge connecting the center by unveiling the Lithuanian footballer sculpture. Right LITHUANIAN AVIATION MUSEUM beside the stadium, in Petras Vileišis square, stands a of Kaunas and the Nemunas Island was built in 1988 when 35 16 HOUSE OF BASKETBALL Lithuania had not yet regained its independence. Neverthe- 30 ŽALGIRIS KAUNAS YACHT CLUB Veiverių g. 132 composition called Festival, marking the location of the Santaka park R. Kalantos g. 124 first Lithuanian Song Festival, held in 1924. less, from the very beginning the bridge was decorated with Nearly 20 thousand exhibits help us appreciate the rich his- The pantheon of Lithuanian basketball is still on the symbols of our statehood. On the 4th of July in 1996 pilot Did you know that Kaunas’ first yacht club operated in tory of our country’s aviation, both military, civilian and 27 3 S. DARIUS IR S. GIRĖNAS drawing board, but it is planned that this modern and Jurgis Kairys legally flew under a bridge for the first time in the very center of the city, on the Nemunas Island? After sportive. The museum is located in Lithuania’s oldest aero- STADIUM majestic building will accommodate all the past and the world (on the bridge, you will find a memorial plaque all, during the interwar period this was the location of a drome and draws in with exhibits such as ladybug-like glider M. K. Čiurlionio8 g.km Perkūno al. 5 future basketball victories and will emerge in Santaka dedicated to this event). He repeated his flight four years lat- winter port. Once the Kaunas Reservoir emerged with the inside or the steel birds outside of the exhibition. As soon as the stadium’s renovation is com- 10 KAUNAS BALTŲ AINIAI ICE Park by 2020. er, this time upside down. Right after his accomplishment, damming of Nemunas, sails soon became an integral part 30 plete, Kaunas will boast a stadium of the highest RINK the pilot met up with Formula-1 pilot Mika Hakkinen on the of Kaunas’ landscape. (fourth) UEFA category. The historic stadium was Aušros g. 42C bridge itself. first opened in 1925 and reconstructed soon after. Lithuania’s best figure skaters Povilas Vanagas and Mar- ANTANAS MARTINAITIS SCHOOL 36 JURGIS DOBKEVIČIUS In 1936, the first international football game was 17 garita Drobiazko started their career in Žaliakalnis. It PROGYMNASIUM played, as Lithuania defeated Estonia 2:0. It was the OF ART continues developing children who are looking to be- Šv. Gertrūdos g. 33 31 KAUNAS SPORTS SCHOOL GAJA V. Čepinskio g. 7 host venue for the first Lithuanian National Olym- 24 V. ADAMKUS PRESIDENTIAL Partizanų g. 180 come ice skaters or hockey players. Curling is also being 28 piad and has hosted the World Lithuanian Games, The building of Antanas Martinatis School of Art has seen LIBRARY-MUSEUM Jurgis Dobkevičius was still very young when he became Lieu- played here. Until the new arena comes to fruition, it is Kaunas’ largest sports school teaches as many as 15 sports: World Lithuanian Song and Dance festival, Baltic everything throughout its’ years since being built in the S. Daukanto g. 25 tenant and took the reigns of the Air Squadron. He was the 2 km also the home of the Kaunas Hockey team. badminton, boxing, cycling, judo, fencing, wrestling, ori- Sea Sports Games, European Athletics Champion- 18th century. In March, 1927 it marked the start of Lithu- first to carry out the death loop and constructed three planes. The future President of Lithuania lived in Žaliakalnis during enteering, table tennis, skeet shooting… The school’s his- ships, the meeting of Pope John Paul II, Europe- anian table tennis history. Lithuania’s first game of table Unfortunately, the third one ended up being a fatal plane for the interwar period. As a kid, he was fascinated by the tory dates back to 1951, when a Complex Sports School for an U19 Football Championship. Among the most tennis, organized by the Jewish sports association Makabi, him. Dobkevičius died testing it in the Aleksotas aerodrome. basketball games in Kaunas Sports Hall, to which he would Children and Youth was established here. The next page A progymnasium nearby the crash site was named in his memorable football events were the Lithuanian was played here. A memorial plaque on the facade of the 29 1 km sometimes sneak in without a ticket. As he was in Germany in the book dates to 1963, when the School of Sports Ex- honor and holds a memorial museum and a memorial stone National Team’s games against France and Spain, KAUNAS BASKETBALL SCHOOL school marks the occasion. during the war, he won a number of medals in the Games and FBK Kaunas’ pairing with Glasgow Rangers. 11 cellence was established in Kaunas, near the Institute of outside of it. ŽALGIRIS of the Suppressed Nations. You can get to know more about Physical Education.