A view towards the Kaunas old town from the upper station of Aleksotas funicular. For centuries it has been smaller than Vilnius, but only a bit, therefore Vilnius vs.
Kaunas rivalry is felt everywhere from basketball matches to internet forums. Kaunas medieval old town is smaller but more intact than that of Vilnius as it suffered less of the Soviet post-war destruction.
What makes Kaunas really unique is, however, its heritage from later eras. It is here where the Russian Empire built a 1st class fortress in - , its forts, batteries, barracks and redoubts surrounding the entire Kaunas city. The majority of these fortifications can still be seen today and are in fact the best-preserved 19th-century fortress of this type in the world.
In the city itself, you can see other remains of the Russian Imperial military, such as the garrison church "the Sobor" , warehouses and derelict barracks where nothing is changed since they fell into disuse after the World War 1.
Another era well visible in Kaunas is that of the interwar independent Lithuania. Modern Kaunas has been searching for its identity in a way.
