Overview
Kėdainiai is a city in the Aukštaitija region of Lithuania, with a population of 23,447 in 2023. It's almost dead centre of the country, and a monument a few km west of town marks the exact geographical centre. Much of it is modern and industrial, with the huge Lifosa chemical works nearby, but the reason to visit is the attractive 17th century Old Town.
Understand
If you're a bulk purchaser of sulphuric acid or phosphate-based fertiliser then you've come to the right place. Lifosa chemical complex 3 km southeast makes exactly what you seek, and employs almost a thousand in the town. The tourist draw is Old Town, but the reason it's there is because of trade and industry, equally grubby in bygone centuries. For example the town attracted many Scottish business folk and settlers in the 17th century, and had a large Jewish population (skilled, amongst other trades, in dye-stuffs for fabrics) encouraged to settle in "The Pale" in Tsarist times. This means that Kėdainiai has a multicultural history, and one of the best-preserved Old Towns in Lithuania outside of Vilnius. It's also easy to reach, within an hour's travel from Kaunas.
Get in
Kaunas has the closest airport . It's north of that city and less than an hour to drive, but by public transport you have to double back via the centre. There are more flights to Vilnius .
By road take A8 / E67 north from Kaunas, branching off onto Route 144. E67 continues to Panevėžys and Riga.
Kautra buses run twice an hour from Kaunas, taking an hour to Kėdainiai and continuing north either to Šiauliai or Panevėžys. From Vilnius travel via Kaunas.
is south side of town. It's clean and functional enough, with a pizzeria and supermarket adjacent.
Four trains run daily from Vilnius, taking 90 min via Jonava and continuing to Šiauliai and Klaipėda, another 3 hours.
One direct train runs from Kaunas, taking an hour and continuing to Šiauliai, otherwise travel via Vilnius.
is 2 km north of town on Route 195, S Dariaus ir S Girėno gatvė. It's small but even the toilets are kept clean. Boss Kebab outside is open daily to 20:00. While you're here, see the minaret just across the tracks.
Get around
Kėdbusas is the local bus line, plying from the bus station to all outlying districts. Buy tickets on boarding from the driver, or from a kiosk and validate on boarding. You don't need the bus for the compact Old Town, best strolled on foot.
See
Holy Transfiguration Church. Eastern Orthodox church built in 1861 to accommodate the many Russians settling in town. It's richly decorated within but seldom open.
(Šv Juozapo bažnyčia) on Radvilų gatvė is the most attractive church in town, a wooden structure originally part of a Jesuit mission house. It had spells of disuse or misuse, as a barracks under the Tsars and an equipment store under the Soviets, but is again a Jesuit church. Didžioji gatvė is the heart of Old Town, running from Transfiguration Church west past the museum to Great (or New) Market Square. Once you get past the modern supermarket it's lined with traditional architecture.
Regional Museum. Extensive display of local history, much bigger than it looks from the street.
(Šv Jurgio bažnyčia) on Šėtos gatvė is a Gothic basilica built in the 15th century but rebuilt in 1840. It was originally Lutheran but handed over to the Roman Catholics in 1627. Mass is held at 10:00 and 12:00.
Multicultural Centre. On Old Market Square, this was completed in 1857 as the "winter synagogue" - smaller and thus more practical to heat than the Great Synagogue adjacent. There's an exhibition on the town's Jewish population, which numbered 3000 until 28 Aug 1941, when the Nazis and their collaborators killed every last one.
(Didžiosios Rinkos aikštė) is at the foot of Didžioji gatvė. Evangelical Reformed Church (Evangelikų reformatų bažnyčia), built in 1631, is just west of Great Market Square on Senoji gatvė. Its chief feature is the tombs of the Radziwiłł noble family. Opening hours are erratic.
Janina Monkutė-Marks Museum. Contemporary art gallery in a converted farmhouse. Janina Monkutė-Marks (1923-2010) spent most of her art career in Chicago.
Kėdainiai minaret is west side of the railway station - you can amble to it across the tracks from the platform. It's 25 m tall in Ottoman style, free-standing and entirely decorative, with no associated mosque or even a single worshipper. It was built by General Eduard Totleben (1818-84) to commemorate his days as military engineer in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877/78, which broke Ottomans control of Bulgaria. One plaque on its wall is in Ottoman Turkish, the other quotes the Koran in Arabic, sura Al-Baqara, verse 255 the "Throne Verse". is the claim of a monument on the lane to Ruoščiai off Route 144. It's set in flat open fields of the North European Plain that could be anywhere from France to Russia, so it's good to have this reassurance that you are in fact in Lithuania. is a derelict 19th century mansion off Route 2008 four km north of town. It has a grand exterior, but the interior is utterly trashed and the whole thing may collapse at any moment. Šateniai (Polish: Szetejnie) is a tiny village 13 km north of Kėdainiai on Route 2008 east of the river - no access from Route 195 on the west bank. It was the early home of Polish writer Czeslaw Milosz (1911-2004), awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1980. His mansion has burned down, with only the granary surviving, which has been turned into a cultural centre. You need prior arrangements to view the exhibition of his work. It's set in a wooded park with sculptures.
Do
Football: FK Nevėžis play soccer in 1 Lyga, Lithuania's second tier. Their home ground Kėdainiai Stadium (capacity 3000) is 2 km northeast of town centre. The playing season is April-November. Agurkų šventė in mid-July is the "cucumber festival" - this region grows lots. Ledų šventė first weekend in August is an "ice cream festival" - a promotional event by local producer Vikeda, with concerts, and a helicopter scattering tokens for free ice cream upon the town.
Buy
Maxima supermarket by the bus station is open daily 08:00-22:00. Lidl is nearby at J Basanavičiaus g 87B, open daily 07:00-22:00. Norfa and another Maxima are by Transfiguration Church at the entrance to Old Town.
Eat
They include Greitas maistas, Paulvikta pizza, Novus Rex, Gray's House, Ursule and Beneto Karčema.
Drink
Old Town cafes serve alcohol, there isn't a free-standing bar.
Sleep
Grėjaus namas. Comfy place with restaurant in Old Town. Gray was an 18th century Scottish immigrant, and for some reason they didn't rename it when it passed to Burgomaster Valentinovičius.
Smilga. Clean efficient hotel, in Old Town but a boxy modern building.
Make Kėdainiai your own.
Before committing, pick one main reason for this visit and two nearby experiences that support it. Check the guide’s transport sections against current operator information. A convenient base can save more time than adding another attraction.
- Choose your arrival point and one base. Write down the real transfer time, not just the map distance.
- Build a first-day plan with room to settle in. Cluster the places you want to see rather than crossing the city repeatedly.
- Use actual accommodation and transport quotes in your budget. Add fees to the quote before comparing it.
- Keep one uncommitted block. Weather, energy and a good local recommendation can all change your plan.
Source transparency
This guide adapts licensed text by Wikivoyage contributors. It is not a claim that Lakhou has visited or independently verified every listing. We converted the source to plain text, selected practical sections and removed price sentences and private contact information. The planning framework and any related-business booking recommendations above are Lakhou editorial additions.
Original revision 5352698 · Contributor history · CC BY-SA 4.0. Reused text and adaptations on this page are available under that license. Source revision date: 2026-09-12. This is not a date of field verification.
For current entry conditions and travel advisories, consult your government and destination authorities. We do not determine visa eligibility.