House of Perkūnas

Kaunas


With ornate arches and turrets rippling from its brick facade, this late-15th-century mansion is a treasure of Kaunas' late-Gothic architecture. Built by merchants of the Hanseatic League, its interior is laid out to evoke the noble lifestyles of yesteryear: chandeliers, dining tables and a library with a small exhibition dedicated to 19th-century Romantic poet Adam Mickiewicz. The magnificent house is named for the thunder god Perkūnas, whose likeness was discovered during renovations in 1818. Add €1 for a guided tour.

Presently managed by the Jesuit Gymnasium, throughout its history the house has also been a drama theatre (Kaunas' first) and it continues to host occasional performances.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Kaunas attractions

1. Vytautas Church

0.04 MILES

Known in full as Vytautas the Great Church of the Accession of the Holy Virgin Mary, this red-brick church is one of the oldest in Kaunas. Built by…

2. St Francis Xavier Church & Monastery

0.07 MILES

The southern side of Rotušės aikštė is dominated by rosy-pink late-Baroque facade of the St Francis Xavier Church, college and Jesuit monastery complex…

3. Statue of Maironis

0.1 MILES

Maironis was the pen name of Kaunas priest and poet Jonas Mačiulis (1862–1932) whose writings helped to awaken the country’s nationalist longings in the…

4. Town Hall

0.11 MILES

Old Town's tallest tower (53m) rises from Kaunas' Town Hall, an elegant white layer-cake of a building. Built in the mid-16th century, the hall has served…

5. Ceramics Museum

0.11 MILES

Features Lithuanian ceramics and porcelain from the 20th century and earlier periods, and often houses temporary exhibitions.

6. Maironis Lithuanian Literary Museum

0.12 MILES

Even travellers unenthused by turn-of-the-20th-century literature will be enchanted by this museum dedicated to Lithuanian luminary Maironis (aka Jonas…

7. Kaunas Photography Gallery

0.14 MILES

There's always an interesting temporary exhibition on at this gallery, such as Integration, an interesting juxtaposition between obscure, dimly lit…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "lithuania/central-lithuania/kaunas/attractions/house-of-perkunas/a/poi-sig/1465535/360109",
      "destination": "Kaunas",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Lithuania",
      "city": "Kaunas",
      "position": "superzone"
    }