Kaunas Town Hall

About this place

Kaunas Town Hall is a slender white building in the middle of Rotušės Square, at the heart of the old town, often called the White Swan for its shape. Its 53 m tower is the tallest in the old city, and the building now holds a branch of the Kaunas City Museum and a wedding hall. It was not the first town hall on the square, since fire destroyed its predecessor. Work on this one began in 1542 as a single storey with a plain front and vaulted cellars, and the upper floor and eight-storey tower followed in the 16th century. The ground floor was meant for trade, the upper floor for the court, treasury and archive, and the tower cellars served as a prison. It was reshaped in 1638 and again from 1771 to 1775 by the architect Jan Mattekier, later serving as an Orthodox church and a store, then as the municipality's seat from 1869. From the square the white tower looks elegant with its tapering tiers, especially on a clear morning, surrounded by old houses, churches and cafes. Baroque and Classical details up above date from the 18th-century work. At weekends you may see couples leaving the wedding hall, a familiar sight here since 1973. The building lies about 2.1 km from the Resurrection Basilica in a straight line and close to Kaunas Castle. The square is open at all hours. Check museum hours, and respect the privacy of weddings if you come across one.