Modernism by the Rivers

My first story for The Good Life Magazine focused on Kaunas, European Capital of Culture 2022.

Lithuania’s second city, Kaunas served as the country’s “temporary” capital between the two World Wars — a period that left a strong architectural and cultural imprint still visible today. Situated at the confluence of two rivers, the city combines interwar modernism, layered history and a vibrant contemporary scene.

Kaunas was also the first Baltic city I visited after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was 1994, and I was still a student, curious to see what lay beyond the former Iron Curtain. The city was very different then — quieter, rougher around the edges — yet already distinctive.

Returning over the years has meant witnessing its transformation. In 2022, the Capital of Culture program brought together more than 4,000 events across the city, from exhibitions and concerts to street art, design and performance — reinforcing Kaunas as one of the most dynamic cultural centers in the region.