European Capital of Culture: Kaunas

 As taken from the EU website, the history and purpose of establishing European Capitals of Culture:

The initiative was developed in 1985 and has, to date, been awarded to more than 60 cities across the European Union (EU) and beyond.

The European Capitals of Culture (ECOC) initiative is designed to:

• Highlight the richness and diversity of cultures in Europe
• Celebrate the cultural features Europeans share
• Increase European citizens' sense of belonging to a common cultural area
• Foster the contribution of culture to the development of cities

In addition to this, experience has shown that the event is an excellent opportunity for:

• Regenerating cities
• Raising the international profile of cities;
• Enhancing the image of cities in the eyes of their own inhabitants
• Breathing new life into a city's culture
• Boosting tourism

This year, Kaunas, Lithuania was one of three cities chosen for this distinction. We spent a weekend in Kaunas in order to enjoy some of the art and culture on display. When we arrive in Serbia, we look forward to visiting another capital of culture for this year: Novi Sad.

It was great to get in one last "road trip" with Linda and to visit, again, some of our favorite places in Kaunas: the Ciurlionis Collection and the Pazaislis Monastery. On the way home, we also made stops at the 9th Fort of the Kaunas Fortress with its moving Holocaust memorial and the collection of wooden carvings at the Hill of Crosses.