Cities
Lithuania Kaunas Kaunas Botanical Garden

VDU Botanical garden

About

VDU Botanical Garden in Kaunas is one of the city’s most serene and scientifically rich green spaces, established in 1923 on the grounds of the historic Aukštoji Freda Manor. Its landscape blends romantic 19th‑century park design with modern botanical research, creating a setting where heritage and science coexist. The garden’s most captivating feature is its extensive greenhouse complex, home to tropical and subtropical plants, including orchids, cacti and rare palms. Visitors can wander through warm, humid rooms filled with vibrant foliage and unusual species not found outdoors in Lithuania. The outdoor collections are equally impressive: a vast rose garden, medicinal plant beds and a picturesque pond framed by old manor buildings. One of the most interesting aspects is the dendrological collection, featuring trees and shrubs from around the world, some more than a century old. Seasonal highlights—spring magnolias, summer roses, autumn maples—make each visit feel different. The restored manor greenhouse and palm house offer a glimpse into early botanical cultivation traditions. VDU Botanical Garden remains a peaceful retreat for nature lovers, students and families, combining beauty, education and history in one harmonious landscape.

Kaunas Lithuania
VDU Botanical garden
Location

The Vytautas Magnus University Botanical Garden is located in the Freda district of Kaunas, in southern Lithuania. Founded in 1923, it’s one of the oldest and largest botanical gardens in the Baltic countries, covering over 60 hectares of green space within the city. The garden is home to more than 10,000 plant species and varieties from around the world. You can explore a large orangery with exotic tropical and subtropical plants, a Japanese garden with koi ponds and stone lanterns, rose gardens blooming with hundreds of cultivars, and a historic manor house surrounded by centuries-old trees. Seasonal flower displays, especially tulips in spring and dahlias in late summer, are highlights. The garden sits close to several key Kaunas attractions. Just a short walk away is the Kaunas Reservoir Regional Park, great for lakeside walks and views of Pažaislis Monastery, a stunning Baroque masterpiece on the peninsula. The Old Town of Kaunas is about 10 minutes by car, where you’ll find Kaunas Castle, Town Hall Square, and the pedestrian Laisvės Alėja. The M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art and the Devils’ Museum are also nearby, making it easy to combine nature with culture in one day.

Kaunas City Museum Kaunas City Museum Museum Vytautas the Great War Museum Vytautas the Great War Museum Museum M.K. Čiurlionis Museum of Art M.K. Čiurlionis Museum of Art Museum Devils' Museum Devils' Museum Museum Kaunas Ninth Fort Museum Kaunas Ninth Fort Museum Museum Lietuvos aviacijos muziejus Lietuvos aviacijos muziejus Museum Museum of the History of Lithuanian Medicine and Pharmacy Museum of the History of Lithuanian Medicine and Pharmacy Museum Historical Presidential Palace Historical Presidential Palace Museum Kaunas Tadas Ivanauskas Museum of Zoology Kaunas Tadas Ivanauskas Museum of Zoology Museum Maironis Museum of Lithuanian Literature Maironis Museum of Lithuanian Literature Museum Kaunas Sport museum Kaunas Sport museum Museum Kaunas Art Deco Museum Kaunas Art Deco Museum Museum KGB Atomic Bunker Museum KGB Atomic Bunker Museum Museum Stumbras Museum Stumbras Museum Museum Kaunas Castle Kaunas Castle Castle Kaunas Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul Kaunas Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul Basilica Church of St. Michael the Archangel Church of St. Michael the Archangel Church Kaunas State Musical Theatre Kaunas State Musical Theatre Theatre Kaunas State Drama Theatre Kaunas State Drama Theatre Theatre Ąžuolynas Park Ąžuolynas Park Park Lithuanian Zoo Lithuanian Zoo Zoo Pazaislis Monastery and Church Pazaislis Monastery and Church Monastery