Rent your car in Karmelava, Lithuania

Karmėlava is situated in the Kauno Apskritis region in Lithuania, and is best known for being the location for the Kaunas International Airport which is Lithuania’s second busiest commercial airport.

A small town with close proximity to rivers and protected forest areas, it’s a good place to stop off for leisure pursuits such as fishing, hiking or bird watching. The town is also significant to the military being a post for the Lithuanian Air Force who provide surveillance for airspace over Lithuania.

What to see

Babtų-Varluvos miškų (Babtų-Varluvos forest) is a wooded zone near to Karmėlava that has walking trails, bird watching platforms and ponds. It is a protected zone for white-backed woodpeckers and other bird life.

Situated off the public transport route, you’ll need a private car to get to the AB Underground Printing House located 15 minutes’ drive from Karmėlava. It operated as a secret printing house run underground during the last decade of Soviet occupation. Today, visitors can view the old printing house, which was and that remains hidden under a greenhouse as well as a museum dedicated to resistance printing.

Drive to the Kaunas Reservoir Regional Park where you can visit many historical sites such as the 17th century Pažaislis monastery which hosts an annual music festival, and an open air museum in Rumšiškės. Spend some time enjoying a picnic on the banks of the Kaunas Reservoir that is the largest artificial lake in Lithuania.

What to do

Book a table at a local restaurant where they are well known for serving gigantic versions of the traditional Lithuanian dish of cepelinai (stuffed potato dumplings).

Go fishing for salmon or trout along the nearby Neris River, the second biggest river in Lithuania. You can also see the Gaidelis Stone near Karmėlava which is the largest stone in water in Lithuania.

Unleash your sense of adventure at Lokės pėda, an outdoor thrill park with quad bikes, catapult and camping. A family-friendly attraction, its best reached by car otherwise you have to take a taxi from Jonava.

Nearby things to see and do

Drive 20 kilometers northeast from Karmėlava to the town of Jonava that is famous for its annual Lithuanian Jonines festival that attracts thousands of people every year. Glimpse into traditional Lithuanian life by visiting the old horse change and post station that now houses the Jonava Area Museum with archaeological findings, folk art, agricultural tools and historical documents from the region. Another highlight is the beautiful church of St. Jacob the Apostle.

The former residential manor house of Žeimiai Manor is situated 35 kilometers north of Karmėlava. Here you can find a 18th century mansion built in classical style, with barn, chapel and stables.

Half an hour’s drive from Karmėlava is the Zapyškis church, a 16th century Gothic church in the small hamlet of Zapyškis on the bank of the Nemunas river. It is unique in that it is one of only a small number of brick-made Gothic buildings and it is the oldest rural church in Lithuania.