Built by Camaldolese monks in the 17th century, this striking baroque monastery lies 9km east of central Kaunas, on a promontory jutting into the Kauno marios (Kaunas Sea). Given to the Russian Orthodox order by Tsar Alexander in 1831, it's a sumptuous if slightly run-down affair with a 50m-high cupola and luxurious Venetian interior made from pink and black Polish marble. It now has a small museum dedicated to its history.
The monastery has had a chequered history, becoming a psychiatric hospital in the Soviet era, before reverting to its Catholic roots in 1990. It's best to visit during the Pažaislis Music Festival, between June and August. Take trolleybus 9 or 12 from the town centre to the terminus on Masiulio gatvė, a few hundred metres before Pažaislis.
