Panevėžys

Panevėžys is Lithuania's fifth-largest city and the administrative centre of Panevėžys County, set in the north of the country on the banks of the Nevėžis River. Roughly halfway between Vilnius and Riga, it has long served as a regional hub for industry, culture, education and road and rail connections.

First mentioned in 1503 when Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon granted the settlement building rights, Panevėžys developed as a trading and administrative town. Its historic layers include wooden buildings in the Old Town, the former Slobodka quarter that recalls the city's once-large Jewish community, and the restored red-brick gate on the city coat of arms.

The compact centre is anchored by Laisvės Square and the Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre, a leading Lithuanian stage named after its celebrated director. Nearby, Senvagė Park follows the old riverbed with walking paths and sculptures, while the Aukštaitija Narrow Gauge Railway preserves a working piece of regional transport history. The recently opened Stasys Museum brings modern art into the city, and Cido Arena hosts sports and large events.

Panevėžys is also an important industrial centre, known for the Kalnapilis brewery as well as glass, metalworking and food production. Business travellers find a practical, walkable city with conference venues and easy access to northern Lithuania's economic corridor.

For leisure visitors, the city offers riverside parks, a relaxed café scene, traditional Lithuanian cooking and a distinctive beer culture. Its manageable size and authentic, unhurried atmosphere make Panevėžys a comfortable base for exploring the Aukštaitija region.