Jonava offers several distinct reasons to visit: church and museum history, routes along the Neris and around four ponds, and a ski centre. When planning your trip, you can choose what to focus on depending on whether cultural heritage, outdoor activities or skiing is your priority.
Church, Cemetery and Museum
The Church of St James the Apostle was built in 1791 and consecrated in 1793 in the name of its founder, Bishop Juozapas Kazimieras Kosakovskis. Construction and consecration mark different stages in the church’s history. The remains of members of the Kosakovski family lie in the crypt. The construction date, consecration and crypt offer a tangible insight into the history of the church and its founding family. The Jewish cemetery in Jonava was restored in 1989 and provides another point of cultural and historical interest.
A different period is represented by the old horse post station. Its building complex was constructed between 1833 and 1835; the Jonava Regional Museum opened there in 1992. The museum’s basement houses a permanent archaeological exhibition. These dates refer to different events: 1833–1835 to the construction of the building complex, and 1992 to the opening of the museum. The building and its use as a museum bring architectural history and archaeology together in one place.
Ponds, Riverbank and Routes
Jonava has four ponds: Joninių, Lakštingalų, Gulbių and Gervių. Walking and cycling routes run around them, and there are also children’s playgrounds and beaches. Walking and cycling routes also run along the banks of the Neris. They are suitable for walks and offer views of the river. The distinction is useful when choosing an activity: at the ponds, playgrounds and beaches complement the routes, while walking and river views are part of the experience along the Neris. This makes it easy to choose between the pond surroundings and the riverbank when planning your visit.
Disc Golf and Skiing
A separate leisure attraction is located in JoniniĹł Valley and around JoniniĹł Pond: the disc golf park has 18 baskets and throwing areas and can be used free of charge by residents and visitors. Here, the focus is on throwing discs at baskets, unlike a walking or cycling loop. If you are looking for a sporting activity in Jonava, you can plan a visit to the park as a standalone activity.
The Jonavos SlidinÄ—jimo centras adds winter sports to the range of activities. The facility includes lifts and four shaped downhill runs. The centre offers skiing, equipment rental and ski instructor services. This sets it apart from the walking and cycling routes by the water as well as from disc golf: here, the focus is on skiing, with lifts, downhill runs, rentals and ski instructor services.
Getting There and Finding Accommodation
Jonava railway station is equipped with an LTG Link ticket machine. If you arrive by train, this is a useful detail for buying your ticket at the station. When looking for a hotel in Jonava, you can also consider which activities you want to shape your stay: the cultural and historical sites, waterside routes and skiing options appeal to different travel interests.
Discover more destinations: Prienai, Ringaudai, Birštonas, Ariogala, Rumšiškės, Ramučiai, Kaišiadorys, Garliava.
For the broader travel overview: Kaunas County.
