Kedainiai
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Photo from the archive of Kedainiai District Municipality |
Photo from the archive of Kedainiai District Municipality |
Kedainiai District is located in the centre of Lithuania, 51 km North from Kaunas City. The District covers territory of 167 700 hectares and the total population is 63 033 (the population of Kedainiai Town alone numbers 31 055 inhabitants) (01-01-2008, data of Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania).
The heart of the District - Kedainiai Town is located on the banks of picturesque river Nevezis. Kedainiai is an industrial town with newly established industrial zone. The main industries in the District are chemical industry, food processing and textiles. The largest companies are: producer of fertilizers JSC "Lifosa", producer of metal constructions JSC "Progresas", Danish company "Danisco Sugar Kedainiai" and "Vikonda" incorporation, which produces canned food products, ice-cream, processes grains, etc.
Today Kedainiai is frequently called the Capital of Cucumbers, since Jews who lived in Kedainiai began to grow cucumbers in the beginning of 19th century and till now people of Kedainiai supply with cucumbers a considerable half of Lithuania, and also exports canned vegetables abroad.
Kedainiai is one of the seven Lithuanian cities with unique Old Town, in which historical street network, four market squares and quite a few valuable buildings from 16th to 19th centuries have remained. One of the most interesting places to visit in Kedainiai is "the Alps of Kedainiai" - the hills of phospho gyps (a scrap of phosphoric extract). It is a unique phenomenon in Lithuania. Now there are 21 million tones of this scrap in Kedainiai.
Kedainiai is rich in festivals and celebrations, but the most popular one is the Cucumber Festival held in July, and in August residents and guests of Kedainiai celebrate the Birthday of the Town and Ice-cream Festival.
For more information please look at www.kedainiai.lt