The longest bridge in the world, the silent city custodian, a helper to the fleeing ones and a road to the proud ones: all this tells the history of Vytautas Magnus Bridge. Having withstood the wars, burnt and restored, connecting two banks of the Nemunas, this bridge makes a true symbol of Kaunas.

For almost 90 years, it has been giving way to ships sailing in the Nemunas, has been transferring 3,000 cars an hour that have been driving from Aleksotas to the Old Town, and vice versa. It was consecrated by the beloved patron of Kaunas, the priest Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas, and the bridge was granted the name of the very Duke Vytautas Magnus.

Crossing over the Nemunas has been important since the old times: due to the convenient location Kaunas used to occur into the horizon of the belligerents when marching to the enemy's territory. The proud troops of Napoleon crossed the largest river of Lithuania and, afterwards, their remains flew back from the Russian Empire using a bridge of wooden poles. Myriads of wooden bridges were built to cross to and from Kaunas! Unfortunately, the temporary bridges used to collapse, and the travellers used to devise more interesting ways to reach the other side of river. People used to cross it by a raft in the summer and by ferries during floods in the spring and autumn. People used to drive across it, when the Nemunas was covered by ice in winter and when the river was full of floating sludges, people used to row boats among them.

Vytautas Magnus Bridge was not only a means to reach an adversary during the war. This bridge was also a link connecting two very different territories. Although the length of Vytautas Magnus Bridge was merely 256 metres, it was considered to be the longest in the world, since it took 13 days to travel it. Aleksotas previously belonged to the Kingdom of Poland, and the Old Town of Kaunas was owned by the northwestern part of Russia. One side of the bridge had the adopted Orthodox Julian Calendar, whereas the other one had the instituted Catholic Gregorian Calendar. The journey did not prolong but the traveller "jumped over" 13 calendar days, because the old style calendar was lagging behind exactly the same time period from the new one.

It is difficult to decide at what time the Vytautas Magnus Bridge looks most expressive: illuminated by 8,5 m high blue light luminaires at night, or during the day when the strict design structures of technical style become apparent. Still, we will definitely agree that this bridge is a modern replenishment to the verdant landscape of Aleksotas and the red-roofed Old Town of Kaunas.