Car & Van Hire - Jonava

Established during the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 18th century, Jonava has a rich history. Much of this was built around a Jewish population, and it had a thriving market, beer brewery and timber workshops. Jonava was not spared the horrors of WWII, and its Jewish population suffered immensely when the Nazis invaded Lithuania in 1941. The Nazis murdered up to 90% of Lithuania's Jewish population.

For those interested in tracing Jewish history at Jonava, there are only two synagogues that were spared destruction: Beit Medrash Hagadol Synagogue and Jonava Synagogue of Merchants. Both are no longer in use but offer a picture of this once-thriving community. Other noted sites of Jewish history include the old houses of Kaunas Street and the Old Jewish Cemetery.

Other landmarks from Jonava's 18th century are the Jonava Church of St. Jacob the Apostle, a neoclassical-style building, and a memorial stone for Jonas Mykolas Kosakovski, an old manor house built by early town founders, the Kosakovski family. You can learn more about the city's history at the Jonava Regionas Museum, located in a former post station.

Jonava offers several excellent shopping opportunities, not to mention retail day trips to historic Kaunas. These include thrift store centres like Jone and the stationery centre Raštinės Reikmenys. As for dining, Jonava offers a wide variety of Lithuanian staples, from locally-foraged chanterelles and boletus mushrooms to grilled meats, burgers and pasta. A variety of restaurants and cafes are situated around Ramybės Skveras, Jonava's central park.

Jonava is known for its football team, FK Jonava, which plays in Lithuania's A Lyga. A second team, FK Jonava B, play in the third division. Matches are hosted at the Central Stadium of Jonava, the city's purpose-built stadium with a park, indoor arena and swimming pool. Other popular sports in the city include basketball, volleyball and autocross racing.

A car or van hire in Jonava is an excellent way to explore Kaunas County. You can visit Skaruliu Sv. Onos Baznycia, which is one of the oldest churches in the region. It dates from 1622, with a red belfry completed in 1898. You'll also have access to countryside walks in stunning nature reserves like Kulvos geomorfologinis draustinis, Labūnavos miško biosferos poligonas and Babtų-Varluvos miškų biosferos poligonas. A top day trip for visitors is the regional capital of Kaunas, home to Lithuania's oldest gallery, MK Čiurlionis. Its Ninth Fort details the horrors of Nazi and Soviet occupation, while Sugihara House remembers the actions of a Japanese diplomat who saved some 5,558 Lithuanian Jews.

Jonava is a convenient city to access, sitting on the banks of the Neris River and the A6 highway, part of the European route E262. The A6 is particularly important for its connections with Kaunas, offering high-speed dual-carriageway road travel. For routes past Kaunas and Jonava, the road is reduced to single-carriageways with lower speed limits. The A6 connects with two motorways - the A2 (E272) at Ukmerge and the A1 (E85) at Kaunas, for further cross-country travel.

A further network of regional roads, like routes 224, 144 and 143, link Jonava with towns like Rukla, Kedainiai and Seta, as well as Lithuania's rich nature reserves. These single-carriageway roads are generally slower than highway travel, with speeds of 70 to 90 km/h. Lithuania's motorway speeds can see limits of up to 130 km/h, though the A6 is predominantly 70 to 90 km/h.

Central Jonava is fairly straightforward to navigate. However, there are several narrow one-way roads, particularly in residential areas. These areas of the city may have lower speed limits of 20 to 30 km/h that are signposted on entry. It's good practice to plot out your destination via GPS to avoid taking any wrong turns.

Parking in Jonava is plentiful, with on-street parking and car parks. These include a variety of free parking spaces, including central parking around Ramybės skveras. For paid parking, Jonava has ticket machines and pay-by-phone options. Alternative parking spots include business addresses and supermarkets. Ticketing is in operating in Jonava, so ensure you're parked legally and as instructed by signs.

Jonava is a quiet city, particularly compared to nearby Kaunas. Still, rush hour traffic can develop during peak hours from 07:00 to 08:30 and between 16:30 and 17:30. This is particular to main roads like the regional 144 and its junction approaching the A6.

Lithuanians drive on the right side of the road and overtake on the left. Seat belts are compulsory throughout the country, so ensure you are fastened up at all times. In general, Lithuanian roads are among the best in Eastern Europe. However, you should look out for potholes, tractors and horse-drawn carts on rural roads and prepare for seasonal conditions, especially in winter.