Kaunas’ legendary “Swallow” coffee turns to dust

„Sporto st. 1 buildings and the legendary Kaunas café Žaliakalnis “Kregždutė” are being demolished, “the community of Ąžuolynas Park and Žaliakalnis reported yesterday on the social network” Facebook “.

There were also comments from sad Internet users, who felt sorry for the old building, who shared the feelings. “It was a wonderful cafe in a wonderful place, but no, it’s better to tear it down, you don’t need a lot of attention. The first private cafe? Ai, who cares here, is being destroyed, is hampered by seeing someone.” Kaunas resident did not hide his resentment.

Moved to another location

The news about the closure of the legendary café Žaliakalnis spread in March. “Cafe RIP” Swallow. “I’m kinda sorry. As soon as I thought about this year, one of the first things to do when it’s already hot and it will be possible to open outdoor cafes or bars is to go there and have a cup of Czech Budvazer on the outdoor terrace.

But I’m not going to drink. Only a few memories will remain of how our co-workers and I sometimes came here for lunch and always had something to choose from. Would it maybe be a little better than the average Kiev cutlet, or a pancake made with grated vegetables?

Or, like in the summer, sometimes I would go for a walk to “Oh why not,” but I went and saw that I had no desire to be there at the time. DJ Karabas-Barabas, who from Kaunas wrote on the social network “Facebook” in March, did not cling to the table on the terrace of the swallow and never “broke” the “broken rhythms”.

True, there is nothing to be sad about, the popular cafe continues to function successfully. In the same fight, an information message appeared on the windows of the legendary “Swallow”: “The cafe has moved – Sporto str. 3. Only three min. Tour, do not be shy!” Currently, food is only available for wear.

The café “Kregždutė” opened in the days of cooperatives, in 1986, when the leisure and entertainment market had not yet formed. After the restoration of Lithuanian independence, it was the first private cafe in Kaunas.

Will manage the plaza

The reconstruction of the square on Sporto Street forced the café to move from the old premises. Under the project, not only will the plaza’s pavement, lighting and other infrastructure be renovated, the space will be more attractive and accessible to Kaunas residents.

As announced, it is also planned to install an Athletes’ Hall of Fame in the area between the monument to Darío and S. Girėnas and the sports hall.

The architects who prepared the pre-design proposals in 2018 did not see the Soviet-era buildings on the new Sporto Street: concrete retaining walls with benches, a pump station, and a side building.

“Abandoning these unnecessary buildings would change the urban composition of the space, making access to Sporto Street from Parodos Street more open. The abandonment of the walls would open the view of Ąžuolynas, create a direct visual connection between the park and the square, ”said one of the authors of the reconstruction project, the architect Tomas Kuleša.