Žalgiris Arena - the biggest sports complex in the Baltics

Žalgiris entertainment and sport palace is under construction in Kaunas. For 20 years, Lithuanian basketball players and fans of this sport have been waiting for the most modern sport palace to be built. The Žalgiris Arena is the biggest and the most modern not only in Lithuania, but also in all other Baltic countries. The Arena on the Nemunas island is distinguished for sports and cultural events. Up to 15 thousand spectators can watch events there.

In October 2008, the works on Kaunas arena started. Even then Lithuania knew that it had the right to organize 2011 European Basketball Championship. For this reason, all major cities took huge responsibility to build modern sport stadiums in time, where the best European basketball players would compete for medals.

The budgets of Kaunas and Lithuania's government, as well as the funding of the European Union and donations of Kaunas citizens supported the construction. The nominal worth of Kaunas arena is 50 mil- lion Euros. FIBA leadership complimented Kaunas for building such impressive arena with so low figure expenses. Thanks to experienced architect Eugenijus Miliunas, the arena is designed, using modern technologies.

Lithuania's most famous basketball player Arvydas Sabonis confirmed that Kaunas arena matches USA arenas not only by its size, but also by well prepared base hall, warm-up hall and changing-rooms. Parallelly, the construction of bridges to the Nemunas island took place.The first bridge to the Nemunas island was opened in 2009. The second bridge to Žalgiris Arena was opened in 2010 and it was named "Karmelitų bridge".

Now, next to the arena, the construction of two river bank (level) parking lots is coming to an end, where 600 vehicles can be parked. This parking lot will connect both bridges of the arena. The first serious testing of Žalgiris Arena is expected on 14-18 September. The quarterfinals and finals of 2011 European Basketball Championship of Men will be played here. For Kaunas it is a great honour, appreciation and responsibility which the city took. Welcome to Kaunas -the Capital of European Basketball of 2011!