Kėdainiai, on the Nevėžis River, is one of the oldest towns in Lithuania. First mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle of Hermann de Wartberge, its population as of 2001 was 32,048. Many monuments of archaeology, history, architecture and art tell of Kėdainiai's glorious past. Kėdainiai's 18th century old town is one of the largest in Lithuania.
The former Town Hall, the House of Rectors, the Church of St. George, the Calvinist Church, and the House of Scotch Merchants are notable architectural sites. It was a custom that everyone arriving in Kedainiai had to bring a stone for the construction of the town. Kėdainiai is also the location of the only minaret in Lithuania.