Curonian Spit from the Lithuanian side. National Park "Curonian Spit. Maritime Museum in Lithuania

A sandy strip of land in the Baltic Sea with fantastic nature and endangered species of flora and fauna. An excellent holiday destination for those who love nature. I think everyone knows about Kosa.

In the middle of the 100-kilometer spit runs the border between Russia and Lithuania.

I will not show you sand dunes and dancing forests, let's take a better look at how people live and relax on both sides of the border.

1 You will have to pay for entry. The Curonian Spit is a national park, both from the Russian and from the Lithuanian side. With us it costs 150 rubles per car and 150 more for each passenger. Lithuanians will take twenty euros, regardless of how many people are in the car.

2 Throughout the spit you will see the road. There is a forest to the left and to the right, the sea and the bay are further away, but you will not see them from the car. Pay attention to the cyclists, we will return to them later.

3 People come here for nature. Beauty must be caught like Pokemon. For fifty kilometers of the road there are several points where you need to get on foot. Sand dunes or the famous dancing forest. I was neither there nor there, as time was running out.

4 On the Russian side, there are three villages on the spit: Lesnoye, Rybachye and Morskoye. For Kaliningraders, these reserved places have long become something like Rublyovka: real estate on the spit is expensive.

5 Restaurants and the beach - that's what attracts tourists here.

6 Sometimes there are restaurants on the beach, but this is rather an exception.

7 The road is scenic, but monotonous.

8 Antiquity and antiquity you will not find here. Compared to the rest of the Kaliningrad region, there are almost no significant monuments of East Prussia.

9 Rybachy is the largest settlement on the spit. 800 people live here. That's noticeable.

10 Nothing has changed since Soviet times.

11 Nice restaurant "Rybny yard", but since it is the only one in the village, there are a lot of people there.

12 The not very ebullient life of an ordinary Russian village flows on the streets.

13 But there is no devastation here. Even the poor houses of the “indigenous” inhabitants of the spit are tidy, there are many flowers in the yards, everything is fragrant!

15 A playground with a stone fireman coming from nowhere...

16 And an indispensable monument to the Great Patriotic War. On the Curonian Spit, he is represented as a copy of the Bronze Soldier from Tallinn, who bows his head and holds a helmet in his hand. But the sculptors miscalculated with the dimensions, and the soldier turned out to be a grotesque dwarf.

18 A fence is generally an invariable attribute of any house in Russia. I would be surprised if they weren't here.

19 Beware, evil master!

20 Behind another chain-link fence is a yacht marina.

21 It is not difficult to climb into the territory through a hole in the fence, but there is nothing to do there: you will not see any yachts, and if you are lucky, you can watch how an old motor boat is pulled out of the water by an off-road vehicle and taken away.

22 There is only one gas station on the Russian side of the spit, between Rybachy and Morskoy. Keep in mind, cards are not accepted there. However, any cards will be accepted in Lithuania: only the price of fuel is twice as high!

23 Marine. The last settlement of the Curonian Spit from the Russian side. There is nothing to tell about him. To be honest, I had been planning to travel this route for a long time, but in the end I got some disappointment: it is very difficult to write about the life of three villages, since almost no one lives here permanently, these are rather summer cottages.

24 People do not litter, and the garbage is not taken out.

25 There was nothing else to do on the Russian side of the spit, so we went to Lithuania.

26 Lucky, there would be no queue at the border. Both the Russian and the Lithuanian sides passed in about thirty minutes. No surprises, even boring.

27 On the Lithuanian side, the Curonian Spit is the same road through the forest. There are two villages here, Nida and Juodkrante. Further, the city of Klaipeda, which you need to get to by ferry, washed out the spit in one place. So, the road is exactly the same. But on the Lithuanian side, bicycle paths suddenly appear in the middle of the forest. And now remember the beginning of the report!

28 Nida itself is a resort village. 1200 people live here, a little more than in Rybachye.

29 Here is the same Curonian Lagoon as in Russian settlements.

30 But there is a real marina with a bunch of yachts.

31 I ended up in Nida on a day off, when some kind of open-air festival was being held near the port. Stage, beer in plastic cups, title sponsors.

32 The village itself is almost as quiet as Rybachye or Morskoye. There are electric tuk-tuks on the main street.

33 Just a few kilometers from the border, and what's the difference. Tidy wooden houses, red roof tiles, completely pedestrianized streets…

34 The girls are catching Pokémon at the market.

35 While their mother is peeling potatoes.

36 And here you realize that something is wrong on this side of the spit. Bike lanes again. This Europe will not lead to good!

37 Not only are there public toilets, they are also marked. And there are paths for pedestrians, and roads for cars, and no one interferes with anyone.

38 Nida even has a fishing pier, and restaurants serve fresh Baltic fish.

39 It's dangerous to let Russians out here. The border is close, it's easy to get there. And they might love it!

40 Before I myself found myself on a spit, everything was approximately the same as I imagined. Why can't it be so with us?

41 It's simple: in Russia, a spit is a nature reserve where you can't even sneeze for no reason. Tourists are allowed in almost out of pity, if only they would not harm. On the sand dunes, for example, you can not even walk - too fragile nature. For Lithuanians, the spit is a resort. A place where people come to hang out, take a walk, eat in a restaurant on the beach.

43 On the way back, I finally got out to the sea. I left the car in the parking lot by the road and walked along the boardwalks. They took me to a nude beach and I got ready to undress.

44 It wasn't necessary, it wasn't hot outside, and everyone around was dressed. We met with the Baltic Sea for five minutes: I managed to capture the last bright colors of the sunset.

I wonder if it was the same in the Soviet years?

An article about how and why sand dunes move, what is the Curonian Spit (Lithuania), how to get to the Curonian Spit, about the beaches and the forest on the Curonian Spit, the city of Nida and how to get from Vilnius to Klaipeda, as well as how to rent cheap apartments in Klaipeda.

The first half of the year turned out to be rich in surprises and interesting places. One of these miraculous miracles was my vacation on the Curonian Spit in Lithuania, which took place during my summer holidays in the Baltics.

curonian spit is a unique natural landmark, which is a strip of sand 98 km long and 400 meters to 4 km wide.

It separates the salty Baltic Sea and the freshwater Curonian Lagoon. Half of the spit belongs to the Russian Federation, and the other half belongs to Lithuania.

So, it all started with the ferry. We are economical and horseless guys, so we decided to live in Klaipeda in these rented apartments, a kilometer from new ferry crossing.

On the way to the ferry, the houses look sad from the outside.

But the traffic lights in Klaipeda are like in your beloved Berlin. Do you know these little men?

It is very convenient to live in Klaipeda, I want to tell you. Supermarkets nearby (Acropolis and Rimi), no need to overpay for food. On the Curonian Spit prices are 2-3 times higher than in Klaipeda.

And so you come to a new crossing, you pay about 0.8 euro in both directions and after 10-15 minutes you are already in another world. Where there is a coniferous forest, sandy hills and the Baltic Sea.

By the way, on the way back, pedestrians do not have to pay for the ferry, because the return trip is included in the ticket price. The ferry runs every 20 minutes until 20.00.

If you go straight along the footpath from new ferry crossing, then after 15 minutes you go to a stunning deserted beach.

On the way you enjoy the views of coniferous forests on the Curonian Spit

And solitude. One such walk brought a lot of emotions and new impressions. One could stay on the beach with a sense of accomplishment. But the spirit of adventure took us further to the sand dunes.

According to rumors, which were later confirmed, the highest and most beautiful dunes are located in the city area. Nida, which is almost on the border with Russia, 50 km from Klaipeda.

In Nida, by the way, there is also a beach, but everything is somehow very touristy there, not in our opinion. At 3 km from the city there is one of the most beautiful sand dunes of the Curonian Spit, reaching a height of about 70 meters.

These dunes move under the influence of the wind. Walking sands, in a word. Not only sands can walk, but also people, especially for whom there are signs “Do not walk on the dunes”.

Unfortunately, such a sign for people is like a red rag for a bull. A wide road of footprints in the sand indicates that it is simply impossible for our person to forbid something.

Get from Nida to the sandy dunes You can either walk along the sea or by bike.

Renting a large one for an hour will cost 2 euros, this time is enough to climb the dunes, look at the Russian Federation, take pictures in different poses and return to the city.

There are a lot of cyclists on the Curonian Spit. Equipped trails run along the entire length of the spit, so many people ride with their two-wheeled friends and cut through forests and sands.
Benches for rest are equipped along the entire perimeter of the route.

TOP 3 things to see on the Curonian Spit

1. Coniferous forest

2. Baltic Sea beach near the new crossing

3. Sand dunes near Nida, which offer a view of the Kaliningrad region, the Death Valley and the lighthouse.

How to get to Nida from Klaipeda

You can get to the city of Nida on the Curonian Spit from Klaipeda in two stages: first by ferry, then by bus.

1. Ferry Klaipeda - Smiltyne

First you need to take a ferry from Klaipeda to the city of Smiltyne on the Curonian Spit. Bicycles are transported free of charge, you need to pay only for a person and for a car.

Ferry prices Klaipeda – Smiltyne:

The reserve of the same name located on its territory is included in most tours around Kaliningrad and the region. But there are also many independent travelers who want not only to touch nature, not spoiled by civilization, but also to enjoy the silence, cleanliness and European quality of service.

Description of the famous braid

The Curonian Spit from the Lithuanian side is famous for its resort town of Neringa, which includes 4 former fishing villages that have preserved the flavor of the 19th century - Nida, Juodkrante, Pervalki and Preila. The Lithuanians lovingly preserved the houses covered with thatch and from afar looking like gingerbread houses.

The villages themselves, immersed in greenery and surrounded by forests, promise an unforgettable stay in one of these houses, some of which have been converted into hotels, while others have been converted into bars, museums and restaurants. Local establishments are distinguished by folklore interior design, which gives them a cute charm.

The pride of these places (Curonian Spit) are dunes, some of which reach a height of 70 meters. Vacationers also note the amazing beauty of the embankments and beaches, equipped with the latest technology - there are telephones, convenient slopes for the disabled, and toilets. For their cleanliness, they have been awarded the famous Blue Flag, this certificate of quality and environmental friendliness, which is awarded only to really worthy beaches in the world.

In summer, you can watch sailing regattas from the embankment, and August is really rich in festivals. The Curonian Spit (Lithuania) awaits jazz lovers in early August, and in the middle of the month a festival of reconstruction of the life and life of medieval Lithuanians takes place. On it you can not only watch the work of artisans, but also learn from them or buy their work. At the end of August, the hotels of the Curonian Spit are filled with film fans, artists and directors who came to the international festival "Baltic Wave".

Those who do not like unnecessary fuss and noise can rest in secluded villas or mini-hotels with equipped beaches, delicious local cuisine, clear sea and European service.

How to get there

Travelers who are interested in the Curonian Spit should not worry about how to get there, they just need to choose a mode of transportation:

Whichever method is chosen to visit the Kurshyu Nerija Nature Reserve (Curonian Spit, Lithuania), you should think over the route and accommodation places in advance.

Park "Kurshu Neria"

This famous park is located in the northern part of the spit. It covers an area of ​​26,500 hectares, the most unique part of which is the dunes. For tens of kilometers, wherever you look, sandy hills stretch, which ecologists and enthusiasts are trying to save from destruction.

The landscape of the spit is truly unique; it is not for nothing that millions of birds migrating to the north and back chose it as a place to rest. During the season, ornithologists count up to 20 million birds, among which there are rare species.

Watching them is another type of ecotourism. Hundreds of people climb the dunes or specially equipped observation towers to watch the behavior of the birds.

The most popular dune is Parnigio, which is rightly called the ornithological observatory. Migratory birds should be observed from March to May, but the most impressive is their return from August to November, when their grown chicks join them.

The wild boars that lived here cause no less delight among travelers. The Curonian Spit (Lithuania-Russia) is not only their homeland, where nothing threatens them, but also the opportunity to communicate with people from whom these semi-wild animals beg for food. Well, where else can you find a wild boar standing on the road in the hope that the car will stop and something tasty will fall to it?

Another reason to come to these parts is the opportunity to observe the oldest colony of cormorants and herons that settled here during the Middle Ages. During this time, hundreds of generations of birds have changed, and they continue to live where they are protected.

You can learn about the local landscape and its changes over a thousand years, about the plants and animals that were here and disappeared, and about those that grow today, in the Curonian Spit Museum. The border with Lithuania divides the reserve into 2 parts, but does not make it less unique.

Historical Museum of Neringa

Once upon a time, the Curonian people lived on the spit. They had their own legend about the appearance of these places. One lord had a daughter, Neringa, who was a giant. Her purpose was to help fishermen during a storm, for which she had to go into the sea and pull ships to the shore for her kindness and travelers who got lost in the forests, whom she led to the nearest villages, knew her kindness.

Once people managed to anger the god of the winds, who sent a hurricane of such force that Neringa could not pass through the huge waves to the ships. Then she took sand into her apron and began to throw it into the sea until land formed there, on which people took shelter. In honor of their salvation, they named the sandy shore of Neringa, where the city of the same name later appeared.

The Neringa Historical Museum tells in great detail about the events from the first settlement of people here to the present day. More than three hundred years ago, the local population, not thinking about the consequences, began to cut down forests for the construction of ships, and when their houses began to be swallowed up by the dunes one by one, a decision was made to green the area, which has not stopped to this day. For this, grasses and plants with strongly intertwined root systems were planted. A net of roots stopped the sand, and later trees were replanted on dune-free land, now under protection and cut down only when there is a threat of falling from old age.

To preserve a thin layer of earth and the dunes themselves, decks have been installed in the reserve, from which it is not recommended to leave. The weather on the Curonian Spit allows you to walk here at any time of the year, although in winter fishermen are more common than tourists.

Nida

This city, once a Curonian settlement, is today the capital of this region. It is simply amazing how people were able to preserve the color, life and houses of the people who once lived here. For many tourists, the Curonian Spit, which differs even from what can be seen on the mainland, is an island of a completely different life.

Here, each house is original, and the local architectural style is not found anywhere else - neither in Lithuania, nor in Germany, nor in Finland, nor in Latvia, countries from which people became the future people of the Curonians with their own language and culture.

Each building in Nida has its own carved decoration and architraves. The Curonians were not only fishermen, but also wood carvers and crow catchers. You can learn about their life in the small museum "Fishing Life". In Nida, even the cemeteries are an attraction.

The Curonians had their own custom of burying the dead. Instead of a cross at the head of the grave, they placed krikshts at the feet - carved wooden posts with different shapes of tops. They were buried to the depth of the grave, since this people had a belief that during the Last Judgment, the resurrected would be able to get out of them, grabbing the shaft.

Admirers of Thomas Mann can visit his house-museum, and amber lovers can look forward to a whole gallery of this beautiful solar stone.

Amber Museum

Every year, thousands of people are attracted to the Curonian Spit. Rest, the cost of which will cost from 2500 rubles / night per room, is considered inexpensive, given that these places are rich in sights, beautiful landscapes, that there is a clear sea and European service.

The pearl of Nida is the Amber Museum, where guides will lovingly tell the most romantic legends about the origin of this stone and about all its deposits in Lithuania. Amber of various shapes and sizes is presented here, unprocessed stones are especially impressive with their originality.

In addition to the expositions, the museum has a department dedicated to the work of jewelers, where their works from already processed different colors are exhibited. In the gallery you can buy both separately amber and products with it. From the variety of shapes, colors and sizes, the eyes simply run up, but the prices for this stone are quite high.

Those who are lucky enough to get to the amber exhibition will be more fortunate. The prices there are more democratic, and the choice is much wider, as "amber" craftsmen from all over Lithuania come to it.

Juodkrante

This village is interesting for everyone who is attracted by otherworldly and witchcraft. Witch Mountain, near which he sheltered, for many centuries was a gathering place for pagans who performed their rites here until the 19th century.

Especially numerous was the pilgrimage of pagans to this region during the time of the Inquisition, when, at the slightest accusation, people were burned at the stake. People from all over Europe came here, and the Curonian Spit was their natural protection.

The mountain is actually a dune overgrown with pine forest. Today, there is a stunning museum of wood, where craftsmen - carvers embodied in this material all the beliefs and fears of the Curonians who once lived here. For example, there are many witches and dragons, there is a merman and gods of pagan Lithuania.

The image of a wooden old man embodies the legend of a storyteller who knew thousands of stories about evil spirits and told them to everyone who wanted to listen. The god Perkunas demanded that he entertain him with them all night, for which he promised a bag of gold. The storyteller replied that he could not tell under duress, for which he was sent to Witch Mountain as a punishment.

No less interesting in Juodkrante is the gallery of weather vanes, which were built by the Curonians. They are of different shapes and colors, each of which symbolizes a story from the life of this people.

Maritime Museum

If the weather on the Curonian Spit has deteriorated, then the day can be spent in the interesting Sea Museum - Aquarium. It is located in a 19th century bastion fortress built by the Germans in the Smiltynė region. Among the expositions presented there are stands dedicated to marine life, the history of shipping and shipbuilding, and the place of the gun platforms was taken by anchors that were brought here from all over the country.

In the redoubts there are aquariums in which 40 species of marine life feel great. On the site of the former village of fishermen, near the bastion, an ethnic village appeared, where houses, utensils, and household items of the Pomeranian fishermen who lived here, even their ships and boats, on which they went to the Baltic to fish, were reproduced.

The inhabitants of the aquariums are representatives of Lithuanian rivers, lakes and the sea, as well as guests from the tropics - catfish, chub, grayling, sabrefish, eel and exotic starfish, a huge freshwater moray eel, sea urchins and a collection of corals.

Equipped outdoor pools are inhabited by penguins, seals, and in summer, a dolphinarium with the participation of Black Sea dolphins operates near the bastion.

Where to stay

Even at the height of the summer season, the Curonian Spit is available for newly arrived guests. Rest, the cost of which here ranges from 10 euros per night in a campsite and up to 4,500 rubles. in the hotel, is considered one of the best and European inexpensive.

As vacationers note, the only drawback of the spit is some congestion of this place by motorists, although most of them come only for a night or two.

The most popular are the Curonian Spit hotels, some of which are converted fishermen's houses, fully adapted for a comfortable stay. For example, Nidos Banga 3 is the guest house of Hermann Blode, who founded a creative colony for artists in them at the end of the 19th century. Today it is 3 villas, which are equipped with cozy rooms and a restaurant with national cuisine.

Villa "Elvira", located in the middle of a pine forest, is very popular with guests of the Curonian Spit. This hotel has only 9 rooms, but each of them has a bathroom and satellite TV. Guests have at their disposal a common lounge with a fireplace and leather furniture, located in the basement of the house. The hotel has a garden with picnic pavilions with barbecue facilities.

For travelers who like to not only stare at the sights, but also spend their holidays with benefit, the Nidos Seklycia hotel is suitable. There is a spa where you can spend time in an infrared sauna, a large jacuzzi or a bath. For business people there is a conference hall for 35 people.

Each room of the hotel has a bathroom with heated floors, satellite TV, a mini-bar, bathrobes and slippers and the necessary bath accessories.

Campsites and guest houses

The Curonian Spit also offers guest houses equipped with the latest technology. For example, Vasara (Nida) offers rooms with a DVD player, autonomous heating and satellite TV. They have seating areas with upholstered furniture, a table and a tea/coffee set, and a bedroom with modern beds and hypoallergenic linens. In the shared kitchen, guests can prepare or heat up meals, although the nearest café is only 50 meters away.

But not only in Nida the Curonian Spit offers to relax. Guest houses in Neringa and Juodkrante can also boast of their amenities. For example, Oro Pervalka is an excellent example of a combination of price and quality. This guest house offers its guests superior rooms with all amenities. It is chosen by those who are used to actively spend their holidays. By renting a bike here, you can explore the surroundings and not be dependent on finding a car park when sightseeing.

Camping on the Curonian Spit (Lithuania) awaits people on personal transport. Its location is simply unique. Situated between the dune of Parnigio and the sea, it is only a hundred meters from the white sandy beach and the ancient settlement of the Stone Age people.

Guests can expect cozy rooms in winter and a place where you can park your car and stretch out a tent in summer. Guests have at their disposal clean toilets and showers, a shared kitchen with several stoves for cooking. Even in high season, shelter can be found here, and there are never queues for public places.

And friendly staff attract travelers here year after year. The Curonian Spit is not only the largest spit in the world, but also the most comfortable for both recreation and life.

The Lithuanian part of the Curonian Spit is a narrow strip of land that stretches for 50 km. from North to South.

On these kilometers, where the Curonian Spit is located, everything that a traveler could wish for fit: historical, cultural and natural attractions, several museums, five villages, hotels and camping, a national park, the sea, dunes, and forest. On the territory of the Curonian Spit there are even settlements of cormorants and herons. And, of course, there is its own anomalous zone. And all this is just a step to step, very close.

Story

The history of the Curonian Spit began with a miracle. Fishermen living on the seashore struggled with the waves every day. In the morning they went to the sea, and in the evening they returned to their homes and saw that the sea was getting closer and the waves were already reaching the threshold.

The inhabitants were about to leave the village and go to another place. But kind Neringa took sand into her apron and poured it out on the path of the Baltic waves. So the legendary fishermen received protection for their homes, Neringa - the love and veneration of the inhabitants of the Baltic coast, and we, modern people - the opportunity to see with our own eyes miracle Curonian Spit.

This place great in any season. It, like any miracle of nature, beckons to itself and gives its beauty to anyone who wants to accept it.

It is impossible to visit Lithuania and not reach the Curonian Spit. Because on a narrow arrow all the most characteristic and all the most unusual are combined.

Ferry Klaipeda - Curonian Spit

Ferry is the only vehicle, which will take you to the spit. More precisely, there are even two of them. The old ferry crossing only carries pedestrians and cyclists. Total 15-20 minutes, and the ferry will land in Smiltyne, the northernmost village of the Curonian Spit.

Ferry Klaipeda - Curonian Spit. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/freefoto/

Ferry timetable

From October 01, 2013 to February 28, 2014 the ferry runs every day on schedule below. Departure time is Lithuanian.

Old ferry crossing (for pedestrians)

New ferry crossing

Ticket price

And if you are traveling in your own car, you need new ferry crossing, cars are transported only by them. From Smiltyne to the southernmost village, Nida can be reached by local bus, taxi or in your own car. Do not forget that car entry to the territory of the national park is paid, payment of 20 litas is made at the tenth kilometer of the only highway on the Curonian Spit.

Attractions Smiltyne

However, do not rush to leave Smiltyne without visiting Maritime Museum and Dolphinarium. They are located on the territory of an old Prussian fortress, which was carefully restored.

Models of ships in the Maritime Museum. Photo: https: // site

Heading south...

... It is convenient to navigate like this: on the right - the Baltic Sea and beaches, on the left - the Curonian Lagoon and settlements. Juodkrante is the next village you will come across on your way to the south. On its territory is the Mountain of Witches.

Now there is a theme park, decorated with dozens of carved wooden sculptures. The most attentive visitor may even find the devil dancing at a village party. And on the embankment, stone sculptures lined up in a row.

Even further south along the map of the Curonian Spit, there are small Pervalka and Preila, which were founded by residents of villages buried under the dunes. From these settlements, it is easy to get to the Nagliu nature reserve, walk to the Jirgu lighthouse or climb to the top of the fifty-meter Skirpstas dune.

The village of Nida on the Curonian Spit. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ellennetcom/

Nida has several historical and ethnographic museums, an amber museum, the famous Nida lighthouse. The valley of death is associated with a heavy historical memory - many French prisoners of war died on its territory at the end of the 19th century.

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The highest dunes are located in the vicinity of Nida, and a sundial is installed on the top of the Parnigio dune. It is from Nida that the road begins to the dancing, as if drunk, forest of the Curonian Spit.

Dancing Forest on the Curonian Spit

No one knows exactly what forces of nature make pines bend in an unprecedented dance. A place where there is not a single upright tree, birds do not sing and do not settle, is rightfully considered anomalous.

Dancing forest on the Curonian Spit. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/barthelomaus/

And, of course, the main attraction of the spit, its wealth and lure for the curious. Dunes. White dunes, speaking in quiet rustling voices with the Baltic wind. Dunes that destroyed the homes of local residents and which were stopped by the joint efforts of man and wildlife.

dune walk produces impression of unreality what is happening. After a dozen or two steps, you completely forget about the sea on one side and the bay on the other. There is a feeling of desert loneliness.

Sand dunes on the Curonian Spit. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/freefoto/

Now the movement of the dunes is limited, the Curonian Spit is reliably protected by pine forests, shrubs and grasses. However, in two natural reserves, the dunes were left free. There they, as they have been accustomed to since ancient times, move freely across the entire spit.

Born at the seashore, they grow and gain strength, and then, obedient to the wind, begin their movement. Centimeter by centimeter they make their way deep into the land, cross it and end their existence in the Curonian Lagoon.

Traveling along a narrow strip of land between the Baltic Sea and the bay leaves no one indifferent. Maybe that's why the first visit is followed by the second, and then the third.

Because when you come across the wonderful sights of the Curonian Spit, watching them with your own eyes, you always want to come back and see something else. Something new, special, carefully reserved for the most faithful admirers of the Curonian Spit, its nature and the girl Neringa, who once scattered sand from her apron.

This was our first trip abroad with our car. Everything was new and a little scary. How is it by car across the border, how is it further along unfamiliar roads ... What if the police ... After crossing the border between Belarus and Lithuania, we, to the surprise of the locals, literally crept along narrow and unfamiliar roads, observing all the rules and leaving a “reserve” of speed. Over time, we have learned to break a little where it is safe and to focus on the traffic and on the locals.

Palanga. About city beaches and weather

Palanga is our destination, the purpose of the holiday. Looking ahead, I will say that as such a beach holiday did not work out of 15 days, we were only 2 times at sea. However, to tell a little about this city is still worth it, but first - the road. Vilnius and the Planga junction - Klaipeda are connected by the A6 highway. Local regulations allow you to drive on it up to 130 km/h, which seems like an unheard-of generosity compared to other roads.

Hotels in Palanga

There are plenty of places for comfortable accommodation, although in the summer months, especially during the “bathing period”, and here it is very short, hotels, mini-hotels and private apartments are almost completely filled with tourists. We arrived in Palanga just in the highest season - July-August, however, it was not a problem to book very comfortable apartments through booking. One has only to take care of booking at least three months in advance. And so the room in the guest house cost quite reasonable money with a fairly high level of comfort.

Beaches

The beach in Palanga is very worthy - clean fine sand, a lot of free WC, which is rare in our resorts. Surprised by the lack of sun loungers even for a fee. Of the minuses, one can note the almost never-ending wind, so many people prefer special folding mini-tents to traditional umbrellas, where you can hide your head so that your face does not fall asleep with sand.

There are things that are a curiosity in Russian resorts. Almost every corner offers bicycle rental services - for children, teens, adults, with a "female frame" - for every taste. If you are traveling with small children, you can choose from a child seat or a special trailer. Such attention to cycling is not at all casual. Bicycle paths are equipped throughout the city, as well as the A10 cycle route, along which you can easily get to Klaipeda, and then use the ferry to cross to the Curonian Spit. The cycle route runs through picturesque places: the coast of the Baltic Sea, pine groves, a park.
The town has a botanical garden and a huge park. True, we did not manage to appreciate these sights due to heavy rains that began in the second half of the vacation. On clear and cloudy evenings, Palanga offers a theatrical show created by nature itself - sunset.

The sun seems to bathe in the Baltic Sea and the bright, saturated sky full of colors.
It seems that all the tourist people are going to watch this performance. Already an hour before the show, you can’t get to the pier, and you can hardly place photo equipment near the water in such a way that only the main characters get into the frame: the Sun and the sky. Nevertheless, all this crowd and local establishments do not create some kind of terrible noise. There are no noisy discos in the city, mostly cafes and restaurants. The cuisine is very diverse, but you can not eat really tasty everywhere.

What to see in Palanga

There is a completely modern amusement park: from carousels for kids to very extreme entertainment for adults. As for the sea, I personally did not have a chance to swim in it. Still, 19-20 degrees is very cool for me. As they say - for an amateur. In general, if we talk about Lithuania as a place for a beach holiday, then you need to be prepared for the vagaries and peculiarities of the local weather: cool water, frequent storms, cool wind, and very heavy rains are not uncommon. In a word, if you are not afraid of the scorching sun with +40 in the shade, +28 water, then it is better to go to Turkey. If you like the healing air and 22-24 degrees in the middle of summer, feel free to go to the Baltic.

You can go on a two-day excursion to Palanga and Klaipeda.

Curonian spit. Lithuanian side

The Curonian Spit (lit. Kuršių nerija) is a sandy spit located on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The name of the spit comes from the name of the ancient tribes of the Curonians who lived here before the colonization of Prussia by the Germans.

Length - 98 kilometers, width ranges from 400 meters (near the village of Lesnoy) to 3.8 kilometers (near Cape Bulviko, just north of Nida). Here, at a very short distance from each other, very different landscapes coexist: sandy-desert, coniferous forests, birch forests of western Russia. The spit resembles a museum of natural areas. The spit stretches from the city of Zelenogradsk in the Kaliningrad region to the Lithuanian Klaipeda (Smiltyne). But this is just a dry encyclopedic extract. In fact, this place is a unique monument of nature. As mentioned above, part of the Curonian Spit is located on Russian territory, part on the territory of Lithuania.

To get from Klaipeda to the Curonian Spit, you need to use the services of a ferry.

This year I had to visit from “both sides” (a story about the Kaliningrad region). Unfortunately, in terms of accommodation and cleanliness, “our unit” is significantly inferior to the Lithuanian one. Bicycle paths, flower beds, neatly trimmed shrubs and lawns - all this, alas, is not on our side or very little. The Lithuanians treated their piece of fertile land much more carefully.

In addition to wonderful landscapes and cycling along the sea, tourists are offered yachts for every taste - from high-speed modern ones to sailboats. Prices are quite affordable.

Small villages located on Kos are designed in the same style. Well-groomed lawns and a sea of ​​flowers.

Sand dunes of the Curonian Spit

As I said above, the Curonian Spit is, first of all, a natural monument. Majestic sand dunes stretch along the coast of the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon. Parking lots are organized in the most picturesque places, and special paths are laid for tourists.

It is believed that the dunes of the Curonian Spit are the largest wandering dunes in Europe. However, this natural monument could already have disappeared if not for the efforts to strengthen the dunes. Back in the 19th century, the Prussian government began work to strengthen the dunes by planting greenery on the spit.

The dunes are not only beautiful, but also very dangerous. Tourists are strictly forbidden to walk outside the marked paths, since the sand is very insidious, drowning, that is, being buried alive, is more than real here. Before the dunes began to be strengthened, not just people drowned in the sands, but entire villages.

Maritime Museum in Lithuania

One of the most popular places on the Curonian Spit is the Maritime Museum with a dolphinarium. True, at the time of our trip, the dolphinarium was closed for reconstruction. Nevertheless, a visit to the Maritime Museum will be very interesting for children.

You can feed the fish by hand, food will be provided to you. Perhaps the Lithuanian Maritime Museum is not the most impressive in the world, but it is great for diluting the vacation “routine” in the form of beaches, entertaining children and admiring the marine life for yourself.

Now, by the way, the exposition of the museum has been significantly expanded and, in addition to the dolphinarium and the aquarium, which is discussed in this article, you can also learn about the history of navigation, explore the marine nature, see the sea fort of the Curonian Spit, find out how the fishermen lived and how they fished. In general, when going to the Lithuanian Maritime Museum, expect that this trip will take a whole day.

All the information you need for the trip - about prices, opening hours, etc. - is available on the website of the Lithuanian Maritime Museum.

Hotels on the Curonian Spit

On the Lithuanian part of the Curonian Spit there is the resort town of Neringa, which consists of four villages: Nida, Juodkrante, Preila and Pervalka. There are a lot of hotels, camp sites, apartments here, but the prices ... prices, especially in the high season, may not please you at all, although if you take care of booking in advance, you can find interesting options at a very reasonable price.

You can visit all the most interesting places in Lithuania by agreeing on an excursion with a local guide. Fortunately, finding a Russian-speaking guide is not a problem. For example, Gintaras will show you all the most interesting and unusual places in Lithuania. Contact him.