🌊 Curonian Spit: the pearl of Lithuania

If your trip to Lithuania ends at Vilnius airport , then this text is definitely for you. Be sure to set aside time, for example, for a long weekend and go to the Baltic Sea on the Curonian Spit, and if you have already been, then go again.

The Curonian Spit is an extended sandy area with dunes. 48 of the 98 kilometers are on the Lithuanian side, the rest is in the Kaliningrad region.

On the Lithuanian Spit there is a small resort town of Neringa, which consists of four villages: Nida, Juodkrante, Preila and Pervalka. I’ll tell you more about the first two. But first, in general: all places retain the authenticity of 19th century fishing villages. These are bright wooden gingerbread houses, surrounded by a lot of greenery and flowers, parks that look more like a forest, and, of course, dunes.

Where does this name come from?

In the 9th century, on the territory of the Curonian Spit, Curonian tribes lived in the forests – hence the name of the spit. In the 11th century, Vikings settled in the area, and from the mid-13th century the lands began to belong to the Teutonic Order. The spit became a connecting territorial link around the former Koenigsberg. The Order built guard structures there and strictly protected forest areas, which is why the sacred forests of the Curonian pagans remained untouched at that time. But, alas, after the fall of the Order, forests began to be cut down en masse – the result was disastrous. the sand “buried” and displaced more than a dozen fishing villages. Strengthening the nomadic sands began only in the 19th century and continues to this day.

What to see?

On the Curonian Spit you can see a unique coniferous forest, it is also called “dancing”, the tree trunks wind in unusual zigzags. Scientists have not yet figured out the reason for this phenomenon.

You can learn about the history of the area and its ancient settlements at the Neringa Historical Museum in Nida or at the ethnographic fisherman’s estate.

If you love beach holidays and come to the Baltic Sea in the summer, then you will certainly be captivated by the whitish sandy beaches of Neringa. Their width is up to 70 meters. No trash or broken sun loungers. Everything is clean and well equipped. There are even special slopes for people with additional needs. The territory has an important award, the international Blue Flag certificate. The document confirms the safety and environmental friendliness of the area.

If you allocate several days to the Curonian Spit, then it will be most convenient to stay overnight in Nida or Juodkrante – the service there is much better. If you choose not a classic hotel, but a fisherman’s hut, then even there everything will be perfectly restored and beautiful. In all villages there are many bars and restaurants with folklore en tour and national cuisine.

Nida

Nida is an elite resort village. In the summer, up to 40 thousand people vacation there, and this is with a population of just over a thousand. In the 19th century, artists and writers liked to gather in Nida, Sigmund Freud, known not only from memes, even Nobel laureate Thomas Mann. He wrote the final part of the Joseph trilogy there. Of course, there is also a museum named after the author, so rejoice, fans of the writer’s work.

But the main attraction of the village is the highest unique dunes. In some places, the surface of the sand resembles a ribbed seabed – a mesmerizing sight.

Be sure to climb the highest dune of Parnigio (more than 50 meters), you will see a huge sundial made of stone and granite.

There are many bike rental points in Nida; riding past local beauties among pine forests and sand dunes is a great pleasure, but be prepared that it can be windy. In good weather, it is possible to fly over the dunes on a glider.

For lovers of active sea recreation there is also freedom: yachts, kayaks, boats, paragliders, SUPs, wind surfing and much more.

The Baltic is famous for its amber, so if you want to learn more about it and buy it as a souvenir, check out the Miniature Amber Museum. You will know which amber is cheaper or more expensive due to its transparency, see unique fossils with insects inside and look at designer creations.

Tourism and fishing are the basis of the local economy. Nida has an excellent shopping infrastructure for such a small area: there is a shopping center “Maxima”, a market with the freshest products. Be sure to stop by the fishing estate “Pas Iona” – they have very tasty, freshly smoked fish.

Juodkrante

Near the second largest village of Juodkrantė, there is Witch Mountain, a sacred place for pagans. At the end of the last century, local craftsmen created dozens of wooden sculptures united by ancient Lithuanian mythology.

In the Gallery of Weathervanes, as you can easily guess from the name, you can hear a lot of interesting things about Kush weathervanes, whose color, shape and combination of plot elements are never chosen by chance.

At the entrance to the village, on a hill in the middle of the forest, a kilometer from the sea, there is the Juodkrantsky lighthouse, you can also go up there.

Juodkrante also has the country's only Museum of Miniatures; in addition to the permanent exhibition, there are often various thematic exhibitions there. And in general, when walking around the village, you will see more than one art object along the road.

Preila and Pervalka

About 10 kilometers from Nida there are two more small and comfortable resort places – Preila and Pervalka. It was there that the inhabitants of some dune-filled villages once moved. Now a little more than 200 people live there, some schools are larger in composition. If you decide to choose these particular villages for your vacation, then visit the local lighthouse and the very dunes that once “buried” the villages.

In the villages there are more and a corresponding choice of entertainment, but what is the same everywhere are beautiful, well-kept beaches, fishing spots, walking and cycling paths and forests with a lot of mushrooms and berries.

The resort villages of the Curonian Spit are clearly not the place where you should go for noisy entertainment and night parties. For this you need to go to Palanga. It is located 25 kilometers from Kos, you can always combine it. People come to Neringa mainly for a break from the city, digital noise, and stress. In order to serenely enjoy the aromas and landscapes of the forest, sea, endless dunes, to be alone with yourself and in harmony with your thoughts. The atmosphere of the resort contributes to the restoration of mental health, complete relaxation, and even returns a person’s energy in two or three days – even some psychologists recommend this place for recovery.

The vastness of the Baltic Sea with its wide beaches and melancholic surf, mesmerizing dunes, the “dancing forest”, the rich soothing aroma of pine needles – all this cannot be forgotten or left indifferent. I hope and wish that the Curonian Spit will conquer you too.