Klaipeda
Klaipeda is the oldest city in Lithuania and is located on the Baltic Sea coast. The Lithuanians were the last pagans in Europe, and during the Christianization process, the Memel Castle was built here. Did you know that at that time the influence of the Dortmund merchants was so great that there was a proposal to rename the city Memel/Klaipeda to New Dortmund? Perhaps you still recognize some of the words that were common back then?
The city of Memel/Klaipeda belonged to Prussia, and through trade with various countries, including Lithuania, a unique culture emerged in this region. Despite the border with Lithuania, people on both sides couldn't be deterred from trading, nor could the exchange of customs and traditions be prevented.
The harbor of Memel/Klaipeda was then the Dane River. Queen Louise walked here when Memel/Klaipeda was the Prussian capital for a year. Queen Louise and King Friedrich Wilhelm III lived right by the old harbor, in what is now the Klaipeda Town Hall. Perhaps you would like to stroll by the harbor like Queen Louise, shop at the market, or enjoy delicious Lithuanian food in one of the old warehouses? If you prefer, you can simply pause and watch the hustle and bustle of the city.
Check out the fountain of the famous Ännchen von Tharau in Klaipeda and listen to her story. Or walk through the old streets of Klaipeda, with its unusually timber-framed houses for Lithuania.
Curonian Spit
Have you ever heard of the Curonian Spit?
The Curonian Spit is a 98 km long sand dune spit between Klaipeda, Lithuania, and Lesnoje in the Kaliningrad Oblast. Today, 52 km of the Curonian Spit belong to Lithuania. However, if you look more closely at the Curonian Spit, you will see that it is much more than that. It is an island full of mystical stories and shifting sands. Did you know that a migrating dune can move 1 to 10 meters per year? Fourteen villages were buried under the shifting dunes on the Curonian Spit. The Great Dune near Nida is one of the largest dunes in Europe and is also called the East Prussian Sahara.
Learn more about the time when the Prussian Queen Louise spent the night in Nida while fleeing from Napoleon and about the Mother-in-Law Mountain, where the famous writer Thomas Mann built his holiday home. Hear stories about raven trapping and the raven biters, or observe the cormorants in one of the largest cormorant colonies in Europe. Relax on the 52 km long beach of the Curonian Spit, which according to "Lonely Planet" is one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in Europe, collect Baltic gold – amber, explore the variety of plant and bird species in the Curonian Spit National Park, or experience a family of moose or wild boars up close.
**Palanga**
The small town of Palanga is a popular seaside resort on the Baltic Sea, located about 25 km north of the district capital Klaipeda (formerly Memel) and about 350 km northwest of the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. It is less than 20 km to the Latvian border. Palanga is also Lithuania's largest bathing resort, with its beach stretching approximately 24 km from Klaipeda to the Latvian border. The park beach has been awarded a blue flag certification. The town receives at least 2.5 million visitors annually. However, most of the numerous visitors come to Palanga not for sightseeing but rather for relaxation. A walk is definitely worthwhile, as you will frequently encounter sculptures from Lithuanian folklore and fairy tales, and the town is well-maintained and green. Now, embark on a journey through this small town:
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Start with the former palace of Count Feliks Tyszkiewicz, built in neoclassical style in 1897 according to the design of Berlin architect Franz Schwechten. Since 1963, it has housed the Amber Museum, surrounded by a well-kept botanical garden. The museum originated from a small exhibition of 32 pieces that the count had displayed in his billiard room. Today, it includes approximately 18,000 exhibits, including a 3.5 kg piece of sunstone from Baltic amber, over a thousand prehistoric amber jewelry pieces, and one of the largest collections of inclusions in the world.
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The Palanga Botanical Park is one of the most beautiful parks in Eastern Europe, designed in a landscape and English style with neoclassical elements. Currently, the area of the botanical park is 101.3 ha, of which its tree plantations cover 60 ha, meadows 24.5 ha, and flower gardens 0.5 ha. The park features 8 buildings of various purposes, a 1000 sqm orangery, 9 sculptures, and many forms of small architecture. Traditional events take place in the park during the summer: chamber concerts on the terrace of the Amber Museum and in the fireplace hall, poetry evenings, and concerts by wind orchestras, ethnographic festivals, and other events.
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Another highlight of the park is Birute Hill and its surroundings. This hill was a sacred site for the ancient Balts with eternal fire and is still considered sacred today.
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The Catholic Church of the Assumption of Mary was built from 1897 to 1907 in a neo-Gothic brick style designed by Swedish architect K. E. Strandmann in the shape of a Latin cross with a 76-meter-high tower. Another noteworthy building is the Kurhaus Palanga, constructed in 1877 and expanded from 1905/1909 to 1914, which was rebuilt in 2014 after a fire in 2012.
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One of the most impressive buildings from the first half of the 19th century is the wooden structure of Palanga's first pharmacy, which is still in operation. Here, the famous herbal schnapps “Trejos devynerios” (“3 times 9”) was produced from 26 herbs. This alcoholic beverage was used not only as a drink but also as a universal remedy against colds and for treating wounds, as well as for toning the body.
After you have dared to try the drink, make your way to the famous pedestrian zone leading to the beach—the main artery of the town. The promenade is now called J. Basanaviciaus Street, built in 1877 when the Tyszkiewicz family began to expand the spa resort (it was then known as Tyszkiewicz Boulevard). Here, you can stroll for nearly a kilometer among restaurants, pubs, amusement rides, and street musicians. The street ends with the pier built in 1997, which is 470 meters long and transforms into a romantic promenade in the evenings. There’s nothing greater than watching a wonderfully setting sun from the pier to inspire your soul. The Baltic Sea will softly whisper to you to come back to Palanga...
Memel Land
Memel Land, or the Memel Territory (Lithuanian: Klaipedos krastas), refers to a territory of 2,656.7 km², measuring 140 km in length and 20 km in width, north of the Memel River, which was separated from East Prussia under the Treaty of Versailles and administered by the representative of the Allied Powers—France—from early 1920 until early 1923.
From 1923 until 1939, the area belonged to Lithuania, from 1939 to 1945 to Germany, and after World War II to the Soviet Union. This historic region is still connected to unique fates and includes places where the past is still palpable. A visit to Memel Land is certainly worthwhile, as there is much to see and experience:
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The Memel fishing villages of Dreverna (German: Drawöhnen), Svencele (Schwänzelen), Kintai (German: Kinten), and Sturmai (German: Sturmen) are romantically situated by the lagoon. Dreverna is particularly popular with kite surfers and sailors and has a harbor for small boats. Here, you can visit an authentically built historical Kurenkahn and a 15-meter-high observation tower that offers a splendid panoramic view—not only of the surroundings and the Curonian Lagoon but also of the Dead Dunes of the Curonian Spit. Kintai is known as the birthplace of decorative pennants, and here you can admire the true pride of the locals: the second-largest Thuja tree (18 meters high) in Europe. Southeast of Kintai lies the Nemunas Delta Regional Park, and north of Kintai is a pristine forest and botanical reserve. The small villages of Sturmai and especially Svencele attract many travelers, particularly water sports enthusiasts: the wind, the lagoon, the sun, the wild nature, and of course, the panorama of the Curonian Spit...
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The bird ringing station at Windenburg Point (Lithuanian: Ventes ragas), established in 1929 by ornithologist Tadas Ivanauskas. To this day, Windenburg Point has one of the highest concentrations of migratory birds in Europe. Up to 300,000 birds pass through this landform each day. On record days, there can be up to a million birds! Every year, 60,000 to 80,000 birds are ringed here.
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The idyllic fishing village of Minge (also known as Minija or Mine), with just about 30 inhabitants, is divided by the river, which also serves as the main street. Because of the beautiful and unique landscape, Minge is referred to as “the little Venice of Lithuania.”
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Lithuania's only island, Rusne (German: Ruß), covers an area of 47 km² and includes five villages: Skirvyte, Vorusne, Pakalne, Syskrante, and Uostadvaris (German: Skirwietell, Warruß, Pokallna, Schießkrandt, and Kuwertshof). Directly southeast of Rusne runs the border to the Russian Oblast of Kaliningrad. A tour visiting the main attractions will surely enrich the day of the curious traveler with unforgettable photos: the Evangelical Church, the historic post office, the remains of the famous Peter's Bridge, the old wooden houses from the 19th century, the ethnographic fisher homestead, and the monument to Mahatma Gandhi and Hermann Kallenbach. A detour to Uostadvaris (German: Kuwersthof) to visit the historic lighthouse and the listed pump station is also a must.
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The town of Silute (German: Heydekrug) boasts many interesting historical cultural monuments: the old marketplace, the Hugo Scheu Museum, the post office, and the fire station; the former prison listed in the cultural heritage register; the train station complex with the preserved water supply building, storage, and railway workers' houses; and the Evangelical Church with its unique altarpiece by R. Pfeiffer, which depicts 140 different famous personalities, such as Bach and Luther, and represents the history of the world.
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Visit Aukstumala, a well-known raised bog near Silute, in the Nemunas Delta Regional Park (coordinates N 55° 23′16″ E 21° 21′08″). The western part is still very well preserved. In the eastern part, peat is still being extracted. The exploration trail established in the Aukstumala bog offers a rare and unique opportunity to learn about the famous raised bog, experience its characteristic plants and animals, and understand the unique beauty of the landscape, realizing that the bog is one of the few remaining homes for extremely rare wetland plants and animals. Let a guide lead you into the depths of this beautiful place.
The old and new Memel Land—a place of memories, nostalgia, and intertwining histories of Lithuania and Germany—awaits you!
**Image Credits:**
©M.Gricenas_LithuaniaTravel, ©M.Jovaisa_LithuaniaTravel, ©R.Anusauskas_LithuaniaTravel
**Texts:** ©UAB "BaltTours," 2020
