Lithuania Curonian Spit how to get there. Unique nature reserve Curonian Spit in Lithuania. Vacation with children

In Nida, we were not immediately able to find suitable parking, since it turned out to be indecently expensive in the center of the village. After driving around the town a little and at the same time refueling the car at an automatic gas station located on the outskirts, we chose a parking lot where the first hour was free, and for the subsequent hours the price was quite reasonable.

We started our walk from the embankment.

Nida village (Nida) is part of the city of Neringa. It was first mentioned in the chronicles of the Teutonic Order, dating back to 1429 and 1497. True, at that time the settlement was located a couple of kilometers to the south. It was moved to in 1784 due to a wandering dune.

Until the second half of the 20th century, people swam in the waters of the Curonian Lagoon. Kurenasy (kurėnas). This is a sailing flat-bottomed fishing boat made of oak. The length of the boat could reach 14 meters. A local feature were weather vanes - Curonian pennants, which were attached to the mast.

Each village had its own weather vane with an individual design. Over time, their decoration turned into an art and pennants became a tourist attraction. They were distributed as souvenirs for tourists.

Boat identification using pennants was introduced by fishing inspector Ernst Beerbohm in 1844. In his opinion, this should have simplified control over compliance with fishing rules. In addition, the first three letters of the name of the native village and the number began to be applied to the sails and sides of each boat.

Kurenasy ceased to be used after the Second World War. Currently, recreated examples of these boats can be seen in Klaipeda and Kaliningrad.

We continue our walk around Nida.

Monument Vytautas Keriagis (1951-2008) - one of the first Lithuanian bards. He is also known in the country as a TV presenter, pop director, actor, and founder of cabaret and song theater.

And in this house lived a more famous creative personality - a German writer, Nobel Prize laureate Thomas Mann (1875-1955). He loved the Curonian Spit very much.

Mann and his family lived in the villa built here from 1930 to 1932. During this creative period he wrote the novel "Joseph and His Brothers."

IN House of Tamas Mann Now there is a cultural center and an exhibition dedicated to the work of the famous author. Here Evenings of classical music and poetry are held.

On the roof of the house, on a chimney, there is a romantic weather vane in the shape of a ship.

In the village there is a local fisherman's estate-museum. The house has 6 living rooms, furnished in an ancient style.

The main occupation of the residents has always been fishing.

This is how the dunes look from Nida.

Since we had been traveling along the Curonian Spit since early morning, we decided to have lunch in Nida. However, it turned out to be not so simple. The eateries located near the embankment were not satisfactory either in terms of assortment, interior, or atmosphere. We had to go in and out of several establishments until we found a restaurant that fully met our wishes. Here the cuisine was varied and Belgian beer was offered, which is very popular in our company.

The interior of the restaurant is nice, there are not many people, the dishes are delicious, served in beautiful plates, the portions are decent, the prices are normal.

Having had a pleasant lunch, we walked along the pretty street back to the car. There were quite a few cars with Russian license plates parked here. We assume that our compatriots rented these houses or rooms in them for a vacation on the Curonian Spit.

Approximately one kilometer from the center of the village there is another interesting landmark of the Curonian Spit - a 29-meter Nida lighthouse (Nidos švyturys), rising on the 51-meter top of the Urbo dune. It took the place of what was completely destroyed in the Second World War old lighthouse, built by the Germans in 1874, and previously a decoration and business card Nida. According to local legends, the ruins of the structure can still be found in the dunes. The residents were especially surprised by the strength of the masonry. The fragments of the destroyed lighthouse could not be disassembled into bricks, since the lime mixed according to the old recipe did not break. Hitting it with a hammer only broke the bricks themselves.

The light of the old lighthouse was visible within a radius of 20 miles (approximately 37 kilometers). There was a stone path of 200 steps leading up to it. The hexagonal-shaped tower was built of red brick.

The lighthouse was restored in 1953. After later reconstruction, the structure became a striped reinforced concrete tower whose light signals are visible 22 miles (41 kilometers) away. With two short and one long flashes, the Nida lighthouse informs sailors that this place There is no port on the Baltic Sea.

Our fascinating journey along the Curonian Spit ended in Nida. It was time to return to the ferry terminal to go back to , where we stayed for several days. Ahead of us were new discoveries and impressions along the Lithuania-Latvia-Russia route.

whitish sandy beaches Neringa stretches in a strip 25-70 meters wide along the coast Baltic Sea. They are equipped with everything European standards down to special descents, telephones and toilets for the disabled and are kept impeccably clean. It allowed local beaches acquire the honorary “Blue Flag” - an international certificate guaranteeing the safety and environmental friendliness of the territory.

Centers tourist information:

• Nida - Tajkos, 4, tel.: 8 469 523 45, fax: 8 469 525 38, [email protected]
• Juodkrante - L.Rezos, 54, tel.: 8 46 534 90

How to get there

Part of the European cycling route R1 runs along the Lithuanian side of the Curonian Spit - from Nida to Smiltyne. In the vicinity of other villages there are local bicycle paths. The bicycle routes Nida - Klaipeda, Klaipeda-Palanga-Latvian border and Klaipeda - Silute - Rusne are also open.

Popular hotels in Curonian Spit

Entertainment and attractions of the Curonian Spit

Sights of Neringa

You can get acquainted with the history of the region and the Curonians, the people who originally inhabited these lands, in Historical Museum Neringi (Pamario St., 53, Nida). Here are finds from the Stone Age, an exhibition dedicated to traditional local crafts, including crow catching, photographs, documents and items from family and state archives. Another source of local history is the Ethnographic Fisherman's Estate (Naglyu St., Nida), located in one of the residential buildings of Old Nida (circa 1900). The decoration, furniture, utensils and the organization of the interior itself represent a living illustration of the fishing life of the late nineteenth - early. XX century. Here, near the house, there are 4 original fishing vessels: from a boat to a kurenas.

Sights of Nida

The miniature Amber Museum (20 Pamario St., Nida) tells about the origin of Baltic amber, its rich morphology - external features: from transparency to different shades, and the history of local fishing. Here you can also see a unique collection of inclusions - minerals with insects inside. The museum's gallery offers designer jewelry and accessories that differ from most local products in their original modern design. And in the exhibition hall of Nida cultural center“Agila” (street, Taikos 4) you can view and buy paintings, graphic works, sculptures and photographs by Lithuanian artists.

Sights of Juodkrante

Near the village of Juodkrante lies the Mountain of Witches - a sacred place professing the old Vedic cults, the Curonians. During the Inquisition, this mountain, then resting on small island and perfectly protected from the “guardians of law and order” by the shallow waters, pagans from all over Europe flocked to worship the forces of nature and the Mother Goddess. In the XIX - early In the 20th century, residents of Lithuania Minor loved to celebrate the summer solstice here - Jonines. Guests, choristers and musicians from Klaipeda, Tilsit, Rusne came to the spit on sailing boats and small steamships. During the Nazi era, they tried to revive ancient Germanic and Aryan cults on the mountain. At the end of the 1970-1980s, a park of wooden sculptures appeared on a sacred hill, carved by Lithuanian craftsmen and illustrating scenes from local ancient beliefs and epics. In the gallery of Daiva and Remigijus Zadeikis (G. Rezos str. 13, Juodkrante) - Weathervane Galleries - you can find out about all the secrets of Kush weathervanes, the color, shape and combination of plot elements of which are by no means accidental. This space also hosts various ethnographic and historical exhibitions and fairs selling paintings, graphics, sculpture, ceramics and products made of flax and amber.

Aquarium

At the northern tip of the Curonian Spit in the Smiltyne region, in a German bastion fortress from the second half of the 19th century, the Maritime Aquarium Museum (website) is located. The museum complex includes many thematic exhibitions dedicated to marine flora and fauna, the history of Lithuanian shipbuilding, shipping, military and merchant fleets. The restored central redoubt houses aquariums that are impressive with their exotic life; on former gun platforms and ramparts there is a collection of ancient anchors collected throughout Lithuania; the life of Pomeranian fishermen is shown in an ethnographic exhibition set up on the site of a former fishing village - traditional huts are lined up here and ships on which fishermen went out into the Atlantic and the Baltic Sea. The aquariums contain about 40 species of fish from Lithuanian rivers, lakes and the Baltic Sea (catfish, chub, barbel, grayling, eels, sabrefish, whitefish, etc.), tropical freshwater fish (including the huge moray eel), invertebrate inhabitants of coral reefs (starfish, mollusks, sea ​​urchins etc.). The museum is also famous for the richest collection of rare species of corals and shells in Lithuania. The exhibition of prepared animals, according to scientific taxonomy, covers the entire spectrum of marine animals: from sponges to birds and mammals. In the outdoor pools you can observe penguins, seals, and sea lions. There is a dolphinarium a stone's throw from the museum. During summer season colorful performances with the participation of Black Sea dolphins and California sea lions take place here. The dolphinarium also has a dolphin therapy center.

Amateur fishing

• Nature Protection Agency of the City of Klaipeda st. Birutes, 16, tel.: (8 46) 21 71 06)
• Nature Protection Agency of the city of Neringa, Taikos Ave., 2, tel.: (8 469) 5 12 32)

Consisting of four villages: Nida, Juodkrante, Preila and Pervalki. All settlements retain the “gingerbread” flavor of Lithuanian fishing villages of the 19th century with their one-story wooden houses, thatched and painted in the traditional colors of the local guild. Add to this the abundance of greenery and flowers, generous forests, endless white dunes and the extraordinary silence of solitude and contemplation.

It is most pleasant to stay in Nida or Juodkrante. Here, well-restored ancient fishermen's huts have been turned into private hotels, restaurants or beer bars with folkloric interiors and delicacies of national cuisine. The Nida embankment with its beautiful green esplanade, a favorite place for walks among resort regulars, repeatedly becomes the “proscenium” of numerous sailing regattas during the summer season, and the town itself is famous for its jazz festival “Nida Jazz Marathon” (the first half of August), a festival of ancient crafts that reconstructs the local medieval everyday life (mid-August), and the international film festival “Baltic Wave” (end of August). Both resorts have a well-developed tourist infrastructure and offer hotels and private villas of varying levels of comfort and privacy, well-groomed and equipped beaches, clear sea, local homemade gastronomy and rich festival programs (music, literature and folklore). Here you can also pick mushrooms and berries the old fashioned way, go boating and fish in the bays.

The whitish sandy beaches of Neringa stretch in a strip 25-70 meters wide along the coast of the Baltic Sea. They are equipped according to all European standards, including special descents, telephones and toilets for the disabled, and are kept impeccably clean. This allowed local beaches to acquire the honorary “Blue Flag” - an international certificate guaranteeing the safety and environmental friendliness of the territory.

Tourist Information Centers:

• Nida - Tajkos, 4, tel.: 8 469 523 45, fax: 8 469 525 38, [email protected]
• Juodkrante - L.Rezos, 54, tel.: 8 46 534 90

How to get there

By plane or train to Vilnius, Kaunas, Kaliningrad, then by bus routes Vilnius-Nida, Kaunas-Nida, Kaliningrad-Nida. Bus schedule on the website. From Klaipeda, you can only get to Kos by ferry. The old ferry (lit. Senoji Perkėla) connects the final bus stop in Smiltyne and the center of Klaipeda, transporting passengers only. The new crossing is equipped with ferries transporting all types of transport. Domestic routes: Nida-Smiltyne bus, minibus connecting Nida bus station with the beach (only in summer), bus from the old ferry terminal to the Maritime Museum.

If you prefer to use your own or rented car, then the only Zelenogradsk-Klaipeda highway is at your service. It passes through Lesnoye, the outskirts of Rybachy and Juodkrante, with exits branching off to the rest of the villages. Throughout its entire length, the highway has only one lane in each direction. Entry into the territory of the National Park is paid. The Alksnine post is equipped with payment machines that accept only cash and only banknotes; change is issued in coins. When paying on the panel, you need to select one of the buttons corresponding to the vehicle being paid for. Thus, travel for a passenger car with a capacity of up to 9 people in the summer will cost 5 EUR. The nearest ATMs are located next to the crossing. Prices on the page are for April 2019.

Part of the European cycling route R1 runs along the Lithuanian side of the Curonian Spit - from Nida to Smiltyne. In the vicinity of other villages there are local bicycle paths. The bicycle routes Nida - Klaipeda, Klaipeda-Palanga-Latvian border and Klaipeda - Silute - Rusne are also open.

Popular hotels in Curonian Spit

Entertainment and attractions of the Curonian Spit

The northern half of the Curonian Spit, which is part of Lithuania, is the Curonian Neria National Park (26.5 thousand hectares), which in 2000 was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The uniqueness of the Curonian landscape lies in the endless sand dunes, reaching up to 70 meters in height and stretching in a continuous chain for tens of kilometers. The spit is also located on the White Sea-Baltic migration route for migratory birds, which stop here to feed and rest. The approximate number of feathered “nomads” reaches 10-20 million per season, among them there are rare endangered species. The exhibition of the Kursiu Neria Museum of Nature tells in detail about the geographical and geological features of the formation of the landscape, about archaeological finds, about the flora and fauna of the region.

It is best to observe bird migration from high hills, dunes, from specially installed panoramic towers, or simply in the open: on the seashore or in wide fields. The most popular ornithological observatory is considered to be the Parniggio dune, located near Nida and nicknamed the Sandglass dune. In spring, the first “migrants” arrive at the beginning of March, and the last at the end of May. Much more birds can be seen in the fall - from August to November - when the young summer brood joins the flocks leaving for the winter. On the Curonian Spit you can get more closely acquainted with the local semi-tame wild boars that go out onto the roads in the hope of begging for something tasty. Near Juodkrante you can see the most numerous and ancient colonies of herons and cormorants in Lithuania.

Sights of Neringa

You can get acquainted with the history of the region and the Curonians, the people who originally inhabited these lands, in the Historical Museum of Neringa (Pamario St., 53, Nida). Here are finds from the Stone Age, an exhibition dedicated to traditional local crafts, including crow catching, photographs, documents and items from family and state archives. Another source of local history is the Ethnographic Fisherman's Estate (Naglyu St., Nida), located in one of the residential buildings of Old Nida (circa 1900). The decoration, furniture, utensils and the organization of the interior itself represent a living illustration of the fishing life of the late nineteenth - early. XX century. Here, near the house, there are 4 original fishing vessels: from a boat to a kurenas.

Sights of Nida

The miniature Amber Museum (20 Pamario St., Nida) tells about the origin of Baltic amber, its rich morphology - external features: from transparency to different shades, and the history of local fishing. Here you can also see a unique collection of inclusions - minerals with insects inside. The museum's gallery offers designer jewelry and accessories that differ from most local products in their original modern design. And in the exhibition hall of the Nida cultural center “Agila” (street, Taikos 4) you can view and buy paintings, graphic works, sculptures and photographs by Lithuanian artists.

Sights of Juodkrante

Near the village of Juodkrante lies the Mountain of Witches - a sacred place professing the old Vedic cults, the Curonians. During the Inquisition, pagans from all over Europe flocked to this mountain, then resting on a small island and perfectly protected from the “guardians of law and order” by shallow waters, to worship the forces of nature and the Mother Goddess. In the XIX - early In the 20th century, residents of Lithuania Minor loved to celebrate the summer solstice here - Jonines. Guests, choristers and musicians from Klaipeda, Tilsit, Rusne came to the spit on sailing boats and small steamships. During the era of Nazi rule, they tried to revive ancient Germanic and Aryan cults on the mountain. At the end of the 1970-1980s, a park of wooden sculptures, carved by Lithuanian craftsmen and illustrating scenes from local ancient beliefs and epics, appeared on the sacred hill.

In the gallery of Daiva and Remigijus Žadeikis (G.Rezos str. 13, Juodkrante) - Weathervane Gallery - you can learn about all the secrets of Kush weathervanes, the color, shape and combination of plot elements of which are by no means accidental. This space also hosts various ethnographic and historical exhibitions and fairs selling paintings, graphics, sculpture, ceramics and products made of flax and amber.

Aquarium

At the northern tip of the Curonian Spit in the Smiltyne region, in a German bastion fortress from the second half of the 19th century, the Maritime Aquarium Museum (website) is located. The museum complex includes many thematic exhibitions dedicated to marine flora and fauna, the history of Lithuanian shipbuilding, shipping, military and merchant fleets. The restored central redoubt houses aquariums that are impressive with their exotic life; on former gun platforms and ramparts there is a collection of ancient anchors collected throughout Lithuania; the life of Pomeranian fishermen is shown in an ethnographic exhibition set up on the site of a former fishing village - traditional huts are lined up here and ships on which fishermen went to the Atlantic and Baltic Seas.

The aquariums contain about 40 species of fish from Lithuanian rivers, lakes and the Baltic Sea (catfish, chub, barbel, grayling, eels, sabrefish, whitefish, etc.), tropical freshwater fish (including the huge moray eel), invertebrate inhabitants of coral reefs ( starfish, shellfish, sea urchins, etc.). The museum is also famous for the richest collection of rare species of corals and shells in Lithuania. The exhibition of prepared animals, according to scientific taxonomy, covers the entire spectrum of marine animals: from sponges to birds and mammals. In the outdoor pools you can observe penguins, seals, and sea lions.

Here, a stone's throw from the museum, there is a dolphinarium. During the summer season, colorful performances are held here with the participation of Black Sea dolphins and California sea lions. The dolphinarium also has a dolphin therapy center.

Until 1945, the Curonians living on the Curonian Spit spoke their original dialect, close to the Latvian language. After the end of World War II and German citizenship, many of local residents were evacuated to central Germany, and therefore the Curonian Spit lost its own colorful language. Now only a few dozen elderly people living in Germany speak the Curonian dialect.

Amateur fishing

The Curonian and Klaipeda Lagoons are excellent places for fishing. Bream, perch, pike-perch, roach, raw fish, herring, etc. readily bite here. Ice fishing for burbot and capelin is also very popular here. In the Baltic Sea, flounder, herring, cod and halibut are caught from boats. You can fish from the shore with a float rod at any time of the day and without “documents” in compliance with the rules of amateur fishing. Fishing at a distance of more than 500 meters from the shore and using various fishing equipment is permitted only with a special license issued by the Ministry of Nature Protection; for a fishing raid in the Baltic Sea, permission from the border police is required. The total weight of fish caught per day should not exceed 5 kg per person.

• Nature Protection Agency of the City of Klaipeda st. Birutes, 16, tel.: (8 46) 21 71 06)
• Nature Protection Agency of the city of Neringa, Taikos Ave., 2, tel.: (8 469) 5 12 32)

Having spent the entire previous day going around the main sights of Palanga and contemplation of the wavering sea with vacationers hiding from the wind in tents on its shore - the next day we didn’t come up with anything smarter than just running away from the city. We didn’t have many options for where to do this, so we chose the most obvious one - to the Curonian Spit.

Continuing to draw parallels with New Year's trip seven years ago, we should immediately add that we did exactly the same thing on January 1, 2009, leaving Palanga and the Vandyanys hotel for Klaipeda, and from there by ferry to the spit. I’m afraid to lie about how much the crossing cost us then, but now we paid 11.60 euros for a round-trip ticket.

However, this time we decided to start our route along the Lithuanian part of the spit from the very farthest point: Nida - and then return back to Klaipeda, visiting other settlements.

Neringa

Since I started talking about the “Lithuanian” part and “settlements”, I’ll have to spend a few words at the beginning of the story administrative division Curonian Spit. Firstly, it was located on the territory of two states: Russia ( South part) and Lithuania (northern) - further narration will only be about the Lithuanian part. Secondly, its northernmost settlement, Smiltyne, administratively belonged to Klaipeda, the rest were combined into one: Neringa.

Finally, thirdly, these same “towns” that make up Neringa are not four, but five: Alksnyne, Juodkrante, Pervalka, Preila and Nida. Alksnine - the first of them, many simply do not notice, because there are only two residential buildings in it, but the main thing is the checkpoint at which payment for entry into this very Neringa is made. In the winter of 2009, without even noticing, we passed this section, having paid several litas. Now, having seen the price of 20 euros on the fence, our eyes widened so much that we could see the village houses to the left, across the road from the checkpoint, but there was nowhere to go and, having exchanged another fifty dollars, we headed to Nida.

Nida

To cover the forty kilometers separating Alksnine from Nida and find parking on the outskirts of the city, having made a couple of circles in its center to no avail, we had to spend more than an hour, and given the deplorable situation with breakfast in our hotel in Palanga, - first of all, we stopped at a cafe, where we spent about half an hour eating scrambled eggs and pastries.

Having finally reached the center, we discovered one innovation, which, if my memory serves me correctly, did not exist seven years ago - these are a couple of dozen wooden weather vanes on long poles installed on the embankment in the very center of Nida.

As the information board said, in the old days such weather vanes were installed on the masts of fishing boats. In its center there was a flag indicating that the boat belonged to a certain locality on the shore of the Curonian Lagoon. In front of the fishermen placed geometric figures, understandable only to themselves. According to modern researchers, they played the role of talismans and their purpose was to protect fishermen from the elements of the sea. The rest of the design of the weather vane was inextricably linked with the history of the boat owner: from the number of boats and houses to the size of the family and events from his personal life.

Having looked at the weather vanes, it was time to turn to the map of the city, previously obtained from tourist office. However, having laid out an approximate route along two streets of Nida, by the end of it we had completely forgotten in which of the houses we saw the German writer Thomas Mann lived or in whose honor this or that sculpture was installed.

Preila

Returning to the car, we headed back, setting ourselves the goal of visiting all the towns of Neringa, and the first in our plans was the village of Preila, located a little over ten kilometers north of Nida. Despite the fact that we were able to cover this distance only after an hour: we simply decided to drop by the beach on the way, but here we were lucky with parking and, leaving the car in an unexpectedly vacant space on the central and only street of the city, after a couple of minutes we had already reached to the shore of the bay.

Looking ahead, Preila turned out to be our “number one” of the Curonian Spit, surpassing both Nida and Juodkrante in terms of photogenicity. Perhaps it was the almost complete absence of tourists, or perhaps the clearer weather, which painted the village with bright colors. Of the landmarks marked with wooden posts, only the German school building was remembered, but detailed history By the time this text was written, she had already been erased from memory.

Pervalka

Having enjoyed the views of Preila, we moved further north, where after another ten kilometers of travel Pervalka was waiting for us. And here we frankly had luck with parking, however, an important role in this luck was played by the clear weather, or rather the thirst it caused, which in turn forced us to stick to the signs “to the store”, where we eventually left the car.

We didn't like Pervalka. Despite the fact that authentic houses have been preserved in the central part of the village, the coastal part was given over to new buildings, but although the resulting cottage village and was designed in a traditional style, the presence of glass and concrete greatly spoiled our general impression.

Beach

The water we bought and drank in the store gave rise to a related desire, to satisfy which we had to wait until we returned to Juodkrante. Luckily for us, the beach began almost immediately after leaving Pervalka, and although parking here was already paid, we didn’t have to pay to use the toilet, and since we had a paid hour at our disposal, it would have been wrong not to get to the sea.

It's time to say a few words about the beaches on the Kursk Spit: on one, as I already wrote, we were two hours earlier near Nida, and on the other we got out near Pervalka. In general, they were not much different from the beaches of Palanga: the same bodies of vacationers chaotically scattered on the sand, tents and minimal infrastructure - however, it seemed to us that the waves were smaller and the sand was yellower. Be that as it may, this did not affect the temperature of the water and our desire to take a plunge - it was enough for us only to “get our feet wet” and, after walking a hundred meters back and forth along the shore, we preferred to return to the car.

Juodkrante

The next fifteen kilometers to the north flew by unnoticed and, having spent a little more than a quarter of an hour to get to Juodkrante, we discovered that compared to the morning, there were practically no tourists left here. And this was not bad, since we found a place for the car without any problems, but we never came up with anything smarter than climbing the “Witch Mountain” again.

But return to " mainland“We didn’t want to either, so in order to somehow diversify the inspection of wooden sculptures compared to 2009, we entered Raganu Kalnas through the exit and exited, respectively, through the entrance.

An hour spent in the forest was enough to completely tire ourselves out from walking and, returning to the city, we realized that we had had our fill of adventures for that day to the fullest. Having climbed into the car, we, like seven years ago, decided not to visit either Smiltyne or Klaipeda, plotted a route to Palanga and an hour and a half later we were recovering in our hotel room. It was already dark outside and, having decided not to tempt fate by looking for new restaurants, we spent the rest of the evening having dinner in the one we already knew from the previous day