The name of the spit comes from the local tribe — Kurshi. In 2000, the Curonian Spit was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The town of Neringa is located on the Curonian Spit on the Lithuanian side. It consists of four settlements: Nida, Preila, Pärvalka and Juodkrante, which stretch almost all along the spit.
The main attraction here is the Parnidžio dune. I also recommend visiting the villages of Nida and Juodkrante.
Parnidis Dune (Parnidžio kopa) and the Sun Clock (Saulės Laikrodis)
The main attraction of the Curonian Spit is the white sand dunes. They are very light because of their high quartz content — up to 95%. Constant winds move the sands about 10 meters per year.
The Parnidzis Dune (Parnidžio kopa) rises 52 meters above sea level. From its top, you can watch the sun rise from the water in the morning and roll into the water on the other side in the evening. In clear, hot weather, a mirage — a sailing ship flying over the horizon — can sometimes be seen over the hot sands.
A walking path leads to the top of the dune, where a huge sundial (Saulės Laikrodis) is installed. On a circular platform, stone steps mark the divisions on the dial. In the center of the circle stands a stone stele almost 14 meters high and weighing 36 tons — the shadow falling from it plays the role of the clock hand. The stele is engraved with signs of the runic calendar and pictograms from the wooden calendar of the XVII century. Sculptures on the sides of the site denote the spring and fall equinoxes, summer and winter solstice. To be honest, I could not tell the time from this clock — although there is a stand with a detailed explanation of its work.
This observation deck overlooks the valley of death (Mirties slėnis). During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870—1871, a camp of French prisoners of war was located here. Due to the harsh conditions, many prisoners died and were buried in the cemetery. Since then, these dunes have been nicknamed the Valley of Death — not because of the desolate landscape, as many people think.
- The walking trail to the Parnidis dune starts in the village of Nida.
- The dunes can be walked on wooden decks only, so as not to disturb the natural balance. Do not climb the slopes of the dunes.
- The sundial observation deck is open air and is always available to the public.
Nida: the history of the Kursh, Thomas Mann’s house and a fishing estate
Nida is the nearest village to the dunes. This is the final stop of the bus, further on there is the border with Russia, so you will definitely not pass by. There is a bus 384 on the route Klaipeda — Kaliningrad on the Curonian Spit, you can go around the whole spit at once — don’t forget to take your passport.
Kuršių Spit History Museum (Kuršių nerijos istorijos muziejaus)
In the village, visit the Historical Museum of the Curonian Spit (Kuršių nerijos istorijos muziejaus) to see how the locals used to live. Fishing gear and models of boats are on display here — sailing boats were common on the Spit. At the same time you’ll find out why the Kurshi used to salt crows. Initially gray crows were eaten out of hunger and hopelessness, but then it became a part of tradition, and crow meat became a delicacy. Nowadays, meat cooked a la crow meat can be tasted during the Neringa Day celebrations. The festivities take place throughout November in 4 settlements.
- The museum is open daily from 09:00 to 18:00.
- The ticket is €1.
House of Thomas Mann (Rašytojo Thomo Manno memorialinio muziejaus)
Thomas Mann first came to Nida in 1929, after winning the Nobel Prize. The German writer fell in love with the local nature and built a house here. Mann spent the summer seasons of 1930—1932 in Nida and wrote the novel «Joseph and His Brothers» here. After Hitler came to power, the writer emigrated to Switzerland, and at one time Göring lived in his house.
In 1996, the house was restored in its original form and opened the Thomas Mann Museum and Cultural Center. There are no personal belongings of the writer in the museum — they have not been preserved in Nida. Historical photographs, manuscripts and editions of his books from different years are exhibited here.
The museum offers a mesmerizing view of the Curonian Bay, which the writer loved so much. Even if you are not very interested in Thomas Mann — stop by the museum for this panorama.
- The house museum is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00.
- The entrance fee is 2,50 €.
In July, Nida hosts the Thomo Manno festival (Thomo Manno festivalis). The program includes musical performances and readings of the Nobel laureate’s works. Tickets for the festival start from 10 €.
Ethnographic fisherman’s homestead (Nidos žvejo etnografinė sodyba)
Usually a fisherman’s house consisted of two connected buildings — several generations of families lived together. This manor house-museum was built in 1927 — and a fisherman, Martin Purvin, and his family lived here for a long time. The museum fully recreates the atmosphere of a typical fisherman’s house on the Curonian Spit. All exhibits are authentic — they were donated to the museum by local residents. Household items — dishes, furniture, fishing gear — are exhibited here. The oldest exhibits are about 100 years old. Authentic fishermen’s boats are exhibited in front of the museum.
- The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- The ticket is €2.
Fishermen of the Curonian Spit used to install carved weathervanes (Vėtrungių) on the mast of their kurens (local sailing boats) as identification signs. They were made openwork and brightly colored, decorated with figures of birds and animals, and by these symbols one could understand the fisherman’s place of residence, family composition and income level. A gallery of weathervanes (Vėtrungių ekspozicija) is displayed outdoors in front of the fisherman’s manor. You can buy a colorful weather vane in the souvenir shop of the village.
For lunch I advise you to visit Tik Pas Joną. Here they smoke freshly caught fish — bream, perch, pikeperch, flounder. Take a beer with the fish. The smokehouse is open from 10:00 to midnight.
Where to sleep in Nida
You don’t want to be in a hurry at all in Nida, so I suggest staying here for the night. It will be an opportunity to see the sunrise on the dunes.
- Old house Nida serves a buffet in the mornings — a double room costs from 60 €.
- Guest House Guboja offers a private terrace and a shared kitchen for 58 €.
- Hotel Nerija is located near a coniferous forest and is suitable for a secluded vacation. A room here costs 95 €. You can spend time in the cozy restaurant, play tennis or work out on the basketball court.
Juodkrante: witches' mountain
On the Witches' Mountain (Raganų kalnas), wooden sculptures of the folk epic — witches, devils and forest monsters — are exhibited in the open air. They have been created by Lithuanian craftsmen since the 1970s. A workshop is open every summer, so the gallery of images is constantly replenished.
This mountain used to be a pagan sanctuary — when Christianity began to spread in Europe and paganism became forbidden, the Kursi gathered in the forest and held their rituals in secret. Up until the beginning of the First World War, they celebrated Ivan Kupala (Yonines) Day here and searched for the fern flower. The first sculptures on Witches' Mountain were created to commemorate this tradition.
At the entrance to Juodkrantė there is a lighthouse (Juodkrantės švyturys) in the forest. It was built in 1953 — it is still working and signals passing ships. The light of the lighthouse can be seen within a radius of 33 km. The black metal tower stands on a metal base — only the upper part of the lighthouse with the lantern is visible from the sea and the surrounding forests.
There is a viewing platform on the upper level of the lighthouse — climbing there is not prohibited.
Smiltine: Maritime Museum (Lietuvos jūrų muziejus)
The museum complex (Lietuvos jūrų muziejus) shows the history of the development of shipping, fishing, and the study of seas and sea currents. There is a huge collection of corals and shells — about 5 thousand specimens.
Several life-size models of ships from different eras are located near the museum. The Paulenis ship stands out — local fisherman Gintars Paulenis built the ship himself in 1994 according to ancient drawings. He sailed it to Sweden, becoming the first Lithuanian to sail across the Baltic Sea on an ancient ship.
The site of the museum used to be a military fort — this part is now the site of the Oceanarium and Dolphinarium (Delfinariumas). Penguins, sea lions and Baltic gray seals live here. Dolphins take part in demonstrations and dolphin therapy sessions. And pelicans with pink butts swim in the canal in front of the fort — it was my first meeting with them, so I couldn’t hold back my emotions.
- The Museum and Oceanarium is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday, from 10:30 to 18:30. Dolphin and sea lion shows take place from Tuesday to Saturday, the schedule is different in summer and winter months — check the website.
- A ticket to the museum costs 7—10 €, depending on the season. Dolphins and sea lions performance is paid separately — another 7—10 € per person. If you buy tickets online, they are 0.5 € cheaper.
The museum is to the right of the pier in Smiltina, about a 20-minute leisurely walk. You can get there by bus — they are not numbered on the spit, so take any bus.
How to get to Curonian Spit
There is a ferry from Klaipeda to Curonian Spit. Ferries go to Smiltine, traveling only 4 minutes.
- Departure from the Old Ferry (Senoji perkėla), ticket — 1 €. Ferries leave every half an hour, the first one at 07:00 in the morning and the last one at 22:00. You can take your bicycle with you, transportation is included in the ticket price. There are bicycle paths all over the Curonian Spit.
If you want to get around the Curonian Spit by car, you need to go to the Naujoji perkėla. Ferries from here run 24 hours a day.
- A ticket for a passenger is 1 €, car transportation is 12,3 €.
Vehicles entering the territory of the Curonian Spit are charged an environmental fee of 20 € from June to August, in other months — 5 €. The fee is paid when leaving the ferry.
Important when traveling to the Curonian Spit
Be sure to bring a jacket. Winds blow constantly here — even on warm days it can be chilly due to the proximity of the sea.
On the dunes of the Curonian Spit you’d like to have a picnic, but it’s not a good idea. I’ve already told you about the wandering sands — the wind will sand all the open food in just a couple of minutes. You’ll probably be shaking sand out of your sneakers and clothes for a couple more days.
If you want to swim in the Baltic Sea, the best time to go is July and early August. But even in this case, the Baltic Sea is a resort for the hardened, there is almost no water «like fresh milk» here.
