Dunes of the Lithuanian part of the Curonian Spit. Nida, Curonian Spit

The Curonian Spit is a natural nature reserve, in which several worlds are connected in miniature at once. Scientists call the Curonian Spit "a museum of various natural areas", Because on the territory of the spit, visitors can find various landscapes: from birch forests to sandy deserts.

At its widest point, the Curonian Spit reaches 3.8 kilometers, and at its narrowest only 400 meters, the total length of the spit is 98 kilometers, the Lithuanian part of the Curonian Spit stretches for 50 kilometers to the north and south.

It is almost impossible to visit Lithuania and not visit the Lithuanian part of the reserve: literally on every kilometer of the spit, endless coniferous and deciduous forests, bird colonies, sand dunes, as well as historical, cultural and natural attractions, museums, villages, campings, hotels, a national park and sea. There is even its own anomalous zone on the territory of the Curonian Spit.

History of the Curonian Spit

In the 9th century, the pagan tribes of the Curonians lived on the territory of the spit - hence the name of the spit. According to legends, the tribes worshiped ancient trees, danced around them. The forest was a real shrine for the Curonians - one of the Christian missionaries from Prague, Wojciech Adalbert, even lost his life for entering the sacred forest.

In the 12th century on Curonian Spit the Vikings settled and used trees to build their light and fast Drakars. But even then sacred groves The Curonian Spit remained intact. The threat to the forests appeared only in the 16th century, when the lands went to the Prussians: Prussian kings and nobles hunted in the groves, the forests on the territory of the spit began to be barbarously cut down, which led to catastrophic consequences - by the end of the 18th century, sand began to enter the roads and deserts, and the spit became turn into a desert. By the decision of the Prussian administration, the sands were fixed by planting shrubs, then scientists, surveyors and foresters came to the territory of the spit.

After World War II, the Curonian Spit was transferred to The Soviet Union and the work on restoration of the spit territory was continued by domestic foresters. Since 2000, the Curonian Spit has been included in the list World heritage UNESCO.

Attractions Smiltyne

In the northern part of the Curonian Spit, in the Smiltyne region, there is the Marine Museum-Aquarium, which is located in an old 19th century German bastion fortress. V Museum complex includes many thematic expositions dedicated to the marine fauna and flora, the history of Lithuanian shipbuilding, shipping, merchant and military fleets. The Museum houses picturesque aquariums, which contain:

More than 40 fish species of Lithuanian lakes, rivers and Baltic Sea(catfish, barbel, chub, grayling, whitefish, eels, sabrefish).
Tropical freshwater fish (including the huge moray eel).
Invertebrates are inhabitants of coral reefs (molluscs, starfish and hedgehogs).

The exposition of prepared animals includes the entire spectrum of marine life: from sponges to mammals or birds. V outdoor pools visitors can see penguins, seals and sea lions.

On the territory of the Museum there is also a collection of ancient anchors collected throughout the country; the life of Lithuanian fishermen is shown in an ethnographic exhibition located on the territory of a former fishing village - there are national huts and ships on which fishermen went to the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic.

There is a dolphinarium next to the museum. In summer, the dolphinarium hosts colorful performances with Californian sea lions and Black Sea dolphins. The dolphinarium also houses a special dolphin therapy center for adults and children.

Southern villages of the Curonian Spit

About southern village spit - Juodkrante, the Mount of Witches is located, which was a sacred place of the Curonians. During the Inquisition, to the mountain located on small island and protected from the guardians of law and order, pagans from all over Europe came to worship the mother goddess and natural forces. Today, Mount Witches is home to a theme park decorated with carved wood sculptures. Attentive visitors to the park will even find a devil frolicking at a village party. On the territory of the embankment itself, sculptures made of stone have already been collected.

Further to the south, there are other small villages - Pervalka and Preila, founded by the inhabitants of the villages buried under the dunes. From these southern settlements, you can easily reach the Nagliu nature reserve, the Zhirgu lighthouse or climb to the top of the fifty-meter Skirpstas dune.

The next southern village of the Curonian Spit is Nida, the largest settlement in the Lithuanian part of the Spit, which existed during the time of the Crusaders. There are several historical and ethnographic museums in Nida, the famous Nida lighthouse and the Amber Museum. In the vicinity of the village are the most high dunes Curonian Spit, and at the top of the Parnidzhio dune there is a huge sundial.

Miniature Amber Museum, located at st. Pamario, 20, Nida, talks about the origin of Baltic amber and its morphology, the history of the development of the local craft.

In the museum, visitors can see a unique collection of inclusions - minerals with insects inside. The museum's gallery contains designer jewelry and accessories with an unusual, original, modern design.

In the exhibition hall of the Nida culture center "Agila", visitors can see and buy graphic, painting, sculptural works and photographs of artists.

Dancing forest

From Nida, the road leads to the famous dancing, drunken forest of the Curonian Spit. In the area of the village of Rybachy, ancient pines, planted in the 60s of the last century, took a very strange shapes: they are tied in knots, bending, reminiscent of dancing people. Scientists have no definite answer about the reasons for this anomalous natural phenomenon. To many, the grove seems mysterious and mystical.

Not many people know that on the lands of the grove there was a gliding school of the Third Reich, since on the territory of the Curonian Spit there are ideal conditions for gliders - even winds and landing strips made of sand. It was here that pilots from Germany set their records for range and altitude in gliders.

The main attraction of the Curonian Spit, its wealth and business card that attracts many curious tourists and visitors here are the white sand dunes, the very dunes that once destroyed the houses of local residents and which were successfully stopped by the efforts of scientists and wildlife. Walking along the sand dunes gives the impression of the unreality of what is happening, because after a few steps tourists finally forget about the sea and the bay on the sides of the dunes, they have an incomparable feeling of desert loneliness and melancholy.

The movement of sand dunes these days is strictly limited, since the Curonian Spit is reliably protected by shrubs, pine forests, grasses. However, in 2 nature reserves, scientists left the dunes freedom, where they can freely move across the entire Curonian Spit, being born at the very sea coast crossing the spit and ending up in the bay.

Curonian Spit Ferries

You can get to the territory of the Curonian Spit only by ferry, of which there are two on the spit:

The old ferry only carries cyclists and pedestrians.
The new ferry crossing already carries cars.

The Curonian Spit is very popular among cyclists, as a part of the European cycling route R1 runs along the Lithuanian part of the spit from Nida to Smiltyne, and there are local bike paths in the vicinity of other villages. There is also a route Nida - Klaipeda, Klaipeda - Palanga-Latvian border and Klaipeda - Silute - Rusne.

Ferry Schedule

The old ferry runs according to the following schedule (Lithuanian time):

Departure from Klaipeda: the first flight is at 07:00, the last one is at 21:00 (the ferry runs every 30 minutes).
Departure from Smiltyne: the first flight at 07:15, and the last at 21:15 (every half hour).

The new ferry runs on the following schedule:

Departure from Klaipeda: first ferry trip at 05:40, last flight- 00:10 (every 40 minutes).
Departure from Smiltyne: the first flight at 06:00, the last at 00:30 (every 40 minutes).

Ticket prices

For those traveling by car, only the new ferry service is suitable. From Smiltyne to the southernmost village of the Curonian Spit - Nida, tourists can get:

Local bus.
In my car.
By taxi.

Visitors to the spit need to keep in mind that the entry of cars into the territory national park The Curonian Spit is paid: payment is made on the tenth kilometer of the only highway of the Curonian Spit.

The Alksnine post is equipped with special payment machines that accept only cash bills of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 litas, change to tourists is given in coins. During payment on the machine panel, you must select one of the buttons corresponding to the vehicle.

So, the passage of a passenger car with a capacity of up to 9 people in summer period will cost visitors 20 litas. The nearest ATMs are located near the ferry.

The cost of the ferry crossing is as follows:

Crossing for pedestrians or cyclists: 2.9 litas.
Ferry crossing for a small animal (for example, a dog): 5 litas.
Scooter crossing: from 5 to 18 litas.
The cost of crossing a car by ferry: 40 litas.

Every tourist who comes to Lithuania should definitely visit the Lithuanian part of the unique nature reserve - the Curonian Spit. It should be noted that you can get to Vilnius by train and. Russians need a visa when visiting Lithuania. How to arrange it yourself, read in.

Several years ago I visited the Curonian Spit from the Russian side. And since then I really wanted to drive it completely - comparison for. True, this time it didn't work out entirely anyway - we had a one-time entry into the Schengen zone and big plans for Europe were ahead. But then we were able to see what the Lithuanian part of the spit looks like and the post is just about that. True, there are no highly artistic photographs under the cut, but you can get a general idea. Suddenly, who needs ...

Unlike "our" part, from this side you can get to the spit only by ferry. It is easy to find: enter Klaipeda and follow the signs. The ferry runs often, I will definitely not say for sure, it seems once every 20 minutes.

There are several villages on this part of the Curonian Spit, the most popular of which are Nida and Juodkrante. They are built up with approximately the same houses, although there are prettier and higher ones. Usually hotels.

And there are some ... Several "streets" from the houses, garages. In some, the lower part is also converted into a living room.

Juodkrante has one of the popular places on the Curonian Spit -.

The name appeared a long time ago: in the late 19th - early 20th centuries, Jonines (the holiday of Ivan Kupala in our opinion) was celebrated on this hill and they were looking for a fern flower in the night. Wooden sculptures began to appear here since 1979 - this year the first gathering of woodcarvers and blacksmiths took place. Now they come here almost every year. All figures are related to folklore - heroes of fairy tales, devils, witches.

Also in Juodkrante there is a weather vane museum, a park of stone sculptures on the embankment and Amber Bay. In 1861 in Juodkrante our amber treasure, in which Stone Age jewelry and amulets were discovered.

The Curonian Spit is a unique place. On the one hand, there is the salty Baltic Sea, and on the other, the fresh Curonian Lagoon. Its total length is 98 kilometers, now it is divided almost in half between the countries: Lithuania accounts for 50 kilometers. The narrowest point of the spit is 400 meters (it is on the Russian side), and the widest is 3.8 kilometers in the Nida region.

The most high point- Mount Vecekrugo, 67.2 meters high. The spit is almost entirely composed of sand. The soil layer, which the plant roots manage to cling to, is only a few centimeters. Moreover, on this moment the forest managed to overgrow 70% of the spit. The Curonian Spit began to be planted artificially in the 19th century.

The flora is quite diverse - about 960 different species. The fauna does not shine with such a variety, but not everything is bad either. At the end of the 19th century, moose were raised here and a cult of this animal was created. Now, they say, the livestock is not the same, but there are many wild boars. By the way, there are no wolves on the spit.

Not far from Nida (its roofs turn red there) there is observation deck at a height of 52 meters. In the center there is something that symbolizes a sundial. The height of this stone column is almost 14 meters, which allowed it to collapse safely during the hurricane. Later, the "tip" was built on, and now this structure pleases with its multi-color.

Unfortunately, we have no photos of Nida: it was already getting dark and time was running out - we had to catch the ferry. Therefore, you will have to take my word for the fact that Nida is a very nice and cozy place. Or check it yourself ...

Blogger Evgeny Zolotukhin writes:

The streets and houses in this place are like scenery from a beautiful movie. Cleanliness, silence and incredible comfort envelop these places, and people live here, and other people can come here, this is definitely the best place Lithuania. Stunning resort village Nida is located on the Curonian Spit, literally on the border with Russia

The Curonian Spit is a narrow and long sandy strip of land that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. The length of the spit is almost 100 kilometers, somewhere in the middle is the state border of Russia and Lithuania. On the territory of the spit, there is a huge number of unique representatives of flora and fauna, for which the Curonian Spit is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Lithuania occupies about half of the spit, which is about 50 kilometers; several thousand people live on this territory. The town of Neringa is located on the spit, stretching for all 50 kilometers and consisting of four resort villages: Juodkrante, Pervalka, Preila and Nida. Nida is administrative center Neringa, this village is located literally immediately behind border crossing.

The first mentions of a settlement with the name Nida in the chronicles of the Teutonic Order date back to 1429 and 1497. For a long time the main activity of the local population was fishing. In Soviet times, a resort was built here for the Soviet nomenklatura. V last years in Nida, they organized bike paths, put everything in order and turned the village into a real European resort.

The entire territory of the spit is protected, and construction is prohibited here, so most of the houses here were built at the beginning of the last century. But look how they look! As if from a fairy tale!

It's hard to believe that this is not a set for some movie, that all this is real! Considering that it is impossible to build a new one here, and the village is a tourist, in almost every house there is a small private hotel.

The houses are almost 100 years old.

By the standards of Lithuania, Nida - expensive place, but here you can meet a huge number of German pensioners having a rest.

House by the sea (bay).

Fabulous place!

There are no major attractions here, large monuments, there is a small fountain and benches in front of it, and it is incredibly good here.

On the Lithuanian side of the spit, wooden sculptures are very common, they are everywhere here.

central square Nida.

You can ride a bike to the very end of the spit, and then take a ferry to Klaipeda. Many take advantage of this opportunity and simply leave for a day ride on the territory of the spit.

There are dozens of hiking trails... There is nothing unusual in this forest, but it is nice and pleasant to walk here.

Walking along the routes, from time to time you can get into different interesting places... For example, a sundial, and yes, it does show the correct time!

Sand dunes, exactly the same as in Russia.

And here is Russia, hundreds of meters from the border.

A bit of evening Nida.

The old fishing weather vane is now a symbol of the modern resort.

And there is such a thing :)

Neringa and Nida are the most worthy places in Lithuania, a must-see for anyone!

Curonian Spit - without any exaggeration it is considered unique place... The thing is that it separates two bodies of water - the freshwater Curonian Lagoon and the salty Baltic Sea. On the territory of the Curonian Spit, the eponymous National park, where three villages are scattered - Rybachy, Lesnoye and Morskoye. This wonderful corner of our planet belongs to the main attractions of Klaipeda, and Lithuania as a whole. On Lithuanian lands, the spit has a beginning and stretches to the city of Zelenogorsk, Kaliningrad region of Russia.

Into this present heavenly place tourists are attracted by the incredible richness of flora and fauna, the purity of nature, the highest dunes in Europe and, most importantly, the indescribable atmosphere of this region. In fact, the spit consists of sand, but for a long time a thin vegetative layer has formed on it (about a few centimeters).

Under Soviet rule, as is often the case with similar places, this landmark of Lithuania was a closed zone. Only a select few people who had a special permit could enjoy the beauty of these places. One of the main reasons for this policy is to prevent the escape of Soviet citizens to Sweden. It is obvious that nature has only benefited from this isolation, because it has retained its primordiality and purity.

Currently, the Curonian Spit is included in the list of protected natural objects. After all, only here and nowhere else can you see unique specimens of plants. And rare animals and birds are found in the forests. Of course, any hunting in the reserve is prohibited, like any production activity. This allows local animals to get closer to people to some extent, they are not afraid and behave quite freely. For example, some representatives allow tourists to feed themselves or take pictures.

The climate in this amazing and fabulous place is temperate. It is simply ideal for tourists from the city, as well as for flora and fauna. Strong cold weather, as well as the scorching sun, is not observed here. Although it is still hot on the dunes in the summer. This turns the reserve into a real beach. You can swim and then relax on the sand heated by the sun. Locals took good care of the infrastructure. Tourists get whatever they want. There are many different cafes and bars, there is a trade in fish, souvenirs and other things. And if something unexpected happens, then the connection with the "outside world" is always at hand.

The Curonian Spit is an amazing place for have a great rest... And the few churches of Klaipeda, including the Temple of All Saints, will tell about the history of the city.

Yesterday I talked about the horrors of a Russian resort on the Baltic Sea. Kaliningraders were agitated, but they don't smell of their own.

Nearby, an hour and a half drive from the barbecue Svetlogorsk, there is the village of Nida.

He is the complete opposite. Lithuanian answer, what should be inexpensive resort in the Baltic.

1 Let's see how the embankment of Svetlogorsk looks like. And without that, the strip of mediocrity is filled with all kinds of merchants who interfere with the passage.

2 Nida has plenty of places for festivities. At least for the sake of these endless pedestrian paths, you can cross the border, and at the same time see the beautiful Curonian Spit from both sides.

3 You can rent a bike and go explore the area. As far as I remember, there are also bikes in Svetlogorsk, but the terrain does not allow skiing.

4 Let's not idealize, there is also enough shit here. The same advertising umbrellas with draft beer in plastic glasses. Two weeks later I already “forgot” the photographs, and only then I discovered that this was not Lithuania, but the same Svetlogorsk.

5 In fact, I saw a couple of shovels in Nida as well. The rest of the restaurants are not disgusting.

6 This is how the street menu is designed in Russia. The car is generally incomprehensible that I have forgotten here - this is a pedestrian zone.

7 The same “inviting” menu in Lithuania. The meaning is the same, the difference is in the little things. Well, they will not go to this restaurant if they do it. This is disrespect for customers.

8 And umbrellas can be removed altogether! If it rains, people will move inside, there will be enough space for everyone. In winter, they won't eat on the street, it's the Baltic! It became interesting, but don't they come to Svetlogorsk out of season at all?

9 Restaurant with design claims. At the same time, it is not at all expensive. And in general, it is arranged in a Soviet building.

10 Children's corner.

11 The interior is simple. The decoration uses IKEA furniture and wooden boxes, a lot of glass. It is inexpensive, looks stylish, what else do you need?

12 Need to come up with a concept. The Crow restaurant did not appear here by chance.

13 The indigenous inhabitants of the Curonian Spit ate these birds and saw nothing indecent in them. They were called raven bites. Now such a dish will not be served to you openly, but a certain mystery remains.

There are a lot of 14 restaurants, all for a varied pocket. But none can compare with Svetlogorsk.

15 They also sell gifts for grandmothers - beads with amber. Where without it.

16 Amber is not just for retirees. A little man from a wooden ball decided to prove it. He also sells the famous Baltic stone.

17 Only his amber is special. Beads and bracelets are made of pressed black amber interspersed with ordinary amber. The man said something about nanotechnology, but to be honest, I forgot. This trinket looks much more modern. Costs twenty euros.

18 This is the resort of Nida, which our Svetlogorsk is making. Despite the fact that they don't even have a sea, only a bay.