Neringa

The Curonian Spit is one of the most attractive landscapes on the southern Baltic coast. It separates the Curonian Lagoon from the open Baltic Sea and is 98 kilometers long; since 1945, 52 kilometers of it have belonged to Lithuania and 46 kilometers to Russia’s Kaliningrad region (Königsberg). Its width ranges from 3.8 kilometers to 380 meters. While its southern end is connected to the mainland, at its northern end a passage about 300 meters wide separates the spit from the mainland near Klaipeda. As throughout the Baltic region, control of the area changed hands over the centuries. Until 1923, the Curonian Spit belonged to Germany.

Like the Vistula Spit, the Curonian Spit was formed in the wake of the Ice Age. Coastal currents continually reshape the shoreline. Its defining features are its vast dune landscapes, including the Great Dune near Nida (Nidden), which extends into the Russian part of the spit and is considered Europe’s largest shifting dune. It is also known as the Sahara of Europe.

The Thomas Mann Information Centre is located in Nida (Nidden). The writer owned a holiday home here for several years, where he also worked, until 1932. The region as a whole is known for its many amber deposits. An amber museum has been established in Nida, and the former amber port in Juodkrantė can also be visited. Smiltynė is home to a maritime museum with a dolphinarium. The Curonian Spit is one of Lithuania’s most popular holiday destinations. Nida in particular has numerous hotels and other holiday accommodation. An asphalt road runs the length of the Curonian Spit.

You can book a hotel in Neringa directly.