Curonian Spit (Nida)

A 98-km UNESCO-listed spit between the Baltic Sea and the lagoon, with the great Parnidis Dune, Nida's colourful fishing village and the Thomas Mann House, plus the Hill of Witches wood carvings and a cormorant colony.

The Curonian Spit is a narrow sandbar about 98 km long and less than 400 m wide at its narrowest, separating the Baltic Sea from the Curonian Lagoon. The northern half belongs to Lithuania and the southern half to Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast; it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. The Lithuanian side is entirely a national park and falls under Neringa Municipality; from north to south its settlements are Smiltynė, Juodkrantė, Pervalka, Preila and, at the southern end, Nida. Nida is the best base: the village has colourful wooden fishermen's houses, a lagoon pier, the Thomas Mann House and an old church cemetery; the Parnidis Dune to the south overlooks both sea and lagoon, and through the pine forest to the west lie the white-sand Baltic beaches. Further north, Juodkrantė has the Hill of Witches wood carvings and a cormorant colony, while the Nagliai Nature Reserve in the middle preserves the “Dead Dunes” that once buried villages. Across the strait at the northern tip lies the port city of Klaipėda. Getting there: take the passenger ferry from Klaipėda's Old Ferry Terminal (or the car ferry from the New Ferry Terminal) to Smiltynė, then a bus of about 1 hour to Nida; in summer a lagoon water bus also runs between Nida and Klaipėda. Drivers must pay an eco-fee to enter the national park. A dedicated bike path runs the length of the spit, and renting a bike is the most popular way to explore. The best time is June–August, when the sea is warm enough for swimming and everything is open; spring and autumn are quiet and good for cycling and birdwatching; in winter most restaurants and guesthouses close. Plan on 2–3 nights in Nida. Note: the dunes are ecologically fragile, so stay on the designated boardwalks; Nida's southern edge borders Russia, and crossing the marked border is strictly forbidden. Don't miss the lagoon's smoked fish.

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