Smiltyne beach

Just a few minutes by ferry, and you can find yourself in a real corner of paradise – the Curonian Spit. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Smiltynė part of Klaipėda. Almost one hundred kilometers of soft sand beaches, golden dunes protecting you from the wind and fragrant pine forests that make you forget the stress of everyday life. The spit is equiped with parking lots, toilets, changing cabins, and a team of on-duty lifeguards. Although the beach is covered in fine-grain golden sand, it is not very wide, thus sometimes being compared to Portugese-style beach. The beaches have relatively few people, and it feels like you are by the ocean. The Hagen Dune (Hageno kopa) offers a real “ocean view!”

Smiltynė offers a range of physical, social, and intellectual recreational activites. In the summertime, the Curionian Spit National Park Visitor Centre offers various culture and nature-oriented recreational activities. You can also visit the yacht club, see the “Dubingiai” ship, admire the authentic seaside vilas of 20th century and the traditional fisherman’s homestead. For active leisure enthusiasts, the Curonian Spit offers long beach stretches alongside pedastrian and bycicle paths all the way to the furthest town of the Curonian Spit – Nida. On your way to Nida don’t forget to visit authentic fishermen villages like Juodkrantė, Pervalka, Preila, the wonderous Dead Dunes, the eerie Hill of Witches amongst many other charming sites of the Curonian Spit.

Photos:

• Gintaras Vitulskis
• We Love Lithuania