A Day in the Curonian Spit of Lithuania, Juodkrante, Lithuania

One of the natural wonders of Lithuania is the Curonian Spit, a thin 60-mile long sand-dune spit that separates the Baltic Sea from the Curonian Lagoon. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is partially in Lithuanian territory and partially in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. From the Lithuania side, you can see plenty of dunes and take short hikes in the Spit’s natural areas.

The Curonian Spit was created by migrating sands that grew as high as 60 meters. The shifting sands actually buried several villages over the centuries. Now it is a rich park full of rare plants and animals with a lot of cool paths and views of the water on either side.

The closest mainland Lithuanian city to the spit is Klaipeda, which is a small industrial port town with a lot of traffic and good food. If you’re coming from Vilnius and you’re not staying in Nida on the Curonian Spit, this is a good place to stop for the night. But staying in Nida is probably a better idea, so you can see the sun rise over the dunes. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).