Curonian Lagoon

Curonian Lagoon essentials

The Curonian Lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is defined by the 98-kilometer sand spit separating freshwater from the Baltic Sea. This selection features the 'Dancing Forest' with its contorted pines and the massive migrating dunes of Efa and Nagliai. It covers Klaipėda’s maritime heritage at the 19th-century Kopgalis fortress, the historic Meridianas vessel, and the medieval foundations of Memelburg Castle. These sites highlight the region's unique geological formations and the intersection of German and Lithuanian cultural history.

Curonian Lagoon Essentials — Map

Raido / CC BY 2.0

A

Curonian Spit

The Curonian Spit is a 98-kilometre long, thin, curved sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast.

B

Tancuusij les

A pine forest on the Russian part of the spit where tree trunks are naturally contorted into rings and spirals.

C

Vysota Efa

One of the highest points on the Curonian Spit, offering panoramic views of the shifting sand dunes near the village of Morskoe.

Vilensija / CC BY-SA 3.0

D

Naglių gamtinio rezervato pažintinis takas

An educational trail through the Nagliai Nature Reserve, showcasing the 'Dead Dunes' where four former villages remain buried under the sand.

Algirdas / CC-BY-SA-3.0

E

Lithuanian Sea Museum

Housed in the 19th-century Kopgalis fortress, this maritime complex features a dolphinarium, aquarium, and exhibits on the history of Lithuanian shipping.

Petriukas / CC BY-SA 4.0

F

Meridianas

Built in the 1940s, the ship now presents marine expositions and houses a nice seafood restaurant.

Andrius Vanagas / CC BY 3.0

G

Klaipeda Castle

Klaipėda Castle, also known as Memelburg or Memel Castle, is an archeological site and museum housed in a castle built by the Teutonic…

H

Murarium

A museum dedicated to feline-themed art and artifacts, housed within a restored 40-meter-high water tower built in 1905.

Tomas / CC-BY-SA

I

Black Ghost Statue

This bronze statue was made by two Lithuanian artists, Svajunas Jurkus and Sergejus Plotnikovas.

Landsat (NASA) / Public domain

J

Curonian Lagoon

The Curonian Lagoon is a freshwater lagoon separated from the Baltic Sea by the Curonian Spit. Its surface area is 1,619 square kilometers.

Sygic Travel User / CC-BY-SA

K

Apžvalgos bokštas

A timber observation tower providing views over the Curonian Lagoon, the Pervalka lighthouse, and the surrounding forested dunes.

L

Vysota Mullera

The highest point of the Bruchberg dune near Rybachy, named after forest master Ludwig Müller who pioneered sand stabilization techniques in the 19th century.

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