Curonian Spit coastal viewpoints

Coastal Viewpoints & Dunes

The Curonian Spit, a 98-kilometer UNESCO World Heritage site, features some of Europe's highest drifting sand dunes. This selection spans from the Russian "Dancing Forest" with its contorted pines to the Lithuanian Nagliai Nature Reserve's "Dead Dunes," which buried several villages in the 18th century. Key locations include the Parnidis Dune's sundial, the historic Nida and Pervalka lighthouses, and the Hill of Witches, which hosts a collection of wooden folk-art sculptures. These sites offer specific vantage points over the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon.

Coastal Viewpoints & Dunes — Map

A

Vysota Efa

Named after forester Franz Efa, this is the highest point of the Orekhovaya dune at 64 meters. It offers a panoramic view of the Baltic Sea, the Curonian Lagoon, and the village of Morskoe.

B

Tancuusij les

A pine forest section where trees feature unusually twisted and contorted trunks. Planted in 1961, the cause of the wood's deformation remains a subject of scientific debate.

Bizonas / CC-BY-SA-3.0

C

Parnidis dune

The Parnidis Dune is a drifting coastal sand dune on the Curonian Spit, southeast of Nida, Lithuania, near the Lithuania-Russia border of…

ThomasPusch / CC-BY-SA-3.0

D

Hill of Witches

The Hill of Witches is an outdoor sculpture gallery near Juodkrantė, Lithuania.

Donatas Venskutonis / CC-BY-SA

E

Negyvosios kopos

Also known as the Grey Dunes, these massive sand formations in the Nagliai Nature Reserve buried several fishing villages between 1675 and 1854. A wooden trail leads through the protected landscape.

Rimantas Lazdynas / CC BY-SA 3.0

F

Vecekrugas Dune

The Vecekrugas Dune also called the Vecekrugas Hill is a forested dune on the Curonian Spit, Lithuania 1.5 kilometres south of Preila.

G

Pervalka Lighthouse

Pervalka Lighthouse - a lighthouse located in Pervalka on the Curonian Spit, located in between the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea;…

H

Nida lighthouse

Nida Lighthouse is located in Nida, on the Curonian Spit in between the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea.

Sygic Travel User / CC-BY-SA

I

Apžvalgos bokštas

An observation tower located near the Nida lighthouse on Urbas Hill, providing elevated views over the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea.

Vilensija / CC BY-SA 3.0

J

The Horn of Bulvikis

The widest point of the Curonian Spit, measuring 3.8 kilometers across. It provides an expansive view of the Curonian Lagoon between the settlements of Nida and Preila.

Vilensija / CC BY-SA 3.0

K

The Hill of Urbas

A 51-meter high sand dune in Nida, stabilized by forestation efforts in the 19th century. It serves as the foundation for the current Nida Lighthouse.

Sygic Travel User / CC-BY-SA

L

Italian view

A scenic viewpoint on the northern slope of the Parnidis Dune. It was famously named by writer Thomas Mann, who compared the pine-framed lagoon landscape to the Mediterranean.

Donatas Venskutonis / CC-BY-SA

M

Parnidžio ragas

A prominent cape extending into the Curonian Lagoon, located at the foot of the drifting Parnidis Dune near the border with the Kaliningrad Oblast.

Sygic Travel User / CC-BY-SA

N

Paukščių stebėjimo bokštas

A specialized tower for observing migratory birds along the White Sea-Baltic flyway, situated on the marshy shore of the Curonian Lagoon.

Klaus-Norbert / CC BY-SA 3.0

O

Sklandytojų kopa

Historically significant as the site of the Nida Gliding School from 1933 to 1939. This massive dune reaches heights of approximately 50 meters near the Lithuanian-Russian border.

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Curonian Spit Essentials Cultural Heritage of the Curonian Spit Nature & Camping