by Belinda Weber

If you like wild coastlines with crashing waves, Lithuania's Baltic coast might be the place for you. Find out more about the Curonian Spit and the surrounding area

Lithuania has had a chequered history. Annexed by the USSR, occupied by Germany during the Second World War, then re-taken by the Soviets, you'd be forgiven for thinking it would be a grim place to visit. But this is not so. The people are proud of their country and of their independence - they were the first former Soviet state to declare their independence in 1990 - and although there are some stark reminders of hard times, it is a beautiful country to visit.


Heading to Klaipeda

Having flown to Vilnius, we drove to Klaipeda, on the Baltic Coast. Built around Lithuania's only port, Klaipeda is the third largest city in Lithuania. Although the port area itself isn't beautiful, the old town is very pretty. At its centre is the Theatre Square (Teatro aikste), which is dominated by the Drama Theatre. This has been the setting for many important historical events.

Hitler made a speech from the balcony and was apparently enraged that the statue of a young girl had her back to him! The statue disappeared shortly afterwards in mysterious circumstances and she was widely believed to have been abducted by the Nazis. The current statue is a replica which was restored to the site in 1989.

This is not the only reminder of the area's history. Near the town of Plunge, is the Zemaitija National Park. The landscape here is beautiful. Created by glaciers, there are a series of rounded hills and lots of lakes and streams. A lot of the Park is covered by forest and you can hire bikes and explore along the marked cycle trails. You can also visit the Woodcraft Museum with its bizarre collection of carvings.

Explore a missile base

An unexpected highlight for me was a tour of a disused Soviet Missile Base inside the Park perimeters. In 1960, local farmers were paid a few thousand rubles and told to move their farms, and the exact location of the base remained secret.

The Soviets then constructed an underground military base from which all of Europe could be reached by missile. It's a deeply sobering thought to know that the huge silos we clambered around in held thermo-nuclear warheads that were pointed towards us, but perhaps equally surprising is that many of the residents of nearby villages were totally unaware of the base until it was dismantled in 1979.

Take a tour of the base and you'll learn more about how it was built and about the Soviet legacy. It's also fascinating, and a little claustrophobic, to wander through the tunnels and silos that once housed a direct threat to our lives. Be warned though, health and safety measures are very different from those at home, and you do have to clamber through tight spaces and climb over obstacles. You might want to keep a close eye on any kids in your party as there are plenty of opportunities to hurt yourself if you're not careful.

The Curonian Spit

From Klaipeda you can take a ferry to the Curonian Spit, a long, thin stretch of land that's a designated national park. Formed by the wind and sea and 97 km long, it creates a barrier from the Baltic Sea and protects the mainland from the sea.

The spit itself is covered with forests and sand dunes. All nature is protected and the forests are home to many animals, including wild pigs which sometimes dart across the main road in front of you, so be particularly careful if you're driving at night.

Head to Neringa from the ferry port and you'll get the chance to explore most of the park. Stop along the way to climb up the sand dunes and you'll be rewarded by fantastic views of both the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon. You'll see crashing waves on the Baltic side and beautiful, calm water on the protected Lagoon side. You do need a permit to drive your car here, but you can buy them at a control centre about 10 km from the port. It costs about £4.

Climb Witches Hill

Also take time to explore the forests. There are numerous marked trails to follow, but a popular one for children is the Witches Hill, at Juodkrante, where wooden sculptures representing local folk tales line the paths. You can pick up a guide telling you about the stories from the Tourist Information Centre of Neringa.


Nida is the most popular tourist destination on the Spit. Both Lithuanian and foreign tourists flock to the area in summer, so expect it to be busy if you visit in high season. Surrounded by pine groves and with beaches to the lagoon side, it's a peaceful, pretty town. The streets are lined with brightly painted thatched-roofed houses that all sport richly decorated weather vanes.

Fishing is the main industry and so these were vital for the locals to know which way the wind was blowing. You can get a better understanding of how people lived by visiting the Fishermen's Homestead. This traditional wooden house with neat, picket-fenced garden is laid out in typical fashion and was designed to accommodate a family at each end.

The beach here is great for a picnic or swim. On the Baltic coast, the sea is rougher and the landscape more rugged. Amber gets washed up on the beaches, so look out for it as you stroll along the shoreline. There's a small gallery in Nida where you can see some fine examples, many of which have insects trapped inside. You can also buy reasonably priced amber jewellery as a souvenir of your visit.

Need to know

Tourist Information Centre of Neringa
http://www.visitneringa.com
+370 469 523 45

For more information about Lithuania and the Curonian Spit, go to http://www.lithuaniatourism.co.uk