Klaipėda

Klaipeda harbour and old town Lithuania

Top attractions in Klaipėda

Old Town (Altstadt)

The historic core of Klaipeda has a distinct German character, a legacy of centuries as Memel, a city in the Prussian and later German empire. Half-timbered buildings, narrow lanes, and squares give it a feel unlike anywhere else in Lithuania. The Theatre Square is the social heart.

Historic

Ferry to the Curonian Spit

From Klaipeda Old Ferry Port, a short 5-minute crossing takes you to the Curonian Spit. This UNESCO World Heritage peninsula is one of the most striking natural landscapes in Europe: giant sand dunes, ancient forests, and the village of Nida at the far end. Cycling is the best way to explore.

Nature

Clock Museum

One of Lithuania's most unusual and museums. The collection covers sundials, hourglasses, wall clocks, pocket watches, and elaborate mechanical timepieces spanning several centuries. Housed in a beautiful 19th-century building, it is a surprisingly fascinating place to spend an hour.

Museum

Smoked Fish at the Market

Klaipeda's Old Market (Senasis turgus) is the best place to try one of the city's great specialties: locally smoked fish. Eel, bream, and herring smoked over alder wood are sold fresh every morning. Buy a newspaper cone of smoked fish and eat it walking by the harbour.

Food

Food and drink in Klaipėda

The city has a strong culture of fish and seafood, reflecting its role as a port. Beyond smoked fish from the market, look for zuviene (a hearty fish soup) in local restaurants, and fresh Baltic herring served in various preparations. The Old Town has a handful of excellent restaurants, and the area around the Old Ferry Port has lively bars and casual eateries that do particularly well on warm evenings when half the city seems to be sitting outside.

Lithuania's window on the sea

Klaipėda stands apart from every other Lithuanian city. It is a port, a working harbour city with cranes on the skyline and the smell of salt water in the air. For centuries it was called Memel and belonged to the German world, first as part of the Prussian kingdom, then within the German empire. The German character is still visible in the half-timbered buildings of the old town, in the street plan, and in the architectural detail that survived the wartime destruction.

Lithuania only gained the city in 1923, when an armed uprising by Lithuanian irregulars expelled the French administration that had been running it under a League of Nations mandate since the end of the First World War. It was briefly annexed back to Germany in 1939, then retaken by the Soviets in 1945. By the time Lithuania became independent in 1990, Klaipėda had been through more political transformations than almost any city its size on earth.

Today it is simply the gateway to everything that makes the Lithuanian coast special. The Curonian Spit, the old fishing villages, the sand dunes, the amber beaches: all of it starts with a five-minute ferry ride from the old harbour.

The Curonian Spit: a world apart

The Curonian Spit (Kuršių nerija in Lithuanian) is a narrow peninsula stretching 98 kilometres along the Baltic coast. The Lithuanian section covers around 50 kilometres. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the moment you step off the ferry you understand why. The landscape is unlike anything else in the country: towering sand dunes that rise to 60 metres, ancient pine forests, small fishing villages painted in traditional colours, and the constant sound of wind and waves from both sides of the peninsula.

The best way to explore the Spit is by bicycle. A dedicated cycle path runs the full length of the Lithuanian section, passing through the villages of Smiltynė, Juodkrantė, Pervalka, Preila, and ending at Nida, the most famous and most beautiful of them all. Nida has Thomas Mann's summer house (now a museum), the Parnidis Dune with its dramatic views, and several excellent restaurants. Give yourself a full day at minimum.

Getting there

Klaipėda is around 3 hours from Vilnius and 2 hours from Kaunas by bus or car. The A1 motorway runs most of the way. For the Curonian Spit, pedestrians and cyclists use the Old Ferry Terminal in the city centre, while cars use the New Ferry Terminal. Check current Smiltynės perkėla times and fares before you go. In summer, booking accommodation in Nida in advance is strongly recommended.