Climb Europe's Highest Sand Dunes in Lithuania
Cycle or Walk the 5000-Year-Old Curonian Spit World Heritage Site
Nov 25, 2008
The 98-kilometre long Curonian Spit is a fine example of a geographical spit formation, a narrow stretch of land jutting between the Lithuanian and Russian coastlines, creating a natural barrier against the Baltic Sea and the resultant Curonian Lagoon within.
Formed gradually around 5,000 years ago by the process of sand deposition, this natural environment is now fully developed and home to Europe’s highest moving sand dunes, some built up to reach 60 metres in height.
World Heritage Site
The UNESCO World Heritage-listed site lies half within the Russian oblast of Kaliningrad and half within Lithuania and has permanent populations in small villages living along the entire length of the formation.
Dominated by its drifting dunes, the protected environment also features large areas of forestland and grass meadow, which play a vital role in anchoring the land; especially as the spit is as narrow as 400 metres in places and faces the constant threat of tidal erosion.
A natural draw for tourists, the Curonian Spit’s entire length is ideal for cyclists and an industry has built up around this in several villages. Popular with native Lithuanians and Russians as well as German guests, the spit is now receiving more visitors since its UNESCO designation.
A cycle ride offers a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the landscapes of the spit, with the dunes themselves the undoubted highlight.
Sand Dunes
As sand dunes are at such risk of natural and manmade erosion, marked paths on duckboards are in place allowing visitors to climb the dunes rising high above the pine forest for a fantastic and surreal view down to the Baltic Sea on one side, the Curonian Lagoon on the other.
Sadly, overgrazing and deforestation in recent centuries by populations living on the spit have threatened the future existence of this natural formation, now home to elk, deer and abundant birdlife.
Entire villages were buried beneath the advancing dunes in the C18th, leading to a wide program of planting and reforestation, resulting in today’s beautiful scenic scenery woodland and inland marshes alongside its famous dunes.
Klaipeda
From the Lithuanian side, the Curonian spit can be accessed from the town of Klaipeda via a ferry to Smiltyne, the northernmost village on the spit. From here buses run regularly south to Nida, the southernmost village close to the national border with Russia.
Nida contains numerous outlets to rent bicycles and its tourist information centre here has plenty of details on accommodation and walking routes.
On the Russian side the spit is accessed from the town of Zelenogradsk, a 30 minute bus journey from Kaliningrad.
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