Klaipeda Destination Guide
Klaipeda has had a chequered history. Multiple invasions have battered the city time and again and each time it was rebuilt with sheer tenacity. Under the German rulers, Klaipeda was known as Memel, but later it reverted to its present name. At one time Klaipeda was also the capital of the Prussian kingdom.
Moving on from a medieval town of knights, Klaipeda is now a modern city which is known for its marvellous architecture, its creativity in the field of art and music and also for its friendly and pleasant people. The city is deep rooted in culture and is host to several music festivals and jazz clubs. The many museums and galleries house works of art by many great artists.
The beautiful seaside resort of Palanga offers visitors welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of the cities!
Our Klaipeda Destination Guide and Klaipeda Tours pages will fill you in on all the major things to see and do on your visit. For some general information about Lithuania see our Lithuania Country Guide. Basketball fans - let us help you to book your accommodation for Eurobasket 2011 tournament to be held 3-18 September in Lithuania!
Things to See & Do in Klaipeda
Follow the links below or scroll further down the page for details on some of the many interesting tourist attractions in Klaipeda:
The Lithuanian Maritime Museum, Aquarium, DolphinariumTop
Also known as the Lithuanian Sea Museum, this is situated in the Smiltyne area of Klaipeda. It was inaugurated sometime in the 19th century and was later renovated in 1979. Close to the sea, this museum consists of the Sea Museum, Aquarium, the Museum of the Curonian Spit Nature and the Dolphinarium.
The museum was the brainchild of a group of architects, engineers and museum workers, who restored the fortress of Kopgalis and arranged an exposition, which consisted of an aquarium of fresh water fish of Lithuanian lakes and rivers and marine life of the Baltic Sea. An exhibition of archaeological and ethnographic items and coins housed in a fisherman's farmstead also form part of the museum. You can also learn a lot about ships and other vessels and their equipment from the displays put on show under the fortress ramparts.
The outdoor pools at the museum are the living areas of the Baltic grey and East Atlantic harbour seals, penguins, and North Sea lions. The big pools also have huge sturgeons. A large collection of molluscs are also to be found here. The museum is divided into several floors and each floor is dedicated to a particular theme.
The Dolphinarium, however, forms the centre of attraction for most visitors. Children, in particular, are happiest here. Three times a day, the dolphins and Californian sea lions put up an impressive show for the visitors. Dolphin therapy for children with health problems is another commendable activity which the museum undertakes.
The Church of Mary Queen of PeaceTop
The Church of Mary, Queen of Peace, is located on Rumpiskes gatve, which is about a kilometre southeast of the Theatre Square. This was built between 1960 and 1962, but was seized by the Soviets and turned into a concert hall. In 1988, it was finally returned to the Catholic community and is now used for worship. This modern structure has a tower from where visitors can get a panoramic view of the city.
The Klaipeda Castle, also known as the Memelburg or Memel Castle, is located at the mouth of the Dane River. It was built by the Teutonic knights of Klaipeda and has been declared an archaeological site. The castle has been mentioned in texts as early as 1252 and was later subjected to a number of demolitions and reconstructions. It was only in 2002 that a museum was opened in the castle to commemorate the city's 750th anniversary. The museum is located in the Prince Fredric Chamber under the bastion, which was used to store artillery in the 17th century. The castle is a popular site with visitors and is also the location for the annual Klaipėda Castle Jazz Festival.
The Klaipeda Clock Museum is housed in a renovated 19th century building. It was opened to the public in 1984 and shows the progress of the science of measuring time through the ages - from original or reconstructed models of ancient calendars and sun, fire, water and sand clocks to mechanical devices. The exhibits also show different models of clocks sourced from various locations right from the Renaissance era to present day models. The history of the development of clocks is shown in four halls of the first floor. The present collection is the result of the work of several Klaipeda clock collectors.
On one wall of the building, a vertical sun clock is mounted and on the other is the 1991 composition of designers Lolita Sadauskaitė and Romualdas Martinkus, called ‘The Sun Path Through Constellation'.
A part of the 19th century park is still retained near the museum and this has a large ‘quator' clock on display. Close to this museum is an old post office where a working belfry is located and one can hear concerts of carillon music on weekends. The Clock Museum courtyard is a popular venue for music festivals, and theatre and dancing events.
Lithuania's passion for food is evident at the Farmer's Market where you get to see only the freshest of produce. Farmers from the surrounding hamlets gather here and sell fresh vegetables and the best meat cuts.
The Hill of Witches is also known as ‘Raganų Kalnas' and is located at Juodkrante. It is basically an open air exhibition of wooden sculptures which was opened in 1979 and is the creation of many Lithuanian carvers. Over 70 oak sculptures of characters of Lithuanian legend adorn the Hill of witches. These include witches, devils and wizards.
In 1948, the Finns built a wooden vessel for their navigation school, which was later handed over to the Soviets during the Second World War. Today the ship is owned by a lawyer who has turned it into an international restaurant. The vessel is easily recognised by the presence of yellow sails with advertisements of the local Svyturys beer company.
This Sculpture Park in Klaipeda is named after the author of the first Lithuanian book, Martynas Mazvydas. The park was originally a cemetery which was first opened in 1820. After the Second World War, the cemetery slipped into a state of neglect. It was then that the government decided that a sculpture park would be established on this land so that visitors could appreciate these works of art and also relax.
Today there are about 100 sculptures from the latter half of the 20th century. Nearly all the gravestones were removed, barring a few in the northeast corner of the park. A few of the crosses were relocated to be displayed in the Blacksmith's Museum. It also includes an obelisk commemorating the victims of the rebellion from 1923.
Close to Klaipeda is the resort town of Palanga, where waters of the Šventoji and Rąžė Rivers flow into the Baltic Sea. The resort gets plenty of tourists in the summer months. To cater to the tourists, there are many restaurants, bars, music shows, and pleasure rides. The Amber Museum located in a botanical garden is also an attraction.
The Curonian Spit is a long and thin peninsula of sand dunes and is 98 kilometres long and only 400 metres in width. While half of it is in the Lithuanian territory, the other half is in Russia. The settlement of Nida is situated right in the middle of the spit where it is the widest. It is the also the largest settlement and is close to the Russian border.
The settlement is charming with majestic dunes dotted with rustic houses. A lagoon is on one side and the open sea is on the other of Nida. This makes it impossible for Nida to expand any further. The permanent population is less than 2000 people. But it attracts around 50,000 visitors every tourist season. Nida is a perfect family retreat, away from high rises and the usual urban hustle and bustle. There is no loud music or boisterous bars to be found here.
The entire stretch of the peninsula has been acknowledged as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has also been declared a national park since 1976 and is thickly forested with trees such as birch, pine, elm and linden and is home to a lot of wildlife. Needless to say, the beaches at Nida and its neighbouring settlement at Juodkrante have been certified as having a ‘blue flag' status, which means that they are clean and meet stringent quality standards needed for quality tourism.
National Golf Resort is a golf resort that is presently being completed in Western Lithuania. The Golf resort is situated in a geographically favourable position- barely 12 km from the Klaipeda city centre and only a 20 minutes drive from the Palanga International Airport. National Golf Resort will soon not only offer a game of golf, but also a wide range of entertainment services and recreational activities. In the picturesque valley of the Dane river you will find a classic 18-hole 72 par golf course that conforms to the world standards with a 3-hole short-game field and a practice area. Golf players will be delighted by the variety of landscapes.
For more information please visit National Golf Resort website or contact us.
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