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Settlement in Lithuania
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Nida is a resort town in Lithuania Minor on the Curonian Spit, a remarkable 99 km peninsula of sandhills. Nida has about 1500 permanent residents and the larger Neringa County, which Nida is a part of, had 3,530 residents in 2020.
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Again only a sign commemorates it. After the First World War, Germany was forbidden any powered aviation, so instead developed the design and piloting of gliders. A training area was set up between Rybachii and Morskoe south of the border. Lithuania sent pilots and engineers to train with the Germans and in 1933 opened its own area at Nida. Launching was much the same as with a kite: the glider perched atop a sand dune, and four beefy fellows ran pell-mell down the dune with a cable to drag it aloft. This did not violate the rule against "powered" aviation.
Nidos akmens amžiaus Penkių kalvelių gyvenvietė
4,000 years old and nothing to see now except an explanatory sign in the forest. But this archaeological site yielded valuable knowledge about the Bay Coast people of the Baltic, whose other villages in Poland and Germany had been lost to human activity or sea erosion. Their characteristic "corded" pottery is exhibited in the museum in Nida and elsewhere.
Nidos kopų apželdintojų senosios kapinės
This is where you can find the GD Kuwert graves, father and son, which are by the main road west edge of town. In the 19th century they began the systematic replanting of the sand dunes, which were about to engulf the village and connecting road.
Nidos švyturys
A 27 m concrete tower, rebuilt in 1953 after the original 1874 tower was sabotaged in wartime. Run by the History Museum.
Built in 2003 in retro-wooden style.
This was built in 1927 and restored in 1973.
Good exhibition of the story of this Baltic gem. Some pieces are for sale.
A redbrick building of 1895, with attractive wooden interior and old graveyard.
Kuršių nerijos istorijos muziejus
Local history of the denizens of the Spit.
Thomo Manno kultūros centras
This was the summer residence of Thomas Mann from 1930 to 1932, and he wrote some of "Joseph and His Brothers" here - the blowing sand maybe helped the Egyptian scenes. It was damaged in the Second World War but restored from the 1950s, and is now a museum. They hold a literary festival over a week in July.
Grobšto gamtinis rezervatas
An expanse of sandy dunes by the border, free to enter 24/7. Sklandytojų and Parnidis dunes are a couple of the larger specimens, with Death Valley (Mirties slėnis) between. You can gaze across into Russia to confirm that their dunes are similar, thus saving the bother of a border crossing.
Vecekrugo kopa
The highest dune on the spit, at 67.2 m. It's forested with pines to stabilise it. You can ascend the track to an observation platform.
Žirgų rago švyturys / Pervalka Lighthouse
It perches on an artificial islet in the lagoon near Pervalkos village. It was first erected in 1900 and is now automated.
Pilkosios kopos / Dead Dunes
Almost 60 m high and fixed in position by a thin layer of topsoil and lichen. But there is still plenty of blowing sand about, so mind your contact lenses. Stay on the 1 km boardwalk from the parking lot.
An outdoor pizzeria near the shore west of the village.
Comfy small guesthouse.
Decent mid-range hotel.
Clean friendly central hostel.
A yacht moored in Nida marina with accommodation for two.
the main store
By bus
In summer buses run twice a day direct from Vilnius and Kaunas via Klaipėda.
By car
With your own vehicle, head to Klaipėda New ferry terminal (Naujoji perkėla) for the 10 minute crossing to Smiltynė, then follow Highway 167 down the Curonian Spit via Juodkrantė to Nida.
From Kaliningrad Oblast in Russia
You can drive to Nida with the correct documentation for yourself and vehicle. Drive northeast up the spit from Zelenogradsk via Lesnoy, Rybachii and Morskoe.
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Kaliningrad · International · KGD
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