Neringa travel guide
Briefly about Nida
Nida – this is a resort town in the south of the town of Neringa, largest resort settlement of the Curonian Spit National Reserve. It is part of Neringa Municipality and its administrative center .
Every year about 700 thousand tourists come, but resident number is less than two thousand.
Neringa Municipality-owned and three smaller resort towns:
- Pervalka (18 km from Nida up north);
- Preila (10 km from Nida up north);
- Juodkrantė (29 km from Nida up north).
Accommodation
Nida has a wide range of places to stay: hostels, hotels, private apartments, houses, villas. There is also a great, modern camping place, lots of parking areas for campers.
Even though it is one of the most expensive resorts in the whole Lithuania, accommodation during the season (June – August) should be arranged in advance (February – March). Because Nida is very popular not only among Lithuanian, but also among foreign guests, especially German.
Rent prices are about 50 – 100 euros for a standard double hotel or hostel for a night . However, the private sector can offer cheaper options – for a similar sum it is possible to rent an apartment, equipped with 4-6 beds.
Infrastructure, Leisure and Entertainment
Tourists are fascinated by the colorful Spit pine forest and dunes, spacious soft, white sand beaches, with very few people, a unique ancient architecture and preserved interior details of fishermen’s houses, lovely seaside cabins, small cafes, cozy courtyards, beautifully arranged coastline of the Gulf piers, frequently visited by ducks and swans; fishing boats and marinas, the opportunity to taste the freshly smoked fish.
Nida – a great resort for those who long quiet vacation: for the elderly and families with small children as well as young people – everyone will find what and where to enjoy on their free time. Nida has a selection of cafés and restaurants, there are several small grocery stores and a supermarket. The town also has a library, a post office, on the Gulf – the port, yacht club, marina.
Nida and adjoining villages have an active cultural life. Here are annually organized various events and festivals: Liudvikas Rėza Culture and Art Prize nominations, cane sculpture symposium and burning campaign, wood sculptors symposium “Witch mountain”, sacred musicfestival “Laudate Dominum”, organ music festival “Organ Summer”, events of bards and pop music in memoriam of Vytautas Kernagis “Benai, plaukiam į Nidą” (Ben, let’s go to Nida”, a folk festival “Tek saulužė on maračių”, “Pūsk, vėjuži” (Let the wind blow), chamber music festivals “Nepaklusniųjų žemė” (Land of disobedient) and “Kuršių nerija” (Curonian spit), Thomas Mann festival “Gimtoji Europa” (Native Europe), Nida jazz festival, Day of ancient craft, choir and vocal music “Vox academia”, film festival “Baltijos banga” (Baltic wave), painting en plein air “Nidos ekspresija” (Nida expression) and others.
Communication
The ferry
In Klaipeda International Ferry connects Smiltynė Spit with the rest of the Lithuanian territory. Although ferries sailing season is every half hour in summer (especially on weekends) on the abundance of tourists to ferry long traffic queues form and moving takes a few hours.
Car
From the main port of the country – Klaipeda – the resort is located about 50 km. Klaipeda and Curonian Spit are connected by Smiltynė International Ferry. During season ferry sails every half hour, transporting both pedestrians and vehicles. From Smiltynė fery stretches an excellent road – Nida-Smiltynė highway 167. Pervalka can be reache by car also from the Kaliningrad region.
There is an option to book private vans or higher class cars.
Coach
Bus routes come from many Lithuanian cities and towns. There are frequent stops of buses carrying passengers to Juodkrante, Pervalka, Preila and Nida. International voyages (and from Kaliningrad) also available.
Local public transport – buses and vans go to other settlements of Neringa – Preila, Pervalka, Nida.
There is an option to book private vans or higher class cars.
Biking
From Smiltynė over the Curonian Spit a biking trail stretches 50 kilometers. It connects main seaside resorts of Lithuania with Klaipeda.
By plane
Palanga International Airport is 87 km from Nida. 50 km to Smiltynė International Ferry Terminal and about 37 km away from Klaipeda to Palanga airport.
By train
The nearest train station is in Klaipeda – about 50 km from Nida.
HistoryLinguists speculate that Nida’s name is derived from the Sanskrit – the word “nedati” means “flowing”. Since there were similar Hydronims in celtic language (Main tributary Nidda, Saar tributary Nied and so on), Nida village name is associated with the fifteenth century referred Prussian name of river Nyda (Neyde).
Historical documents mention Nida since the fourteenth century end. It is estimated that the place Noyken encountered in the war crusade descriptions means exactly Nida, but how the letter “K” in the title could turn into letter “D” is unknown.
People lived in the area of Nida for a long time ago – II millennium BC. But the current settlement was founded only in 1732, when old Nida was covered in sand. Current Nida resulted from the merger of three small adjacent to one another former villages of Nida , Skruzdynė and Purvynė.
In 1529 Nida was granted Magdeburg rights. Since the nineteenth century this village has become known, and 1933 was officially announced resort. In 1967 the house of Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann was rebuilt, where today there is a museum. In the end of nineteenth century fishing port was built, and later – Steamboat Quay. Years 1945 – 1990 m Nida was part of the Soviet Union.
Nida is loved not only by Lithuanians, but also Germans, in particular artists here who would find here peace and inspiration. Since 1900 in Nida spent their summers and painted the “Bridge” (Die Brucke) group of painters, expressionist Max Pechstein, Lovis Corinth, Karl Schmidt – Rottluff. 1930 – 1932 spent his summers here writer and Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann, whose summerhouse was preserved, restored and turned into a cultural center with a small memorial exhibition.
VK Mizgiriai Amber Museum – Gallery
Since 1995 in Pamario street there is an amber museum, where people can access the history of Baltic amber. Guided tours in foreign languages: English, German, and Russian. The gallery tells the history of “Lithuanian gold” called amber: how it was formed, how the inclusions appeared, color and shades of amber, what were old and current amber extraction techniques, how to check if bought amber is real. There are more interesting things, Amber energy producing machine, Amber brandy, served to visitors of the gallery. Visitors can not only see, but also buy amber articles.
Website: www.ambergallery.lt
Thomas Mann memorial museum
In 1966 in Nida was founded a German novelist and Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann memorial museum. Since 1995 this renovated bungalow has become a cultural center and various events are held here.
Neringa History Museum
Neringa History Museum stores various old Nida household items, tools, historical photographs and postcards, art wares. It is possible to get acquainted with the local traditional businesses – fishing, catching crows and others. You can also see Parnidis dunes in the western part of the former Stone Age village of archaeological finds.
Sundial
On Parnidis 53 meter high dunes there is a sun clock – it’s one of the best tourist attractions in Nida and the highest point of the Curonian Spit. Standing in the center, a 36-ton stone obelisk which was brought from Karelia quarry – it is a clock hand. Dropping shadow of the obelisk on the semicircular granite stairs shows time.
Parnidis dune
Nida south in one of the largest sand dunes in the Curonian Spit – Parnidis dune is 52 m high above sea level. On the duneis located sundial – one of the best tourist attractions in Nida and the highest point of the Curonian Spit.
The Great (or Gliders) dune
Once sought 70 meters in height the dune has long been the largest of the Curonian Spit, and so was called “The Great dune” . However, during the last decade of the twentieth century due to free tourist walking on dunes and its slopes its height decreased significantly and now it’s only 50 meters. In the middle of the Great Dunes stretches Lithuanian and Russian (Kaliningrad) border (it is marked by border markings). In 1932 in Nida was founded gliding school and from these dunes dunes students gliders went into the air so it is also called the Gliders dune, but the name is less popular.
On the hill Urbas, 79m above sea level, the lighthouse is a navigation mark, a signal is visible for 22 nautical miles (about 40 kilometers). It sends white light signals (two short and one long flash), its purpose – to help navigate the sea and mariners are informed that there is no port in this place.
Urbas dune
Urbas dune – another impressive dune located near Nida . Here you can see Nida’s lighthouse, visit a French POW cemetery. These dunes were admired by French philosopher and writer, Nobel Prize winner Jean-Paul Sartre, who visited Nida 1965.
Krikštai
Krikštas is one of the oldest tombstone types in Lithuania. In Nida ethnographic cemetery, next to the Evangelical Lutheran Church are still preserved the original XIX – early XX century wooden monuments – Krikštai. Minor Lithuanian population always put them by the feet of the deceased, that on the last day of the trial for “to grab when rising”.
Ethnographic fisherman’s homestead
In 1974 it was installed in Nagliu street, in a 1900 built residential house, which was destroyed by icefloes. In XIX-XX centuries the house was rebuilt, but the family that lived there had already been moved to live elsewhere. Now in ethnographic fisherman’s homestead performances, folk, ethnographic ensembles are held, folk artists organize exhibitions of their products.
Vytautas Kernagis sculpture
Vytautas Kernagis (1951 – 2008) was one of the pioneers of Lithuanian sung poetry, the audience really loved this songwriter and performer, who as well directed and hosted a variety of entertainment events and television shows. In 2009 in memoriam a bronze statue was erected. Its author – Romualdas Kvintas.
G. D. Kuvertas monument
The monument for the first man, enriched Nida with greenery. It’s standing at the end of the G. D. Kuvertas street the first enriched the environment with greenery. The monument was built in 1856 and later there was made a cemetery for dune supervisors and foresters.
Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians Church
In 2003 there was built Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians Church, which is visited by believers not only from Nida, but from whole Neringa region. The authors of the Church – architects R. Krištapavičius and A.Zaviša.
Nida’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
In Pamario street stands the gothic Nida Evangelical Lutheran Church. By the church you can see Nida ethnographic fishermen cemetery and one of the oldest monuments in Lithuania – Krikštai. Here rests and builder of the church, G. Echternach.
Nida ethnographic cemetery
Near Nida Evangelical Lutheran Church lies ethnographic fishermen cemetery, which is famous for its restored unique ancient monuments – wooden crosses that are specific to the Curonian Spit.
Tips for Pervalka
– You can find a supermarket on the street of Pervalka. You have to turn right and you will see on the left-hand side, you will bump in to a sign that says MAISTO PREKES. Than you have to go straight, the streets zigzags a little, but you will find it. Next to the supermarket you can buy fresh smoked fish.
-There is a nice restaurant near the lagoon, I recommend the Cordon Bleu chicken. You can’t miss it.
-You must rent bikes and try the bicycle to go to Preila and Nida. It’s very enjoyable. You can go early in the morning, have a coffee in Preila, and go to Nida by bike. The distance between Pervalka and Nida is 15 km.
Here is a nice wine bar in Nida:
https://www.facebook.com/INVINOinNIDA/
-Another trip to do that is shorter is too see the Dead Dunes:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2016/10/26/the_dead_dunes_in_pervalka_lithuania_are_the_tallest_migrating_dunes_in.html
-In Pervalka there is a nice walk to the Lightouse, you just have to at the end of the village, on the right on the main road. When the road ends, you will see a path behind the basketball court.
-You can watch the fairy online:
https://www.keltas.lt/lt/tiesiogine-transliacija/
