Klaipėda.
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Overview

Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania Minor, the narrow northwest coastal region of Lithuania. It's the country's third-largest city. The city has historic sights but isn't pretty-pretty like Vilnius Old Town, and draws mostly local tourism. The big attraction is the Curonian Spit, a remarkable 99 km peninsula of sand dunes. Smiltynė at its north tip is part of the city and is reached by a five-minute ferry ride from downtown.

Facilities in the northern third of the spit are described on this page, while those in the centre are described on the Nida page. Its south is part of Kaliningrad Oblast, an exclave of Russia.

Understand

Klaipėda is at the mouth of the River Danė, which flows into the Curonian Lagoon, the freshwater lake enclosed by the Curonian Spit; the lagoon here discharges into the Baltic. Its harbour is ice-free, a valuable site on this cold sea, so it's been fought over many times. The castle was built by the Teutonic Knights in 1253 and for much of its history the city was part of Prussia. German-speaking people called it "Memel" for the larger river feeding the lagoon further south, nowadays the border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Timber export have long been the port's main trade, along with other agricultural produce such as wool.

After the First World War Memel and its hinterland were declared a "Free City" similar to Gdańsk / Danzig, but newly-independent Lithuania annexed it in 1923. Nazi Germany grabbed it in 1939: after the Second World War it reverted to the far-from-independent Lithuanian SSR, a communist satellite state of the USSR. That grey empire broke up in 1990 and Klaipėda like other Baltic cities developed modern western industries.

The best time to visit Klaipėda is around May to September, with warm weather best for vacation activities. Having a maritime climate, Klaipėda's seasons are usually mild, though there may be some atypically hot or cold days every few years. While rain is a common occurence year-round, most of the precipitation and thunderstorms usually cluster around late summer and autumn. Additionally, snow may fall as early as October and as late as May.

Get in

They go via Kaišiadorys, Jonava, Kėdainiai, Radviliškis, Šiauliai, Telšiai, Plungė and Kretinga. Kaunas – There are no direct trains, but you have to change in Vilnius or Šiauliai, for a 5-hour journey. Šilutė – 4 local trains per day, taking 1 hour.

Buses run from Palanga, Vilnius, Kaunas and Riga airports as above. Vlasava, Kautra and TOKS buses run hourly from Vilnius town via Kryžkalnis to Klaipėda (4 hr), where they take a 20-minute break then continue north to Palanga town, the airport and Šventoji. They also run hourly from Kaunas (3 hr); some start from Druskininkai and Alytus.

By road From Vilnius and Kaunas, follow A1 northwest. It's a fast dual carriageway.

From Riga, follow A8 / A12 to Šiauliai, then A11 west.

Nearby international airports: Palanga Airport , Palanga – The closest airport, 36 km north. It has limited seasonal destinations, which include London Stansted and Dublin by Ryanair, Oslo by Norwegian, Riga by Air Baltic, and Copenhagen by Scandinavian. Bus 31 runs between the airport, Palanga and the Klaipėda bus and railway station every 30 min.

Kaunas Airport , Kaunas – Linked by the direct Ollex buses four times a day, taking 2½ hr to Klaipėda via Kryžkalnis highway interchange.

Vilnius Airport , Vilnius – Far more flights than Kaunas. TOKS buses that run between Vilnius and Klaipėda also run via Vilnius airport.

See below for the ferries across the channel from Smiltynė on Curonian Spit. With the right documentation it's possible to drive up the Curonian Spit from Kaliningrad Oblast in Russia, crossing the border near Nida, and on north up Highway 167 to the ferry terminal. Bicycles are also permitted across that border but not pedestrians, and there is no public transport across.

Get around

By bus The city stretches north-south along the coast, so many routes start from the university quarter to the bus and railway station, then south along H. Manto gatvė across the bridge into Old Town, continuing down Tiltų g. towards the Akropolis shopping mall. For example, Bus 8 runs every 5-10 min down this spine along Taikos prospektas. Bus 9 runs every 10 min closer to shore, passing by the Old Ferry Terminal, the castle and south to the New Ferry Terminal and the shipping port. For routes and timetables, see the Klaipėda Transport website.

Validate your ticket immediately on boarding.

Further out, Bus N1 runs down the spit every two hours, connecting with the ferries at Smiltynė old ferry terminal. It carries bikes and goes to Juodkrantė and Nida, taking 65 min.

Klaipėda scrapped its trams in 1967.

Two ferries routes exist between Klaipėda and Smiltynė on Curonian Spit, which foot passengers, as well as vehicles, commute on.

For vehicles (mostly, but foot passengers can also commute):

Ferries no longer sail direct from Klaipėda to Juodkrantė or Nida, though private businesses or individuals may offer trips for foot passengers.

By bicycle Bikes are a good way to explore the Curonian Spit.

See

Klaipėda Castle. Only a single bastion remains of this moated castle, built in 1253 by the Livonian Order of Teutonic Knights; its wooden predecessor on the opposite river bank has long disappeared. For the next 500 years rival powers queued up to smash it down then build it up again, with the last reconstruction in 1763. Thereafter even the Prussians couldn't think of a military role for it, so it fell derelict and its masonry was stripped. It now houses a museum exhibiting the troubled story of the castle and the city.

Black Ghost. A creepy bronze sculpture by the footbridge spanning the outlet of the castle moat, next to Old Port Hotel. It is a hollow, cowled wraith dragging himself from the water and supposedly terrifying to children, but probably more so to any drunk who's dropped his keys and is scrabbling along the wharf in search.

Theatre Square. The cobbled plaza at the heart of Old Town. This district is on a grid pattern as it had to be rebuilt after an extensive fire in 1854: look for quirky little statues here and there. The larger statue in the square is "Ännchen von Tharau" (Anna Neander 1615–1689), whose marriage was commemorated in a uxorious poem by Simon Dach, later set to music.

History Museum of Lithuania Minor. Lithuania Minor is the strip of territory that became Prussianised as Memel. Limited signage in English.

Blacksmith's Museum. This is the former workshop of Gustav Katzke (1868–1944) and exhibits 19th- and early 20th-century blacksmiths' equipment, and ironwork such as cemetery crosses and ornamental park railings.

Ship Museum Sūduvis. Sūduvis was a West German minesweeper, in service from 1958. It was handed over to Lithuania in 1999 and retired in 2021.

Meridianas. A three-masted barquentine, a training vessel launched in Finland in 1948 as part of a series of 91 wooden war-reparation schooners and barquentines. It retired in 1968 and was moored here, becoming a symbol of the city. It's now a seafood restaurant and events venue, see Eat below.

Museum of Clocks. Lots and lots of clocks, watches and other timepieces.

Pranas Domšaitis Gallery. Permanent exhibition of Memel artists, notably Franz Karl Wilhelm Domscheit (1880-1965). He was a farmer until age 27 then talent-spotted and sponsored through art school in Königsberg. His successful career halted in 1937 when the Nazis condemned his "degenerate art", thereafter he used the Lithuanian name Pranas Domšaitis and played safe.

Orthodox Church of All Russian Saints. has a modest exterior but is richly decorated within.

This untied bootlace of the Baltic stretches for 99 km from Zelenogradsk in Russia. Its north tip is Smiltynė, the beach resort of Klaipėda, reached by a short ferry ride from downtown (see Get Around).

South Pier. The 19th century breakwater at the very tip of the spit, reached by a paved track.

Lithuanian Sea Museum. Displays of marine life plus maritime history. You pay as much again for the dolphin shows in the Dolphinarium.

Ethnographic Museum. This annex of the Sea Museum is a Skansen-type outdoor museum of fishermen's cottages and equipment.

Smiltynė Kurhaus. An elegant Jugendstil mansion. In 2023, it was closed for conversion into apartments.

Alksnynė Bunkers. The most substantial of the World War II fortifications dotted along the spit. This group of overgrown ruins was Schweinsrücken artillery battery.

Hill of Witches. It contains more than 80 wooden statues of Lithuanian folklore characters.

See Nida for the middle section of the spit. See Kaliningrad Oblast for the southern section in Russia.

Do

Beaches – The west coast of the Curonian Spit is sandy throughout its length, backed by forest and sandhills. Smiltynė, the north tip just across the channel from downtown, is obviously the busiest. Giruliai and Melnragė beaches are north of town, and are accessible by bus routes 4, 6, and 24.

Dramatic Theatre of Klaipėda. It often has international productions in their original language.

Malūno Park. The main green space within the city.

Central stadium of Klaipėda. FK Neptūnas play soccer in 1 Lyga, the second tier. This is their home ground, capacity 1000; the playing season is Mar-Nov. Other city clubs have folded — best known were Atlantas, busted in 2020 for match-fixing.

FK Banga play in A Lyga the top tier. They're based 15 km east in Gargždai.

Events Music Spring Festival – Usually held in April every year, it's the oldest continuing classical music festival in the country. Both classical compositions and modern works are performed by local and foreign orchestras, conductors and soloists. Sea Festival – Lithuania's largest annual summer festival, traditionally held around late July and lasting about 3 to 4 days. Although many activities start before the grand opening, it officially starts with the mayor's ceremonial speech. The various activities include free street concerts, open-air film screenings, a large market held in the Old Town, parades, and firework shows. Klaipėda Castle Jazz Festival – Often held around late June to early July, worldwide jazz performers come to celebrate the beloved music genre. Most of the festival's concerts are organized in Teatro aikštė, but the full program includes various jazz-related events all around the city. Klaipėda Light Festival – Unlike the rest of the festivals named above, the Klaipėda Light Festival is organized in late February. Light installations, laser shows, art projects, and audiovisual shows arriving from all around the world are displayed in the Old Town, usually happening over the course of a few days.

Buy

Amber is a traditional Baltic giftware, the semi-precious fossil of tree resin.

Kiras. A small shopping centre with cafés, restaurants, a hair salon and casinos.

Akropolis. The city's main mall. It has a movie theater, skating rink, shops, a supermarket, gym, restaurants, fast food and a post office.

Eat

Budget Cheap lunch: restaurants and bars usually serve an inexpensive two-course menu-of-the-day from 11:30 to 14:00. Local specialty is cheese fingers - lots of places serve these as a snack or starter. Hap's Kebabs, within the bus station, is open daily from 10:00 to 21:45.

Samurai. Inexpensive ramen and other Japanese dishes.

Cancan Pizza. Cheap and cheerful pizzeria by the ice rink.

Friedricho Pasažas (Friedrich's Passage) is an Old Town alley lined with eating places. Its south end opens onto Tiltų g., its north onto Šaltkalvių g. by the Blacksmith's Museum.

Storas Katinas. Inexpensive Old Town restaurant, the seafood is best.

Senamiestis. Trad Old Town restaurant, as the name indicates.

Stora Antis. Charming basement restaurant in an old town block of 1856, good Baltic cuisine.

Senoji Hansa. Traditional restaurant on Theatre Square, indifferent quality.

Etno Dvaras. Chain restaurant, great place to enjoy traditional Lithuanian cuisine.

Meridianas. Upscale seafood restaurant aboard the sailing ship (see above).

Drink

Brewery: Švyturys ("lighthouse") is at Kūlių Vartų g. 7 in Old Town and offers tours. Their gastropub is open M-Th 16:00-00:00, F 16:00-02:00, Sa 13:00-02:00, Su 13:00-23:00.

Irish Nesė Pub. Decent place for a drink, but give the food a miss.

Leika. Relaxing Old Town evening spot.

Herkus Kantas. Lively small bar on the north riverbank.

Kurpiai. Bar and jazz club, limited food.

Faksas. Bar with loud rock music, some food.

Hofas. A lively bar right next to the Danė river, where various concerts and stand-up events happen.

Sleep

Klaipėda Hostel. Cozy convenient hostel.

Kubu. Pleasant budget guesthouse. They also have apartment lofts but no longer operate as a hostel.

Aribe. Very basic but central place.

Promenada. Simple friendly place near bus and railway stations.

Preliudija. Clean friendly small hotel in centre.

Pajūrio kempingas. Campsite open year round for tents and tourers, plus cabins. Some noise at night from trains.

Mercure. Comfy well-run Accor chain hotel.

Amberton Hotel. "K-Tower" high-rise, you may wait a long time for the elevator. Comfy enough but the heating only works if the key card is in. There's a gym with swimming pool, casino, two restaurants and two bars at ground level, plus sky-bars on the 12th and 20th floors.

Ararat. Very comfy place with apartment rooms.

Euterpe. Friendly central place, parking available. It's named for the Grecian muse of music – a Renaissance-era tile dedicated to Euterpe was unearthed in the courtyard.

National Hotel. Decent enough central place, they need better curtains against the early summer sunrise.

Memel Hotel. Pleasant 50-room hotel in a 19th century building. Central but peaceful and clean, with secure car parking.

Navalis. Tatty hotel, service hit-and-miss, limited parking.

Old Mill Hotel. In two renovated fishermen's houses, separated by castle dock outlet. Pleasant place but food indifferent and no on-site parking.

Art Hotel Bohema Klaipėda. Accommodation for one, two or family.