Curonian Split (Kursiu Nerija)

The Curonian Split, or Kursiu Nerija, is a 98 km (60 miles) long and only several kilometers wide peninsula that dominates Lithuania's Baltic coast. It is covered with pines and dunes and it includes four towns, Juodkrante, Pervalka, Preila and Nida. Since the Curonian Split is so narrow, all of these towns are relatively close to the coast. Animals that roam the area include deer, elk and wild boar.

Local fisherman smoke their fish according to an old and delicious Curonian recipe. During the summer months the peninsula gets quite busy with tourists and jet skis or paddleboats can be rented in Nida, to go out on the Curonian Lagoon. If you are planning to swim there, you should first check the water quality, as it is often quite dirty. When walking in the dunes, stay on the marked paths and don't pick any flowers, as the ecology is very delicate and everything should be done to maintain the stability of the dunes, which are prone to erosion. In the winter people go out on the frozen lagoon to do ice fishing.

There are numerous hotels and restaurants all over the Split. Buses connect the four towns and ferries to the mainland are available at Smiltyné. They cross to Klaipeda, where rail and road transportation to the rest of Lithuania is available.