Lithuania : Klaipėda

Klaipėda, Lithuania's main seaport, is known mainly as the gateway to the Curonian Spit, though it has a fascinating history as the East Prussian city of Memel long before it was incorporated into modern Lithuania in the 1920s. It was founded in 1252 by the Teutonic Order, who built the city’s first castle, and has served as a key trading port through the centuries to modern times. It was retaken by Nazi Germany in WWII and housed a German submarine base. Though it was heavily bombed in the war, it retains a unique Prussian feel, particularly in the quiet backstreets of the historic Old Town.

Klaipėda Castle MuseumMUSEUM

This small museum is based inside the remains of Klaipėda's old moat-protected castle, which dates back to the 13th century. It tells the castle’s story through the ages until the 19th century, when most of the structure was pulled down. You'll find fascinating photos from WWII and the immediate postwar years, when the city was rebuilt by Soviet planners.

History Museum of Lithuania MinorMUSEUM

This small museum traces the origins of ‘Lithuania Minor’ (Kleinlitauen), as much of the Lithuanian coastal region was referred to over the centuries as part of East Prussia. The museum includes fascinating bits of the German legacy, such as Prussian maps, labour-intensive weaving machines and traditional folk art.

Tourist OfficeTOURIST INFORMATION

Exceptionally efficient tourist office selling maps and locally published guidebooks. It arranges accommodation and English-speaking guides (around €40 per hour), can help with ferry and bus schedules to the Curonian Spit, and hires out bicycles (per hour/day €2.40/9 plus €100 deposit). It has a couple of computers for surfing (per hour €1.20).

Getting There & Away

The train and bus stations are situated near each other in the modern part of town, about 2km north of Old Town. Three daily trains run to Vilnius (€15, 4¾ hours). There’s regular bus service to Vilnius (€18, four to 5½ hours, up to 14 daily) and Kaunas (€12, 2¾ to 4½ hours, up to 15 daily).