The path of discovery in the Lithuanian seaside region
Do you have a magical item that accompanies you everywhere, brings you luck and protects you, your travel talisman?
If not, then this fun game is just for you! Six municipalities in the Klaipėda region (Klaipėda City, Klaipėda District, Kretinga District, Palanga, Skuodas District, and Šilutė District) are launching a new project on June 24, offering you the chance to collect memories of each place you visit in a single necklace and create your own talisman – a Discovery Road bracelet.
Come to the Lithuanian seaside, visit the three places listed in each municipality, take a photo of yourself there, and visit the tourist information centers to receive beads for your bracelet of discovery. Sounds interesting? But that’s not all! Each municipality will give you a bead with its own letter, which has a special meaning: Inviting Klaipėda, Elegant Palanga, Waiting Šilutė, Unique Klaipėda District, Open Skuodas, Mysterious Kretinga. Which magical word will become your travel talisman?
KELIAS
Not only will you get to know the unique places of the region and experience the joy of discovery, but you will also be rewarded!
Your plan for this summer is to bring your good mood with you and head for the sunny seaside to experience the joy of new discoveries while visiting the tourist attractions of the enchantingly beautiful Klaipėda region:
KLAIPĖDA
The Pier – the gateway to the port (Vėtros g. 9, Klaipėda)
The gates of the Port of Klaipėda consist of the southern and northern piers. They protect the port from waves, ice floes, and siltation. The piers are built on piles, and the part rising above the water is made of stone, reinforced with stones and large concrete blocks.
The northern breakwater is a particularly popular place for locals to take a stroll – it’s a great spot to watch the sunset, greet arriving ships, and wave goodbye to those departing. And what breathtaking views can be seen here during a storm, when foamy waves roll over the pier – definitely worth seeing!
Clock Museum (Liepų g. 12)
Have you ever wondered how people used to measure time? How did they count years, months, days, hours, and minutes? Do you know when the sun, water, fire, and sand clocks were invented?
The Clock Museum exhibition features over 1,700 original rare clocks and reconstructions, complemented by furniture, interior details, and engravings. The museum courtyard has a sundial park with four different sundials!
Sculpture Park (K. Donelaičio g. 6B)
This is an open-air gallery of modern Lithuanian sculpture.
For more than a decade, works created by sculptors during summer symposiums were erected here.
“Dinner for Four,” “Walk,” “Peace,” and “Summer Rain” are just a few of the 116 works of art created by 61 sculptors currently on display in the 10-hectare park.
PALANGA
Birutė Park (Vytauto g. 15, Palanga)
A vacation in Palanga is unimaginable without an elegant stroll in one of the most beautiful parks in Northern Europe – Birutė Park.
Birutė Park was established on the site of the former Birutė Forest and Birutė Hill. The landscape plan for the park was designed by the famous French architect Eduard François André at the end of the 19th century, commissioned by the Counts Tiškevičiai.
Tiškevičiai Alley (from Kęstučio Street to Kurhauzas)
Created more than 120 years ago by Count Juozapas Tiškevičius, this authentic alley was the first park in Palanga and the center of the resort at that time. The reconstructed alley is a token of gratitude from the residents of Palanga to the founders of the resort, the Counts Tiškevičiai. The alley is decorated with two bronze sculptures – “Countess Antanina Sofija Loncka-Tiškevičienė” and “Count Feliksas Tiškevičius.” They are connected by a decorative strip on the pavement, which is engraved with the Tiškevičiai family motto in Latin and Lithuanian, “Deligas quem diligas” and “Išsirink, ką myli” (Choose what you love).
Sculpture “Fisherman’s Daughters” (on the dunes near the gates of Šventoji Port, Šventoji)
An impressive 4-meter-high sculptural composition, “The Fisherman’s Daughters,” stands on the dunes near the gates of Šventoji Harbor. It depicts three long-haired girls looking out to sea, waiting for their father to return from fishing.
ŠILUTĖ
Hugo Šojaus Manor Park in Šilutė (Lietuvininkų g. 4, Šilutė)
Hugo Šojaus Manor is a simple late classicist and historicist building with subtle stylistic features and modest decoration typical of the Klaipėda region. An English-style park with three ponds and walking paths was established next to the manor. The park, which stretches along the Šyša River to the old railway bridge, used to have about 150 species of plants. Currently, there are 40 species of trees and shrubs in the park.
Ventės Ragas
The Ventės Ragas peninsula is located on the Curonian Lagoon, not far from the mouth of the Nemunas River, south of the village of Ventė. It is best known for its migratory bird ringing station and lighthouse, which is one of the oldest surviving lighthouses in Lithuania! The observation deck of the lighthouse offers a panoramic view of the Curonian Lagoon, the Curonian Spit, and Rusnė Island.
Švėkšna Manor Park (Parko g. Švėkšna)
A wonderful park in the center of Švėkšna with a villa that has survived from 1880 to the present day, central gates with fence segments, garden gates, and a statue of Diana, the ancient Roman goddess of hunting, on an island in the pond. You will also see a newly restored sundial, a vase on a pedestal, a round observation deck with a balustrade, a sculpture of St. Mary, the Angel of Freedom, and many other noteworthy objects.
KLAIPĖDA DISTRICT
Kalniškės Hillfort (near Gargždai, by the Gargždai-Vėžaičiai road)
The Kalniškės Hillfort, towering on the left bank of the picturesque Minija River valley, marks the beginning of the history of Gargždai, and the panorama that opens up from it enchants both locals and visitors. Come and see the hillfort dating back to the 13th century.
Dreverna small boat harbor and observation tower (Pamario g. 12, Dreverna)
The modern small boat harbor in Dreverna offers a campsite, restaurant, recreational boat, water bike, boat, and paddleboard rentals, a spa, heated outdoor pool, and children’s playgrounds. The 15-meter-high observation tower, loved by many, is a great place for selfies, offering views of the Nagliai Nature Reserve, the Curonian Lagoon, and numerous kite surfers.
Olando Kepurė (Seaside Regional Park)
Karklė attracts visitors with its rocky and white sandy beaches, clean air filled with the scent of pine trees and the sea, the sound of waves, health and bicycle trails winding through beautiful seaside meadows and pine forests,
and the stunning natural monument of the Dutchman’s Cap cliff enchant everyone. It is a parabolic dune rising 24.4 m above the sea, which, constantly eroded by the waves, slopes down to the seashore at a height of 16-18 m.
SKUODAS
Skuodas Regional Museum (Šaulių g. 3, Skuodas)
The museum houses as many as 18,916 exhibits, including archaeological, historical, ethnographic, architectural, numismatic, folk art, and natural history collections. There are four permanent exhibitions. The museum has an information terminal called “Apuolė – the center of the Curonian lands,” where you can interactively learn about the oldest settlement in Lithuania – the Apuolė mound – as well as the life of the Curonians, Viking weapons, clothing, ships, and fighting techniques. Quizzes and games help visitors test their knowledge about our ancestors, the Curonians, and their way of life.
Vaclovas Into Stone Museum and Park (Salantų g. 2, Mosėdis)
This is a unique museum, located in the town of Mosėdis in the Skuodas district, in a picturesque 14.5-hectare valley. The museum has a large collection of rocks brought to Mosėdis and other places in Lithuania during the Ice Age, as well as collections of Lithuanian fossils and minerals (precious and semi-precious stones).
Upon arriving at the museum, visitors can admire the picturesque landscape of the Bartuva River, see pagan altars, a burial mound, and the only watermill in the region that has survived to this day!
Šilalė Boulder (near the town of Mosėdžius, by the Skuodas–Plungė highway)
This is the fifth largest stone in Lithuania. The boulder is 7.48 m long, 5.48 m wide, 3.66 m high, and has a circumference of 18.33 m. The boulder lies on a hill that was once surrounded by marshes, through which a stone pavement led to the village of Šilalė.
KRETINGA
Jauryklos River Park (P. Vileišio St., Kretinga)
In the southern part of Kretinga, there is a new, unique 10-hectare Jauryklos River Park, which invites both those who long for peaceful relaxation in nature and those who enjoy more active leisure activities. Jauryklos River Park has more than 3 km of health and nature trails with various wooden bridges and footbridges. There are five landscape viewing platforms offering views of interesting natural objects, several children’s playgrounds with sandboxes, climbing frames, and swings.
Kretinga Manor Park, Astronomical Calendar with a Sundial (Vilniaus g. 20, Kretinga)
In the park surrounding Kretinga Manor, visitors can stroll among the surviving century-old oak trees, walk along the alleys of lime and chestnut trees, and along the banks of ponds. In 2002, an astronomical calendar with a sundial was built in the southern part of the park. This composition, reminiscent of ancient Baltic cultural traditions, consists of oak sculptures carved by folk artists and carved stones marking historical events and calendar holidays. The shadow of a 6-meter-high wooden sculpture on a hill shows the hours marked on the central stones, and the sun’s rays passing through the opening at the top fall on a different stone marking a holiday at different times of the year.
The Kartena Hillfort, reminiscent of the wars (Kartena, Kretinga District)
Driving along the town of Kartenos, the Kartenos hillfort opens up on the other bank of the Minija River. Climbing up it, you can see the whole town of Kartenos. One legend says that the hill was once the site of the castle of the King of Samogitia, which was constantly attacked by enemy armies. Once, when Swedish and Russian armies came to attack it, they fought each other. The ruler of the castle shouted to his soldiers: “Veizėkiet, karė tenā!” (“Look, there’s war!”). Since then, the area has been called Kartena.
