Our second destination in Lithuania was the Curonian Spit.
Extract from my travel diary:
Shortly before 1 p.m. we were at the ferry. About 15 minutes later we crossed over to the island for 11 euros there and back.
Our apartment in Preila is super nice. Located on the first floor, with kitchen / living room, balcony and view of the lagoon. Up a flight of stairs, 2 bedrooms, bathroom, washing machine. Everything brand new and nicely decorated. The landlord personally gave us the keys and showed us everything. Because the season is low, the shops in the village are still closed, the nearest supermarket is 12 km away, in Nida, it was even open today on Sunday. There was dinner in the apartment, then we went through the village.
Next day: The sun is shining, nothing like on the beach. Approx. The Baltic Sea side of the island is 2 km away. This morning we use the sunny weather for a walk on the beach. Light sandy beach as far as the eye can see. And we were completely alone. Very nice.
Then it went on a dune. Uphill, downhill, uphill etc. on sandy paths. A great view of the island from above. We also saw the Russian border. Afterwards, we went to Nida to eat.
In the tourist information we were looking for a geocache. The logbook was hidden behind a mural. The guy from the info really let us search, gave us no tip.
Next day: We visited the Thomas Mann Museum in Nidda. 2.50 euros entry. The Manns spent 2 years here. A beautiful wooden house on a hill with a wonderful view of the lagoon. A video by and with Thomas Mann gave nice views of the spit in Thomas Mann's time.
Next we visited a large (dead) dune. There was a wooden plank path up to the dune. Wonderful!
Last day on the Spit: It went north to a dune that you were not allowed to enter. So on to Judodrama, where we visited the witch forest. There are about 35 wooden figures on a forest hiking trail. Some witches, mythical mythical creatures but also Christian motifs.
I particularly liked the Curonian Spit on our trip to the Baltic States. On the Baltic Sea side, these endless beaches, without any development. No hotel, no restaurant or the like. All villages face the lagoon. Beautiful hiking trails through the forest and dunes. A little paradise.
