Cycling through the Sahara of the North
The port city of Klaipeda is the ideal starting point to combine the three sections on the Lithuanian coast into one bike tour. The first stage leads south over the Curonian Spit to the fishing village of Nida. The narrow, almost one hundred kilometre long peninsula separates the Baltic Sea from the Curonian Lagoon. The northern part belongs to Lithuania, the southern part to the Kaliningrad region, i.e. to the Russian administrative region. The spit is covered by impressive sand dunes. According to legend, the headland was filled up by the giantess Neringa to protect the fishermen from storms and waves. Thomas Mann also enjoyed the scenic beauty of the region at the time: the writer had a small house built in the "Sahara of the North" and spent the summer months there with his family from 1930 to 1932. Today, the Thomas Mann House houses a cultural centre and museum about the author's life and work.
Bird flight line over the Nemunas Delta
The second part of the cycling trails leads through the bog and river landscape of the Nemunas to Šilutė. The region is crossed by a bird flight line. In the adjacent 29,000-hectare coastal national park, there are therefore numerous bird species to observe during their rest. Venté is home to one of the oldest ornithological observatories in Europe. The complex also includes a small ornithological museum and a lighthouse that is over 150 years old and now serves as a viewing platform.
The seaside resort of Palanga
The destination of the third stage of the cycling tours is the famous spa town of Palanga. The popular tourist and excursion destination is often referred to as the summer capital of Lithuania. The long beaches and the 470-metre-long pier invite you to cycle, sunbathe and stroll. The city is also famous for its Amber Museum. The collection provides impressive information about the creation of the gemstone made of petrified resin. The exhibits with numerous inclusions – fossil inclusions of animals and plants – can be viewed with magnifying glasses. The heart of the exhibition is the so-called sunstone. With a weight of 3.5 kilograms, it is one of the largest ambers in the world. The museum is housed in the former castle of Count Felix Tiskevicius and is surrounded by a pretty 86-hectare botanical garden.
Tips for your bike tour in the Baltic States
The best time for cycle tours to the Baltic States is from June to mid-September. The entire route is easy to master on flat, mostly car-free paths and roads, even for beginners. On its website, the General German Bicycle Club ADFC offers useful information about cycling tours, regional studies, infrastructure, bicycle route planners and accommodation. Practical terms about bicycles, from brake cables to repair kits to rain capes, are explained by the European Bicycle Encyclopedia in 27 languages and as a picture dictionary. And if you don't want to go on the bike tours alone, but still want to look for the right companions, you can do so via the Mitradelzentrale.
