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NERINGA , or the Kursiu Nerija, is the Lithuanian section of the Couronian Spit (known as Kurische Nehrung when the region was part of Germany), a 97-kilometre spit of land characterized by vast sand dunes and pine forests. Much of the spit can be seen as a day trip from Klaipeda, although you need to stay here for a day or two to soak up the unique atmosphere. To get there take a ferry from the quayside towards the end of Zveju gatve in Klaipeda (sailings every thirty minutes between 6am and 11pm; 1.40Lt return) to SMILTYNE on the northern tip of the spit. A road leads north from the landing stage, passing a re-created thatched wooden fishing village before reaching the Maritime Museum and Aquarium (J-r- muziejus ir akvariumas; June-Aug Tues-Sun 11am-7pm; May & Sept Wed-Sun 11am-7pm; Oct-April Sat & Sun 11am-5pm; 6Lt), 1km away, where an engaging mixture of seals, penguins and model ships are assembled in a red-brick German fort. Nearby is a dolphinarium where captive Black Sea Dolphins are put through the hoops (May-Sept noon, 2pm & 4pm; 10Lt). Back at the Smiltyne landing stage, frequent minibuses (7Lt) run south towards the more scenic, dune-dominated parts of the spit, terminating at Nida, 35km south. At the National Park Station 5km south of Smyltine you will have to pay an entrance fee (2Lt per person, 10Lt per car without a trailer). Keep the receipt for your return journey. The speed limit is forty kilometres per hour. NIDA is the most famous village on the spit - a small fishing village boasting several streets of attractive wooden houses, although there's some lumpen Soviet resort architecture at its heart. To get a feel for the old fishing settlement head for Nagliu gatve and Lotmisko gatve (5min south of the village centre bus stop), lined by single-storey blueu and brown-painted wooden houses, many of which preserve their traditional thatched roofs. The Etnografine Zvejo Sodyba , Nagliu 4 (May-Sept Wed-Sun 11am-5pm; 3Lt), is a re-created nineteenth-century fisherman's cottage with simple wooden furnishings and explanations in Lithuanian, Russian and German of fishing-village development and architectural styles. Outside, between the building and the sea, are a couple of old fishing boats. From the end of Nagliu a shore path runs to a flight of wooden steps leading up to the top of the dunes south of the village. From the summit you can gaze out across a Saharan sandscape to the Kaliningrad province, part of German East Prussia until 1945 but now belonging to the Russian Federation. At the northern end of the village is Thomas Mann's House (Tomo Mano Namelis; May-Sept Tues-Sun 11am-5pm; 3Lt), his summer residence from 1930 to 1932. An uneventful museum within contains a few photos of the man himself and various editions of his books. Nida's long, luxuriant beach stretches along the western side of the spit, about 20min walk through the forest from the village. The tourist office , bang in the centre of the village at Taikos 4 (Mon-Fri 9am-1pm & 2-6pm; tel 259/52345), will find you a private room (under GBP5/$8-GBP10/$16). Litinterp back in Klaipeda can book rooms in advance, but for a slightly higher fee. Best of the numerous small hotels in town is the Rasyte , Lotmiskio 11 (tel 259/52592; GBP15-20/$24-32), a wooden house in the heart of the old fishing settlement, although it's essential to book in advance. The larger and less atmospheric Nidos Smilte , Skruzdynes 2 (tel 259/52221), offers simple doubles with shared facilities (GBP10-15/$16-24) and spartan cabins (GBP5-10/$8-16) in the Nidos Pusynas holiday settlement nearby. For food head for Seklycia , Lotmiskio 1 (daily: summer 9am-3am; winter 9am-11pm), which does simple dishes like cepelinai as well as more sophisticated meat and fish dishes. Reidas , just behind the bus station at Nagliu 20, is a good place to try the excellent local fish, and turns into an animated bar with live rock at night.
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