View looking across some colourful flora to a lagoon on a sunny day at the Curonian Spit in Lithuania

Walked Across The Curonian Spit

29th July 2023 - New Experience Number 23.

Jump to 'Try it yourself'

I originally claimed this ‘new thing’ as walking coast to coast across Lithuania. But Lithuania isn’t even an island! How could I have walked coast to coast across the Baltic State?

Well, there’s an interesting geographical feature along the coast of the country which means it is possible to walk from one coast to another in Lithuania. Sort of. Ok, ok, I’ll admit I may have been struggling for a way of wording this one! 

It’s a place I had never heard of until I was doing some research into our European Roadtrip, and decide we should plan a visit.

Looking over the lagoon at the Curonian Spit on a sunny day with dunes in the background
Some of the dunes at the Curonian Spit

What On Earth Is The Curonian Spit?

Along the coast of Lithuania, is a long and narrow piece of land that separates the Baltic Sea from the Curonian coastal lagoon. So there are technically two coast lines.

This distinctive landmass is shared with the small neighbouring Russian exclave of Kaliningrad which has some fairly strict borders meaning the southern part of the land is out of bounds to visitors.

The 98km stretch is a UNESCO world heritage site. Noted for the unique landscape which has been shaped by the sea and worked with by humans. It’s a place where people have had to learn to adapt to the ever changing land and work with it rather than trying to control it.

With big sandy dunes, thick green forests and an abundance of unique examples of nature, it’s an unusual place that I was keen to visit on our Baltic road trip.

Getting To The Curonian Spit

We took a passenger boat from Dreverna on mainland Lithuania to Juodkrantė which is roughly a third of the way south along The Spit. It was a popular route and the busy little boat smoothly traversed the waters getting us there in around half an hour.

Buses from Juodkrantė were fairly regular, and we caught one which took us to Nida, the village furthest south just before the Russian border. The journey gave us a chance to see a bit more of The Spit as it took us through the forests and we caught glimpses of some of the big dunes.

There are several options for getting to The Spit, I’ve outlined a bit more about options and costs in the ‘Try it yourself’ section below.

A Beautiful Coast To Coast Walk In Lithuania

We started our walk in Nida alongside the Curonian Lagoon. It looked beautiful as the clear, still waters gently glimmered in the sunshine.

Clear still water glistening in the sun as it laps against the shore of the Curonian Lagoon
The Coast of the Curonian Lagoon

Following an official route, it was well signposted to start with, but then any indicators of direction became few and far between. A quick check on google maps kept us on track though.

A path through a sand dune with vegetation growing on a sunny day on the Curonian Spit
Following the path through the sand dunes

The trail took us around the dunes where the butterflies flitted amongst the vegetation, through the tall trees of the forests, and past a road closed sign as we got closer to the border. A reminder that Russia was close by.

A rusting sign on a gate indicating no entry and proximity to the border on the Curonian Spit
A sign reminding us the border was close by

Emerging through the trees, we climbed up the back of a dune. We were met with stunning views across the sandy beach where the deep blue waves rolled against the shore. Compared to the coast of the lagoon, this was much wilder water.

Looking over grass to a sandy beach, blue and green sea with white crested waves rolling in from the Baltic Sea at the Curonian Spit

An Eye-Opening Walk

It was at this point that I seemed to remember reading something about a nudist beach. Some people on the beach were very naked, others were fully clothed, which makes me think it wasn’t just us who had accidentally ventured here.

We did go down to the shoreline (fully clothed I may add, although maybe I should have given it a go as a new thing?!), and we walked by the waters edge. It felt wrong, as surely people should be able to be nude in peace.

So we crossed back towards the dunes and picked up a forest path fairly quickly, uncertain as to where to look. As we reached the marked track through the trees, that’s when we saw our first nudist beach sign. There hadn’t been one on the track we’d followed on to the beach!

A blue nudist beach sign on an orange post next to a footpath through the trees on the Curonian Spit in Lithuania
We only saw this sign AFTER we had been on the beach!

Lunch By The Sea

We stopped for lunch where it definitely wasn’t a nudist beach. Lots of people were enjoying the white sands and clear waters. The sea was throwing some big waves onto the shoreline and people bobbed about in the water looking as though they were in a hefty washing machine cycle.

Close up of the Baltic Sea rolling on to the sand on a sunny day at the Curonian Spit
Don't be fooled by the picture, the Baltic sea was wild

Our sandwiches definitely lived up to the ‘sand’ part of their name as there was no escaping the grains that the wind was blowing about. A pesky wasp also seemed to make a beeline for us despite numerous other picnics available to it. It wasn’t quite the nice relaxing rest stop we’d planned, but a beautiful location all the same.

Beautiful blue and green sea with white crested waves rolling in from the Baltic Sea at the Curonian Spit
A beautiful place for a spot of lunch

Returning To Nida

We walked back through the peaceful forests and up the hill passing the Nida lighthouse which was once affectionately called the Red Christopher. There has been a lighthouse on the hill since the late 1800s, although the current red and white striped beacon is the second iteration. 

A straight path through the beautiful tall pine trees of a forest on the Curonian Spit
Beautiful trails through the trees

A lighthouse was needed to guide the ships in the Baltic. It also used flags hanging from the side of the light to warn fishermen of any incoming storms so they could get themselves back to safety. However, the sandy dunes didn’t make building it easy and it was a feat of determination to complete the construction.

A red and white striped lighthouse amongst trees on a sunny day on the Curonian Spit
The Nida Lighthouse, once known as 'Red Christopher'

Finally we headed down the hill back into the pretty town of Nida with its gorgeous coloured wooden houses, cozy cafes, and a brewery. Stopping by the calm of the lagoon waters we sampled some of the local brew in celebration of our coast to coast walk.

An ornate wooden house painted light blue amongst green trees on the Curonian Spit in Lithuania
Pretty buildings on the Curonian Spit
A wooden house with painted blue features and white shutters on the window, typical of the style seen in Nida on the Curonian Spit, in Lithuania
One of the wooden houses in Nida

Walking Coast To Coast Across The Curonian Spit

So, we had walked from coast, to coast, (and coast again), in Lithuania! However, I suppose it’s not really all that impressive when you read that it was less than 10km, but it was still a nice achievement, and a great way to see some of the incredible differing landscapes of The Spit. 

As well as a wealth of nature, and walking trails, there are plenty of other things to see and do on this unique strip of land. It’s definitely worth adding to a ‘to visit’ list. 

The still calm clear waters of the lagoon at the Curonian Spit on a sunny day
Finishing our coast to coast walk at the Lagoon

Want To Try It Yourself?

  • Getting to the Curonian Spit
    • There are two ferry options to get to The Spit from Lithuania.

    • One from Dreverna and one from Klaipėda.

      Klaipėda to Smiltynės is the shorter journey from a much busier port area.

  • Visiting the Curonian Spit as part of a campervan road trip.

    We could have taken our campervan over to the Curonian Spit and spent the night there. However, when I costed it all up it was fairly expensive, coming to around 110 Euros!

    • The ferry ticket for the van would have cost 30 euros. There is a charge to enter the national park with a vehicle (a further 30 Euros).  When I looked at the price of the campsite, of which there was only one on The Spit, (and wild camping is illegal there), that would have been a further 50 Euros, so not cheap!

    • We stayed at the Drevena campsite which was right next to the boat pick-up. We travelled as foot passengers to The Spit for a day trip, and used the bus to take us to the main town.

    • Even though our ferry tickets from Dreverna were a little more expensive than from Klaipėda, we still saved the hassle of taking the van over or finding somewhere near the port to park, and it was a stress free option that worked for us.

    • There’s plenty to see and do on the Curonian Spit to occupy more than one day. It’s definitely worth planning and researching what works for you.

Cost Of Experience

  • In July 2023 the ferry from Dreverna cost us 16 Euros each for a return, which was just under £14 per person.

  • The return bus from Judokrante to Nida cost us 4 Euros each, which was around £3.50 per person.

Recommendations

  • There are lots of walking trails that you can follow on the Coronian Spit. You can use a site like Plot A Route to help you plan your walk.

  • You might want to take your own lunch with you, but if not, there are plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants in Nida, and some stalls along the shoreline by the Baltic Sea.

  • Check the forecast before you go and dress for the weather. Although the paths weren’t always signposted, there were tracks to follow and the terrain wasn’t too difficult for walking.

  • Stick to the paths and be careful not to wander into any out of bounds areas.

  • If you’re using a bus to get around on The Spit you can ask at the Tourist Information for times, or have a look at the online timetable to plan your visit.
  • You don’t have to walk to enjoy the unusual place, bikes are available for hire.
  • If you decide to take your own vehicle onto The Spit, bare in mind it can be particularly busy with traffic in the holidays.
  • If you’re considering camping on The Spit it’s best to book in advance to ensure you have a space.
  • Don’t forget your camera!

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