A small resort town on Lithuania's Curonian Spit, known for its towering sand dunes, Baltic Sea beaches, and traditional blue-and-white fishermen's houses.
Nida, a town of 2,385 residents, sits on the Curonian Spit, a narrow strip of land between the Baltic Sea and Curonian Lagoon in western Lithuania. You can climb the 52-meter Parnidis Dune, visit the former summer house of Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann, or watch fishermen smoke their daily catch in wooden smokehouses. The town's wooden houses, painted in blue and brown, line streets that wind between pine forests and white sand dunes.
Exploring the Sand Dunes
The Parnidis Dune rises 52 meters above sea level and stretches for several kilometers along the coast. You can climb to the top via wooden stairs for views of both the Baltic Sea and Curonian Lagoon. The large sundial at the summit marks not only the time but also tracks solstices and equinoxes. The dune's shifting sands buried several villages in the 16th century after massive deforestation destabilized the area.
Walking and Cycling Trails
Walk the 1.7-kilometer Parnidis Cognitive Path from town to the dune through pine forests. Bicycle paths connect Nida to other settlements on the Curonian Spit. You can rent bikes from several shops in the town center and follow marked trails through the national park.
Architecture
Blue and brown wooden houses from the early 20th century line the town center's streets. Each house displays unique details: weathervanes showing the family's profession, wooden carvings around windows, and decorated roof edges. The Fishermen's Ethnographic Homestead, built in 1927, contains original furniture, fishing equipment, and household items from a local family's home.
Museums
The Thomas Mann Memorial Museum preserves the Nobel Prize winner's summer house where he wrote during the 1930s. You can see his desk, typewriter, and personal library, along with photographs and letters from his time in Nida. At the Amber Gallery-Museum, examine both raw amber pieces and crafted jewelry, with exhibits explaining how amber forms and its role in Baltic trade.
Food
Local smokeries prepare fish caught daily in the Curonian Lagoon. Watch smokers prepare bream, eel, and pike-perch using traditional methods passed down through generations. Small family-run smokehouses sell fish directly to visitors, and you'll find these local specialties in most restaurants alongside Lithuanian dishes like cepelinai and šaltibarščiai.
Getting to Nida
To reach Nida, first travel to Klaipeda and take a ferry to Smiltyne. From there, buses run regularly along the single road through the Curonian Spit. The journey takes about one hour. If driving, you'll need to pay both ferry fare and an ecological fee to enter the national park.
