Klaipėda Port
Ideal: Good for sea atmosphere, coastal cities, and Baltic routes.
The city was Germany's Memel until 1923, and that past is visible at once: the timber-framed fachwerk façades in the old town exist nowhere else in Lithuania. It is the country's only seaport and operates year-round because it does not freeze in winter. The Ännchen von Tharau statue on Theatre Square is based on a German folk song; when Hitler annexed the region in 1939, he gave his speech from this theater's balcony. The ferry to the Curonian Spit departs from here.
Quick facts
- Built
- 1252
- Area
- 98 km²
- Elevation
- 21 m
Facts from Wikidata, photos from Wikimedia Commons.
Did you know?
Why does Klaipėda look different from other Lithuanian cities?
For centuries it was Memel, under Prussian and German rule, and its half-timbered fachwerk architecture sets it visibly apart.
What are the little statues around the city?
Tiny bronze sculptures hidden in the streets are a local tradition. The best known is the Black Ghost under the bridge, and hunting them down is a popular walking game.
Is it Lithuania's only seaport?
Yes — Klaipėda is the country's sole seaport and one of the few in the Baltic that does not freeze. Ferries to the Curonian Spit also leave from here.
Why go?
- To feel Lithuania's Baltic coast atmosphere
- Because it is the gateway to the Curonian Spit and coastal routes
- To see sea, harbor, and city fabric in one place
Travel tip
Do not use Klaipėda only as a transit point; take a short walk through the old town and harbor area.
