Klaipėda, Lithuania’s third-biggest city (population 201, 800), is not just any ordinary port; it is the northernmost ice-free port in the Baltic states. With a distinctive architecture that is quite unique in Lithuania, influenced by the styles of its northern neighbours, it offers its visitors a delightful chance to explore a small but very cozy Old Town with quaint, reconstructed merchants’ houses and converted warehouses that have kept their original exterior timber beams.
Klaipėda cherishes its marine traditions and on the last weekend of July it holds its annual Sea Fiesta, a tradition that began in 1934 and which has gained huge popularity in recent years.
The most popular tourist attraction for adults and children alike is the Sea Museum with its amazing dolphinarium and fantastic aquariums filled with exotic fish. It stands on the cape of the Curonian peninsula inside the restored 19th century Kopgalis Fortress. Dolphins and Californian sealions, penguins and seals swim, jump, dance, sing and even paint for visitors during shows. Anyone who’s not afraid of getting splashed is welcome to take the first row.
For a relatively small city with a culture revolving around so many working class pursuits, Klaipėda does pretty well on the cultural front. As well as the theatres, galleries etc listed here don’t forget to take a look at the Sightseeing section of the guide for even more cultural diversions.
Klaipėda is the third most populated city in Lithuania. The city stretches for 15 km alongside the Curonian Lagoon and is 3 km wide. Covering an area of 98 km2 and having a population of 186, 000, Klaipėda is an average sized European city.
Klaipeda is an important centre of industry, culture and transportation with the only universal, ice-free port. Due to it’s favorable geographical location, convenient system of international and local transport networks and well-developed infrastructure, guests can comfortably and quickly reach Klaipeda from any part of the world.
There are so many places to snack in Klaipėda that you may just about get spoilt for choice. Eating out in Klaipėda will be a great experience. For those who are partial to European cuisine, there are plenty of restaurants. Also there are plenty of restaurants offering menus of various countries of the world - from Lithuanian to Armenian, from seafood to steaks.
The ever-increasing collection of colossal shopping and entertainment centres in the residential southern part of Klaipėda has meant the emptying of large parts of the city centre, with Old Town being the worst affected. If you like shopping more than you like culture however, this is no doubt a good thing. Having said that, Old Town remains the place for gifts and souvenirs such as local amber and linen, although be careful of the stuff sold from the stalls at the outdoor market on Theatre Square (Teatro Aikštė). Further north over the river on H. Manto are a handful of small shopping centres plus a collection of retail outlets selling everything from handbags to shotguns. The aforementioned beasts in the south however are the place to go for most modern conveniences from digital cameras to swimming trunks.
Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County.
The city has a complex recorded history, partially due to the combined regional importance of the Port of Klaipėda, a usually ice-free port on the Baltic Sea, and the Akmena - Dange River. It has been controlled by the Teutonic Knights, the Duchy of Prussia, the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire, the Entente States immediately after World War I, Lithuania as a result of the 1923 Klaipėda Revolt, and the Third Reich following the 1939 German ultimatum to Lithuania. The city was incorporated into Lithuania during its tenure as a Soviet Socialist Republic and has remained within Lithuania following its re-establishment as an independent state.
The population shrank from 207, 100 in 1992 to 177, 823 in 2011. Popular seaside resorts found close to Klaipėda are Nida to the south on the Curonian Spit, and Palanga to the north.
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