Europe / Lithuania
Places to go. A little room to wander.
THE SHORTLIST
Klaipėda
A creepy bronze sculpture by the footbridge spanning the outlet of the castle moat, next to Old Port Hotel. It is a hollow, cowled wraith dragging himself from the water and supposedly terrifying to children, but probably more so to any drunk who's dropped his keys and is scrabbling along the wharf in search.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
Regional outing · 19 km from Klaipėda (straight line)
It contains more than 80 wooden statues of Lithuanian folklore characters.
Allow about 60 minutes · planning estimate
Priešpilio g. 2
Only a single bastion remains of this moated castle, built in 1253 by the Livonian Order of Teutonic Knights; its wooden predecessor on the opposite river bank has long disappeared. For the next 500 years rival powers queued up to smash it down then build it up again, with the last reconstruction in 1763. Thereafter even the Prussians couldn't think of a military role for it, so it fell derelict and its masonry was stripped. It now houses a museum exhibiting the troubled story of the castle and the city.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
Klaipėda
The cobbled plaza at the heart of Old Town. This district is on a grid pattern as it had to be rebuilt after an extensive fire in 1854: look for quirky little statues here and there. The larger statue in the square is "Ännchen von Tharau" (Anna Neander 1615–1689), whose marriage was commemorated in a uxorious poem by Simon Dach, later set to music.
Allow about 60 minutes · planning estimate
Klaipėda
A three-masted barquentine, a training vessel launched in Finland in 1948 as part of a series of 91 wooden war-reparation schooners and barquentines. It retired in 1968 and was moored here, becoming a symbol of the city. It's now a seafood restaurant and events venue, see Eat below.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
A note before you go. Treat Hill of Witches as a separate regional outing from Klaipėda. Arrange the outward and return journey before adding another visit on that day. The suggested days are an editable grouping, not a timed tour. Visit allowances exclude transfers, meals and queues; confirm the exact entrance and current visiting arrangements for Meridianas before setting off.
Reference material retrieved 2026-10-19. Suggested days and time allowances are editorial starting points. Check the linked visitor information for opening hours, access, and reservations.
BEFORE YOU SET OFF
Further out, Bus N1 runs down the spit every two hours, connecting with the ferries at Smiltynė old ferry terminal. It carries bikes and goes to Juodkrantė and Nida, taking 65 min. For vehicles (mostly, but foot passengers can also commute): Ferries no longer sail direct from Klaipėda to Juodkrantė or Nida, though private businesses or individuals may offer trips for foot passengers.
Black Ghost and Hill of Witches are about 19.1 km apart in a straight line. Use the route link to compare the actual streets or transport connections before putting both in the same morning; the measurement is not a walking distance or a transfer estimate.
A LITTLE STRUCTURE. ROOM FOR DISCOVERY.
Add a few stops, choose your days, and leave space between them.
Time estimates cover visits only. Add time for meals, travel, queues, and breaks. Map links open Google Maps with your selected stops.
Save personal booking references elsewhere. Clearing browser storage removes your plans; download a copy to keep.
This city guide includes selected, abridged material by Wikivoyage contributors, adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. The adapted guide text is available under the same license; photographs and website design retain their separate terms. Selected and abridged reference descriptions; operational prices and timetables omitted. Elsewhere added the shortlist, geographic grouping and planning notes.
Reference material retrieved 2026-10-19. It is community-edited background, not firsthand reporting or a live opening-hours service.
KEEP EXPLORING