Klaipeda: Port City, Old Town, and Baltic Coast

• Klaipeda lies at the entrance to the Curonian Lagoon and is Lithuania’s most important port city.
• The Old Ferry connects the city center with Smiltynė for pedestrians and cyclists.
• The New Ferry at Nemuno gatvė also carries motor vehicles.
• Road and bus connections from Smiltynė continue to Juodkrantė and Nida.
• The Curonian Spit is a fragile landscape of dunes and coastline and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Schedules, ticket prices, vessel services, and seasonal connections vary by date.

Theater Square and the Old Town streets make an easily accessible focal point for a city walk. Half-timbered houses and historic façades recall the trading history of the former Memel. Paths along the harbor and the Danė add to the city stroll. In the harbor area, visitors should stay on designated public paths. If you visit the museums in Klaipeda, set aside a separate block of time rather than combining a museum visit with a full excursion to the spit.

The Old Ferry runs from the centrally located terminal at the mouth of the Danė to Smiltynė. It is for pedestrians, bicycles, and pets; cars are not carried from this terminal. The ferry is convenient for visiting the beach and the Sea Museum, and for travelers who want to explore the spit without a car. The New Ferry is the southern vehicle terminal. It carries passengers, bicycles, cars, and buses. If you plan to continue to Nida or Juodkrantė in your own car, choose this terminal and continue by road along the spit after the crossing.

Travelers without a car can continue from Smiltynė by public bus through the settlements along the spit. During the summer season, occasional boat services supplement the routes between Klaipeda, Juodkrantė, and Nida; they do not replace regular year-round connections. The two terminals are in different parts of the city. So the choice of port and onward travel go hand in hand: the Old Ferry is closer to the Old Town, while reaching the New Ferry requires an additional trip across the city. The operator, Smiltynės perkėla, publishes departures and fares. Which terminal to use depends on whether you are crossing on foot, by bicycle, or by car.

The Curonian Spit is a continuous cultural and natural landscape and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its dunes and coastal areas are fragile; visitors should keep to designated paths, follow local conservation rules, and keep access roads clear. If you combine a beach walk with a visit to Nida or Juodkrantė, also allow for the return journey and check which transport services operate during the season.

The Curonian Spit makes a good standalone day trip from Klaipeda; the Neringa natural area includes dunes, forest, and lagoon. The Sea Museum is on the Smiltynė side of the city and deserves its own block of time. For another beach day, consider Palanga; the seaside resort offers a different focus from the port and the spit. Those traveling farther inland will find that Lithuania and its national route offer a change of scene, from coast to cities and lakes. Vilnius and the capital are suited to a longer city stay; Kaunas and the second-largest city add another urban destination. Klaipeda is part of the Baltics; trips through the Baltic states combine coastal areas and capital cities.

A multi-day route can run from Klaipeda through Latvia toward Riga, then onward through Estonia to Tallinn. In northern Lithuania, Šiauliai adds an inland destination to a coastal trip. For these legs, distances and available transport matter; getting there and getting around affects the order of your stops, while careful trip planning leaves enough time for transfers between destinations. On the spit, marked paths lead through natural and coastal areas.

In Klaipeda, accommodation in Klaipeda near the Old Town makes evening walks and access to the Old Ferry easier. If you plan to cross early by car, check the location relative to the New Ferry against your planned departure. For a stay on the spit, it makes more sense to spend the night in your destination rather than rely on ferry schedules for several long day trips. The spit, beaches, and boat services are especially popular in summer; outside the season, the weather and reduced transport services shape the choice of excursions. You can then plan your return around the ferry and bus connections available on your travel day.

Where is the car ferry terminal?

The New Ferry runs from the terminal at Nemuno gatvė 8, south of the city center, to Smiltynė. This is the right terminal for travelers taking a car across.