Ride a ferry across the lagoon that separates Klaipeda from the Curonian Spit, where you will bicycle along its sand dunes and discover how this rare ecosystem has been preserved.

After departing from the pier on a bicycle, you will soon board the ferry that crosses the lagoon to the Curonian Spit, a sand dune peninsula that has been inhabited since prehistoric times. UNESCO declared the spit a World Heritage site because its lagoon settlements reveal how humans have adapted to the ever-changing environment over the centuries.

Once you disembark from the ferry, you will bicycle to Hagen’s Dunes, where a stone obelisk commemorates the work of 19th-century Prussian physicist Ludwig Hagen. He is credited with preventing the dunes’ erosion by planting native flora. From the bicycle trail that winds through the dunes, you will enjoy a panoramic view of Klaipeda across the lagoon.

The trail continues through a forest, parts of which Hagen planted, and on to a beautiful beach where you will pause to rest for a few minutes. There is a beach café nearby where you might purchase refreshments. Later, you will bicycle past 19th-century Nerija Fort, a six-sided defensive complex that now houses a maritime museum and aquarium.

Time permitting, you will pause for photos one last time at the breakwater before retracing your route back to Klaipeda. During free time in popular Theatre Square in the compact Old Town, be sure to notice the German-style architecture. It reflects the influence of Germany on Klaipeda, which was founded in 1252 around a castle that Teutonic knights built.