Lithuania > By bike over the Curonian Spit

Last night, the driver asked Karen in Russian whether we had brought rain gear. That doesn’t sound very promising. The weather forecast for today predicts showers. Today is a free day in Nida. We’re not going to let the weather stop us and decide to rent bicycles in the village center. On the grassy field stand several rental stalls — a few bikes in a row, a parasol, and a folding chair. We rent our bikes from the stall closest to the hotel — nice and convenient. We first ride through the center heading south. The bikes ride well and are in good condition. Just outside Nida, the cycling path turns into a sandy track. We follow it until we reach a wooden staircase, where we park our bikes and climb up. The stairs lead to the highest sand dune on the Curonian Spit peninsula. From the top of the dune, we have a beautiful view over the lagoon and Nida. We walk a little farther into the dunes, where a large sundial stands. From here, we can see the Russian border — the boundary with Kaliningrad, a small piece of Russia wedged between Poland and Lithuania. It’s strange that this small area still belongs to Russia while the Baltic States have become independent.

Lithuania - The highest sand dune of the Curonian Spit lies just south of Nida near the Russian border

That probably explains why it’s practically impossible to cross the border between Lithuania and Russia here without being arrested. Back down, the raindrops begin to fall a bit more steadily, so we order a cup of coffee on a terrace. When the rain stops, we continue northward. Next to the main road that runs across the island lies a cycling path through the forest along the coast. This natural area of forest and sand dunes is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We ride at a relaxed pace through the landscape. The path gently rises and falls but is never steep — a lovely route. Just before the village of Preila, it starts to drizzle again. I put on my rain jacket and cover my backpack with its rain cover. As if nothing’s wrong, we continue cycling toward Pervalka. The puddles increase as we get closer — it’s clearly rained harder here. By the time we reach Pervalka, we’ve cycled twelve kilometers from Nida. We take a seat on a terrace by the water and order lunch. It’s dry again, and the sun begins to peek through the clouds. On the way back, the sun shines brightly, and with the wind at our backs, we cycle easily back to Nida. At the edge of Nida stands the Thomas Mann House, the former summer residence of the German writer. Today it serves as a museum. Some of our travel companions visit the house, but we decide to continue and return our bikes to the rental stand. We walk back into Nida to take some photos of the village now that it’s dry. The brightly colored houses and the distinctive weather vanes are especially striking. We meet the others again on the terrace. They found the Thomas Mann House somewhat disappointing. In the evening, we decide to have dinner here as well.