8 days self-guided circular cycling tour from Klaipėda (Code SG1)

The Baltic Sea coast in Lithuania with Palanga Resort and the Curonian Spit National Park, designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, explored individually by bicycle on very scenic cycling routes. Experience traditional Lithuanian country life when cycling with storks in the Nemunas River Delta region. This tour partly covers the Seaside Cycle Route which is still only officially signposted cycle route in Lithuania. The tour begins & ends in the historic coastal town of Klaipeda (known as Memel for many years) which boasts a rich, turbulent history from 13thC. Nowadays, it’s a bustling, modern town offering many excellent leisure options ranging from history tours, to water sports. There’s a wide range of cafes & restaurants & many annual festivals, e.g. jazz, folklore. You can choose to spend extra nights here either at the beginning or end of the tour.

During the tour you will spend two nights in Nida the largest settlement on the Curonian Spit. It's the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing seaside break or explore on foot, by cycle or canoe its unique surroundings; its geology, birdlife, the influence of the Lagoon etc.

ITINERARY

1. Day: ARRIVE IN KLAIPĖDA

Arrive in Klaipėda. Individual transfer to the hotel (offered as optional extras). Check into your hotel - a renovated mill located right on the waterfront and in the heart of the Old Town.
Overnight in Klaipėda (cat. A): NATIONAL**** or similar.
Overnight in Klaipėda (cat. B): OLD MILL HOTEL*** or similar.

2. Day: ALONG THE SEASIDE CYCLE ROUTE TO PALANGA RESORT, ~58 km/36 mi.

Your local host, BALTIC BIKE TRAVEL, will meet you in the hotel at 9am, organise your bicycles (offered as optional extras) and run through your itinerary. Today you are off to cycle to the resort town of Palanga, an idyllic route that leads north through the Giruliai Forest and the Seaside Regional Park, a former soviet military polygon area. En route you will pass Plazė Lake and the Dutchman's Cap – a coastal cliff and have many opportunities to detour to the seashore should you wish. Arriving in Palanga, you can visit the Botanic Park and the remarkable Amber Museum housed in a former palace, relax on the miles of sandy white beach, stroll along the 470 metre pier and delight in the charming cafes and restaurants of J.Basanavičius pedestrian street. Return to Klaipėda using the same or slightly different route. Optional dinner at the hotel.

Overnight in Klaipėda (cat. A): NATIONAL**** or similar.
Overnight in Klaipėda (cat. B): OLD MILL HOTEL*** or similar

3. Day: CYCLING WITH STORKS ON COUNTRY ROADS TO Šilutė, ~ 47 km/29 mi., minibus ~40 km/25 mi.

Start the day with a short transfer to the small town of Veiviržėnai where start your cycling ride on picturesque countryside roads through Pamarys meadows to Šilutė, once a notable fish market with the old market square and harbour and plenty of cafes and restaurants. All day cycle through the region having one of the largest population of storks in Europe; thus the White Stork truly deserves its place as Lithuanian's national bird. En route stop in Švėkšna village to explore the estate with its beautiful park and impressive neo-gothic church of St.Jacob the Apostle. Optional dinner at the hotel.
Overnight in Šilutė: GILIJA HOTEL or similar.

4. Day: CIRCULAR RIDE FROM ŠILUTĖ - RUSNĖ Island & the NEMUNAS River Delta, ~ 47 km/29 mi.

This morning you ride on the tiny lanes and bridlepaths to Lithuania's only island - Rusnė Island on the Russian border and located in the Nemunas River Delta Regional Park. The village of Rusnė is full of rural charm and its museum houses a traditional fisherman's smallholding. When you stand on the bank of the Nemunas River in Rusnė you see the Russian oblast of Kaliningrad just 100 metres across the river. En route you can explore Rusnė village with a new monument to famous Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi and his intimate friend Hermann Kallenbach. Cycle around the island and explore its wildlife and beautiful views from birdwatching towers and the 19^th C lighthouse in Uostadvaris Harbour. Optional dinner at the hotel.
Overnight in Šilutė: GILIJA HOTEL or similar.

5. Day: ŠILUTĖ TO NIDA & CROSSING THE CURONIAN LAGOON, cycling ~33 km/21 mi., by boat ~14 km/9mi.

Cycling to Ventė Cape with a bird ringing station and ornithological museum along the way. Stop at the 19th Century lighthouse for glimpses of the glistening Curonian Spit sand dunes and then sit back as you cross the lagoon by ferry (1.5-2 hrs) to arrive in Nida, the largest settlement on the Curonian Spit. Your hotel lies at the heart of this former fishing village. Check-in and optional dinner at the hotel.
Overnight in Nida: NERIJA*** or similar

6. Day: FREE DAY IN NIDA, ~10 km/6 mi.

Nida is one of the most beautiful resorts in Lithuania blessed with the Curonian Lagoon one side and the fine sandy beaches of the Baltic coast on the other. Famous for its amber - trawled from the sea bed and its impressive sand dunes, there is plenty to do here. Visit the Fisherman's House, the Amber Gallery and the summer home of the famous writer Thomas Mann; relax on the beach, cruise in a traditional sailing boat, canoe to see the Dead Dunes and take your pick of the cafes and restaurants. Optional dinner at the hotel.
Overnight in Nida: NERIJA*** or similar

7. Day: NIDA TO KLAIPĖDA along sand dunes of the Curonian Spit, ~ 58 km/36 mi.

Pedal through the timeless landscape of the spit today on the peaceful seaside bike path leading to Klaipėda. Often in pine forests with the coast always nearby, the bike path gives you one or two dunes to scale - the only slopes of the tour! Stop at the Dead Dunes and spot the colonies of grey herons and cormorants. Juodkrante is also a forming fishing village with the waters of the lagoon lapping along its shoreline providing a truly charming location for you to enjoy. Stop en route at golden sandy beaches, go swimming in the Baltic Sea and saunter through the forests to reach Smiltynė where you take the ferry back to the Old Town of Klaipėda for your last night. Here you will return your bikes before checking into your hotel. Otional dinner at the hotel.
Overnight in Klaipėda (cat. A): NATIONAL**** or similar.
Overnight in Klaipėda (cat. B): OLD MILL HOTEL*** or similar

8. Day: DEPART KLAIPĖDA

Enjoy a final stroll through this fascinating town before we transfer you to Palanga airport or international ferry terminal or bus/train station for your departure (offered as optional extras). You may also stay extra nights (offered as optional extras) and enjoy Klaipėda longer.