Lithuania Minor

Lithuania Minor is a region in Lithuania.

Towns

• 1 Klaipėda is Lithuania's third largest city.
• 2 Juodkrantė is a village on the Curonian Spit near the spooky "Hill of Witches".
• 3 Nida is a village among the dunes of the Spit.
• 4 Šilutė has many interesting old buildings.

Other destinations

• 1 Curonian Spit — unique sand dunes with rare flora, seaboard forest, white sand beaches and old ethnic villages
• 2 Rusnė (German: Ruß) — town in Šilutė district, on the Rusnė Island in the Nemunas Delta, angling, birdwatching, ethnographic museum, polders
• 3 Ventės Cape — a cape pointing down into the Curonian Lagoon. It is along a migration highway, making it a popular spot for birdwatching; has an ornithology station, lighthouse, and pretty vista on the lagoon.

Understand

Sand dunes in Nida

Lithuania Minor is culturally and scenically very distinct from the rest of Lithuania. Until the 20th Century, the region was controlled by Prussia, leaving a German influence on the language (the word "biški", meaning "little" and only used in the region, comes from the German "bisschen") and architecture (red brick and tile roofs is common on older buildings).

The region contains the Curonian Spit, which makes up about half of Lithuania's coastline, and the Curonian Lagoon.

Get in

By bus

The only major city in the region is Klaipėda, which has frequent bus connections with Kaunas and Vilnius, along with other cities. Nida and Šilutė may also be serviced by buses from outside the region.

By train

Klaipėda is similarly connected to Kaunas and Vilnius by rail. As of 2024, the line goes through the north of the country, making train and bus travel from Vilnius take roughly the same amount of time.

Get around

By bus

Several towns are serviced by buses from Klaipėda.

Klaipėda has a decent city bus system, but the network is mostly contained to city limits.

By train

As of 2024, a daily train does travel to Šilute from Klaipėda. Since most locals own cars, it does not see much use, and often only runs with a single passenger car.

By car

Wanting to see smaller towns, the best method would be by car. There are several rental services in Klaipėda.

By ferry

Klaipėda City runs a mixed vehicle/pedestrian ferry from the city to the north end of the Curonian Spit. It runs every half-hour, and is very popular.

Private companies and individuals offer passenger service to towns on both sides of the lagoon.