Klaipėda, Port city in Western Lithuania
Klaipėda is a port city on the Baltic Sea coast in western Lithuania with old half-timbered houses and narrow lanes in its historic center. The harbor stretches along the Dangė River with docks for ferries and cargo containers, while modern residential areas surround the old quarter.
Knights of the Teutonic Order built a fortification at this site in the 13th century and used it as a trading post between East and West. In the 20th century, the city changed hands several times between German and Lithuanian administration until it became permanently Lithuanian after World War Two.
Local festivals and concerts take place near the square with the Anne von Tharau monument, where residents and visitors gather in the evenings. The Maritime Museum on the Curonian Spit displays ships and fishing methods from past times that were once part of everyday life for harbor residents.
Ferries to Sweden and Germany depart regularly, and Palanga Airport sits about half an hour away by road. The old town is easy to explore on foot, while buses run between residential neighborhoods and the harbor.
The maritime museum displays stuffed seals and penguins in outdoor enclosures, which is an unusual attraction for a Baltic port. The harbor remains ice-free throughout the year, making it an important loading point for the northern Baltic Sea region.
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