The Parnidis Dune ( lt, Parnidžio kopa) is a drifting (semi-permanent) coastal sand

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

on the

Curonian Spit The Curonian (Courish) Spit ( lt, Kuršių nerija; russian: Ку́ршская коса́ (Kurshskaya kosa); german: Kurische Nehrung, ; lv, Kuršu kāpas) is a long, thin, curved sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Balti ...

, southeast of

Nida, Lithuania Nida (german: Nidden, Kursenieki: ''Nīde'') is a resort town in Lithuania, the administrative centre of Neringa municipality. Located on the Curonian Spit between the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea, it is the westernmost point of Lithuania ...

, near the Lithuania-Russia border of the spit. It is nearly all bare and rising up to above sea level.Ditmar Hauer
Sand, Sand und Himmel
, ''Spiegel Reise, September 3, 2009Parnidžio kraštovaizdžio draustinis
/ref>A new cognitive trail offers impressive panoramas of the Parnidis Landscape Reserve
/ref> Solar Clock, Kuršių Nerija National Park, Lithuania – Unravel Travel TV
/ref> Kurische Nehrung Parnidden-Düne 31

In the past its height was over 60, but it decreased because the dune is steadily moving eastwards and discharging its sands into the

Curonian lagoon The Curonian Lagoon (or Bay, Gulf; russian: Куршский залив, lt, Kuršių marios, pl, Zalew Kuroński, german: Kurisches Haff, lv, Kuršu joma) is a freshwater lagoon separated from the Baltic Sea by the Curonian Spit. Its surfac ...

, prominently at the under the wind-induced saltation.

Ecology

Based on the dune, the Parnidis Landscape Reserve was created within the Curonian Spit National Park to preserve a unique natural dune landscape, some of which are bare, and some forested, as well as the coastal areas of the dunes at both the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

and the

Curonian Lagoon The Curonian Lagoon (or Bay, Gulf; russian: Куршский залив, lt, Kuršių marios, pl, Zalew Kuroński, german: Kurisches Haff, lv, Kuršu joma) is a freshwater lagoon separated from the Baltic Sea by the Curonian Spit. Its surfac ...

. It is the only place with drifting dunes in the National Park. The Parnidis dune is almost bare, but there are many patches of vegetative habitats, which are subject to degradation due to natural and anthropogenic reasons. For example the sand blown from the peaks of the dune slides down the slope and destroys the vegetation. The same effect is from rain washouts. Also people climbing the dune in non-prescribed places disturb the sand, with the same consequences.Assessment of degradation of white and grey dune habitats in the Curonian Spit: A case study of Parnidis Dune (Nida environs, Lithuania)
''Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie'', Supplementary Issues,

Tourism

The Parnidis Dune is one of the main tourist attractions of the Curonian Spit National Park. A

scenic viewpoint A scenic viewpoint – also called an observation point, viewpoint, viewing point, vista point, lookout, scenic overlook,These terms are more commonly used in North America. etc. – is an elevated location where people can view scenery (often w ...

, Parnidis Dune Observation Deck, was constructed at the highest location on the dune, from which you can see both the sea and the lagoon.The Dune of Parnidis
/ref> Due to the fragility of the moving sand, the visitors' tracks were constructed and certain areas are specifically marked where walking is prohibited. , experts estimated the allowable recreational limit to be 25 dune visitors per square meter in half a day.

Sundial

By the observation deck there is a large granite

sundial A sundial is a horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the word, it consists of a flat ...

built in 1995 on the top of the dune. The sundial is around a stone pillar high. It also includes small steps covered with granite slabs, carved with hour and half-hour notches, as well as one notch for each month, and four additional notches for

solstice A solstice is an event that occurs when the Sun appears to reach its most northerly or southerly excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. Two solstices occur annually, around June 21 and December 21. In many countrie ...

s and

equinox A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun crosses the Earth's equator, which is to say, appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise "due east" and set ...

es. The sundial was rebuilt in 2011 following storm damage. The place where the sundial pillar was broken is clearly seen after its reconstruction.

References

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External links

PARNIDŽIO KOPOS RELJEFO KAITOS TYRIMAS TAIKANT GIS TECHNOLOGIJAS
(Griksaite K. (2017) ''Parnidis Dune Terrain Change Study Using GIS Technology'', Measurement Engineering Professional Bachelor's thesis) Neringa Municipality Landforms of Lithuania Dunes of Europe Tourist attractions in Klaipėda County Sundials