Smiltynė (german: Sandkrug) is a part of

Klaipėda city municipality Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the eponymous county, it is the third largest city and the only major seaport in Lithuan ...

in Lithuania. It is located on the northern tip of 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 ...

, next to a narrow strait which connects 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 ...

to 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 ...

. Across the strait, on the Lithuanian mainland, is the port city of

Klaipėda Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the eponymous county, it is the third largest city and the only major seaport in Lithuania ...

Ferries A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water tax ...

transport vehicles and people daily between the two cities across the strait, as there is no connecting

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

. Smiltynė serves as a public beach for Klaipėda residents, as ports take up the coastline around Klaipėda. The village began as a travel point between Memel (present-day Klaipėda) and

Königsberg Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was name ...

(present-day

Kaliningrad Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...

). Travelers would stay to rest or wait for better weather to cross the strait. Smiltynė is first mentioned in 1429. An inn and tavern were built in 1525. It largely depends on travelers for revenue, and thus was hurt during the wars of the 19th and 20th century. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the village was just an inn with a handful of fishermen's houses, but later turned into a popular resort among wealthy residents of Klaipėda. Smiltynė became part of the Klaipėda municipality in 1897, and soon afterwards it became legal to sell land to individuals. In 1901 a large, luxurious, and popular two-storey hotel with a restaurant and

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...

was built and was named the Kurhaus; other villas were built as well. However, after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the luxury lifestyle of the village came to an end. Many older buildings have survived to this day, most having been refurbished. Most of the populace moved away as well, and today only about fifty full-time residents remain. North of Smiltynė is a small cemetery, used before World War II. The village also has a nature museum, which educates visitors about the

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...

, changing landscape, and unique fauna and flora of the spit. Just a few hundred meters away from the Kurhaus there is pier big enough to accommodate up to 100

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

s. With a modern hotel and restaurant, it is a popular spot for international yachters.

References

* Nijolė Strakauskaitė, Klaipėda, Kuršių nerija, Karaliaučius (2005). R. Paknys Publishing. Pages 94–103. .
History: Smiltyne (former Sandkrug)
Direction Kursiu Nerija National Park. Accessed August 19, 2006. {{DEFAULTSORT:Smiltyne Neighbourhoods of Klaipėda