THIS IS LITHUANIA?! The Curonian Spit

So many of you have been recommending that I visit the Curonian Spit here in Lithuania, so I finally made a trip up there last week. It was even more incredible than I could have imagined. I can't wait to go back!
The website for the pedestrian and car ferry is the same. Just know that the “old ferry” is the pedestrian ferry and the “new ferry” is the car ferry. All timetables and prices are available here www.keltas.lt/en/timetable/
Curonian Spit bus timetable (it’s in Lithuanian, but with Google chrome you can translate into English): www.kopos.lt/lt/tvarkarastis.php
Location of Smilytine beach that I went to: goo.gl/maps/o6dSmKQUfePrgLBG6
Location of Hill of Witches: goo.gl/maps/DMY6dzSj1C3nCXNh8
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All Songs from Epidemic Sound
Song One: Things That Matter by Frank Jonsson
Song Two: The Warm

[@gowithzy]

Nida - PARADISE IN EARTH, in other mainland and still Lithuania , fresh air!!!

[@TimorDa]

what -

[@stmiller8427]

Educational! Informative! Very very Interesting! Thank you. Watching from Los Angeles, CA Steve Miller.

[@laura-bronner]

Thanks Steve! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@user-py9cy1sy9u]

Some (rich) people in the past when they got tuberculosis would relocate to curonian spit. The pine forests and air in general was said to help with the disease.

[@laura-bronner]

How interesting, I can understand the idea behind it. The air was so fresh there!

[@yas2733]

Of all the people covering Lithuania miss Bronner is with out a doubt the best. It may be my love of food that draws me to her videos because she seems to love food too.

[@MultiOranuch]

Wow! So wonderful place on Earth - Next MAY 2024 I will surely explore this place. Have already booked flight to Vilnius. It will be great to experience Curonian Spit of Lithuania. THANK YOU FOR INFORMATIVE VIDEO 🙂 Best Wishes from STOCKHOLM - SWEDEN 🤩

[@someonewhosupportukraine]

Since the times of Tsarist Russia and Kaiser Germany, this area has been a place of resorts, solitude and fishermen. The famous German novelist Thomas Manas lived here. Kaliningrad was home to the famous German philosopher Emmanuel Kant, and many famous people descended from this small area. The salty sea air and the smell of pine help with respiratory diseases, so many came here for treatment, and the stormy sea bamboo and the calm rustling and snorting of pines, as well as the wind-borne sand, helped many people to discover inner peace. This is truly a special place. The Lithuanian / Russian border is a forest of dancing trees (the reason is not clear) but the trunks of the trees are intertwined there and look like dancing. The legend has also survived: “Once upon a time, the locals did not want to let newcomers into the spit and diligently guarded the coast. But once a girl arrived by boat who had nothing with her but a harp. The locals let in a girl who was of indescribable beauty and played the harp perfectly. While she was playing, the sounds of the harp made even the trees dance, and when the girl finished playing, the pines remained standing in the dance movement. It is said that when there is a strong wind, the harp melody is heard in the branches of dancing pines. "

[@tomiskundelis2321]

If i remember it right, there was discussion about bridge to Curonian spit. Ecology won - impact to the nature would be too big... Maybe that´s not that bad at the end.

[@nilspetterhellvik5519]

Think that was a good decission

[@unbewusst]

This discussion took place about 40 years ago.

[@vytautasjacunskas1133]

@@unbewusst it was brought back few years ago.

[@violoncele]

Kokia ekologija? Pirmiausia tiltas ten negali būti dėl to, kad ten uostas. Esat matęs kokio dydžio laivai atplaukia tai kaip jie po tuo tiltu išsilankstytų? Nebent pakeliamas, bet labai jau viskas komplikuotai gaunas.

[@emilijajaceviciene1851]

I know that everybody is head over the hills about Nida, and it is beautiful... But I myself like Palanga also, though a lot of people despise it cause of mass of people there. Palanga is very rich in history and if you don't go to the main pedestrian street (Basanavičiaus) with all the bling blings you would be amazed with the rest of this town - architecture here is incredible and you can feel the old majesty of this place. I visited it after years of avoiding this summer and we had the best time there! They even have this fun orientation game that you can buy and play by yourself - it would show you a lot of Palanga gems :)

[@laura-bronner]

Palanga is definitely on my list for another trip. I did this trip solo, but was thinking of coming back to the coast with Luke (my bf) when it's a little bit warmer and enjoying Palanga then, maybe renting some bikes :)

[@emilijajaceviciene1851]

@@laura-bronner You should definitely rent bikes! We actually took our own bikes and it was perfect! Though there are some places that you can ride bikes (like the Basanavičiaus street or the botanical garden), but there are some amazing bike paths to other towns like Šventoji. Really enjoyed that one!

[@TiHerr74]

Beautiful in its desolation. Thanks for the journey from the comfort of my couch, Laura.

[@laura-bronner]

So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for taking the time to comment Tim :)

[@topdogtrainingschoolandhom2268]

Thank you so much for this video. I’m Lithuanian and I can really appreciate your video ♥️

[@dziugaslapienis9038]

Yeah no - leave it bridgeless. Neringa needs to stay with a relatively small number of people in order to be perserved. Build a bridge and its beauty will be gone within a decade.

[@Pievineju1993]

completely agree

[@lirtuvaxd4871]

Ye

[@MrTigriuS]

100 and 1 more percent ypu are right Džiugas. It will become like Palanga....

[@Gyvenotjas]

Can't wait to go back myself! Best place to be at during the summer. We travel a lot to different parts of the world but it's sacred for us to spend the summer in Lithuania, mostly at the seaside because we haven't found a better place yet. Weather temperatures are perfect, nature is as good as it gets and it's clean and fairly priced.

[@laura-bronner]

I can't wait to visit it during the summer next year :) Sounds magical!

[@svajunasstasytis1834]

If you gonna stay in Lithuania this summer, I advise you to take a boat from Kaunas all the way to Nida. It's really worthy experience. Or from Klaipėda to Nida on the boat as well. Both experiences will give beautiful views :)

[@ievaxel]

I look forward to your videos every day, especially from this trip! They have that very welcoming and warm feeling and I love going by the sea. Can't wait to see the upcoming videos!

[@laura-bronner]

Thank you so much for your kind message, I'm so glad you are enjoying these videos. It is such a beautiful part of the country and I'm excited to explore more of this region in the coming months :)

[@Tm_Martishius]

Hill of Witches deffinately has a specific feeling to it

[@emuxkr]

Oh Smiltyne! When I was a kid (almost 20 years ago now) my family staid there 2 summers at the end of a road by Delfinariumas (there were sea lions, dolphins and other sea creatures). I loved it there, but strangely almost nothing changed (by the ferry and the first direction you went). Still gorgeous, still peaceful. I envy you, because I am stuck in rainy Vilnius.

[@laura-bronner]

I'm back in cold and rainy Utena now wishing I was in Smiltyne haha

[@SloveniaWalksAndViews]

..having a beach entirely for yourself...incredible! Thank you for great video.

[@imogenequest56]

Wow what a beautiful area! Thankyou for taking us along!

[@laura-bronner]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@bunyaminyldrm2575]

Nat Geo Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World's Most Amazing Places books recommend the Spit. That's how I've found your video. Thank you and this book might guide every travellers well :)

[@enrikazzz]

First of all - I am addicted to your videos. Secondly, I am super happy that you’ve got to explore the Curonian Spit. I would also recommend the museum of seas (Jūrų muziejus) with doplhinarium in Smiltynė! Hope you visit different parts of Curonian Spit, too. For example, “the dead dunes” are just breathtaking.

[@laura-bronner]

Thank you so much, I'm so glad you like the videos. And thanks for the tips, I will definitely be back to the spit for another trip!

[@tomaskla9030]

What a wonderful place. It love this place best in the early fall.

[@tn-fw2ev]

Very informative, thank you

[@georgewalker]

Thank you very much, have a wonderful time , the tour is great!

[@il42]

i'm really enjoying your videos. Thank you! Another beautiful trip in autumn Panemunes kelias. It's a road from Jurbarkas to Kaunas alongside river Nemunas. You'll come by a couple of castles and autumn colours are beautiful , especially in the evening.

[@dennisnorkaitis9726]

Amazing!!

[@lorraineklemchuk387]

Hill of Witches was amazing. Thankyou so much for sharing. Great work you two. GRACIAS!

[@justytem07]

You described this part of curonian spit perfectly! You noticed all the things that I love about it. Hope you enjoyed it and will be back to this part of Lithuania!

[@laura-bronner]

Thank you so much, I will definitely be back to this part of Lithuania again!

[@lorraineklemchuk387]

Great Filming, love your details and it makes me want to fly over. I admire your desires of freedom. Got a few more videos to explore also of yours.

[@kimloanvlog8215]

Cảm ơn ban đã chia sẻ cảnh thiên nhiên rất đẹp

[@auricgoldfinger8478]

Brilliant video

[@laura-bronner]

Thanks!

[@vaidaslith4071]

Keep enjoying Lithuania

[@laura-bronner]

I am loving it so far :)

[@vytisagafonovas3887]

Thers was (or maybe still is) interesting work oportunity at curonian spit, to work as a sheperd. They eaven targeted foreigners to come and live at the spit. Sounded very lovely and unusualy for the time of age. Maybe it was some kind of a project im not sure, but surely a lovely initiative.

[@MrDickharder]

Very nice.Feverously waiting reportings from our gem Nida.

[@laura-bronner]

It will be up on Wednesday :)

[@UtamagUta]

You could go inside the biggest ship - it's an exposition of soviet fishing ship. Museum is a sight in itself, it also directed towards wildlife preservation, big emphasis on saving dolphins, seals, etc. Also you found my favourite beach, if you go there right from the museum you'd find it always empty, even during summer. Just couple hundred meters towards the north and it's a totally different experience - metal scrap and stuff. On summer you can ride on a carriage towards the museum from the ferry.

[@laura-bronner]

That's exactly where I entered the beach from - I had it totally to myself. So magical.

[@lirtuvaxd4871]

Im from Lithunia :D Thanks for going to my home land

[@evaldasvaliunas5828]

I hope you had a chance to visit the Parnidis dune and the Vencekrugas dune. The best places in Lithuania in my view. Anyway, great videos, can't wait to see more. Good luck!

[@greenlime1997]

Lots of history in that beautiful, serene stretch of land. The Spit used to be a pre-dominantly German area, being apart of the former German province of East Prussia. Famous writers like Thomas Mann used to have summer retreats there. After WW2, with the German population expelled , the town names were changed and the area is now split between Russia and Lithuania

[@jjpartnersincrime]

❤️

[@VytasNeviera]

When in Neringa again, go to Preila Beach Bar. ^^

[@ASAS-dn4ve]

My favorit vacation is to rent a small apartment for a week near that Hill of Witches in very end of summer. I pick up mushrooms on my way from see. Beaches are almost empty and it is always warm enough in some side of a dune unless it is raining.

[@alfredasjasaitis7561]

Love it

[@viliuspakstys802]

you should also visit Karklė - Olando kepurė

[@laura-bronner]

Thanks! There's never enough time to see everything, but always a good excuse to come back and explore more :)

[@jabhutt1013]

Ah, so you've been there:)) Didn't knew how it was called in english:)

[@juliusatidukraitis6199]

Why you didn't visited sea museum of dolphinarium? They were in the nord of split, and they are amazing :)

[@laura-bronner]

It wasn't open yet, I was there quite early :)

[@tomasitas4015]

Nida is were i want to retire😊😍

[@laura-bronner]

I can understand why, what a beautiful place!

[@cryptosherpa2022]

Hello again Compadres LAURA🦁I'm sorry but I'm Addicted to the BAJA MEXICO? La Ventana, Loreto, and,MULEGE. Always So Nice to See your Beautiful Smile? Brightens my Day for REAL🦁Thanks AKA CHARLIEB outta Dobbs Ferry N.Y. 🎆🎈🎀🎖

[@laura-bronner]

We'll no doubt be back to Baja next year for a visit :)

[@aidasskruodys7313]

If you can, visit the little towns along the spit to Nida. I know that you took a bus so they may not stop there. The best thing to do is rent a car.

[@laura-bronner]

The next trip when I can spend more time there I will definitely go with a car :)

[@rebeccaheggs1852]

is this doable as just daytrip?

[@samsheppard8265]

THIS IS LITHUANIA?! Simien national park

[@morethanwords]

It's Kaliningrad not Kalingrad. But good to see your video promoting Klaipeda and its Curonian Spit which is a world heritage site.

[@laura-bronner]

Thanks for the correction! I hadn't realized it had an extra -in in there! I can understand why it's a world heritage site, it's incredible here!

[@morethanwords]

@@laura-bronner You'll probably have realised by now that Lithuanian is quite a complicated language with seven or more noun cases whereas English has three. It's one of the oldest languages and based on Sanskrit. As with many languages pronunciation is a challenge and very much so in Lietuviski. I'm from the UK originally and lived in Klaipeda for almost a decade teaching English and Shakespeare at one of the universities. I worked as an actor for 30 years before quitting the UK. After all this time I still struggle to make myself understood here! Fortunately most of the younger generation speak fluent English. They start being taught at school when they're 8. Enjoy your time here and your future travels. Your videos are both informative and entertaining. I've travelled most of my life beginning when I was 21 and, with friends, drove a Landrover from London to Kathmandu. Changed my life :)

[@kubikasrubikas]

As far as I remember, there were talks about building a bridge, but then the Curonian Spit would lose the Unesco World Heritage title

[@vytautaszemelis4403]

Like👍👍👍

[@violoncele]

There is much better place in Lithuania and this is another side of lagoon than Neringa. Especially Nemunas Delta is heaven on earth. ❤️

[@ZhylvisLT]

sorry mate, you might be biased. Nemunas Delta is nice but nothing so special to be honest.

[@cryptosherpa2022]

🦁Gift for Laura🎁Dukes of SEPTEMBER Lowdown Live on Y-Tube. Please Remember to Be Safe🎆🎈🎀🎖

[@S3l3ct1ve]

Bridge would be good idea. Spending metric tones of diesel each day for those ferries make no sense. The ecology tax also makes no sense, we pay for the entry with a car, yet they still fear that the bridge would ruin the ecology of the place... Meaning that there is no sense of the tax either... If they really were concerned, they would not allow anyone to drive in except locals. But now it is all business, taxes and costs of infrastructure.... They use ecology card to get benefits for the already small muncipality, this way they get the tax money, but they do not need to spend it on the infrastructure. The bridge would be devided cost for both Klaipėda and Smiltynė muncipalities, so Smiltynė refusing the idea, because its very handy to get a money for muncipality + tax from everyone who drive in to the Smiltynė. If ecology was the main concern it would be done differently.

[@Moliugas89]

Even if there would be a bridge, every driver would still had to pay the same ecology\entrance tax. So no loss to the municipality's budget. But the bridge itself would change the natural flow of the water and that could lead to shift in natural ecosystem and that is what ecologist are concerned about.

[@hellion605]

as you may know, there was discussions about the bridge. at this moment it’s insecure to build and have one because of crazy neighbor

[@S3l3ct1ve]

@@hellion605 Looking from strategic perspective, it would be highly risky to move troops through there, due to the fact that they could be vulnerable to air raids sea raids and single bridge is also really risky road to choose if they would move their trops in to the mainland. So no worries of this point :)

[@tamasmarcuis4455]

Oh dear the pronunciations! Try " Klaep + Eda " and " K + Li + neen + GraD "

[@auronpk]

I want to unwitch my American girlfriend.

[@ji3535]

its not lithuania its samogitia steeled by lithuania.

[@alexfeder9328]

Steeled....

[@stasm7373]

J I You from Байстрюкия?

[@mimi7914]

wow chemtrails are bad but otherwise beautiful place!

[@ZhylvisLT]

Yeah, even the horizon looks straight it confirms that Earth is flat.