Klaipeda

The cruise terminal is 800 metres from the city centre, a walk of approximately 8-10 minutes.

While a ship is in port, the visitor-information mobile kiosk on the pier supplies maps. A permanent tourist information centre is a short walk from the quay at Theatre Square (Turgaus st. 7). It opens Mon-Fri: 9 am-7 pm and Sat-Sun: 10 am-4 pm, offering information, souvenirs, stamps, postcards, internet access, bicycle hire, excursion tickets and city-bus tickets.

Klaipeda city provides a free hourly shuttle because the streets are paved with rather large cobblestones.

Take the printable map ashore.

Klaipeda is Lithuania's oldest city, dating to the seventh century, and its port is now a centre for fishing and manufacturing. Although much historic architecture has disappeared, 700 years of Prussian rule give the city a distinctly Germanic appearance. Attractions include the Picture Gallery sculpture collection, particularly the statues in the adjoining park, the History Museum of Lithuania Minor and St. George's Protestant Church on Market Square.

Allow an hour or so to see Klaipeda. Most visitors continue to either Nida or Palanga on an organised tour.

Klaipeda Tourist Board occasionally arranges trips to Palanga lasting 3 hours, leaving at 10.30 am and costing 20 Euro, and to Nida for 4 hours, departing at 11 am for 30 Euro. The mini-bus tours often sell out.

Cross by ferry to the Curonian Spit, a peninsula of beaches and dunes stretching for 100 kilometres.

Hourly ferries to Smiltyne cost only a few euros. The landing point is close to town.

Nida is an upmarket holiday resort receiving around 200,000-300,000 visitors each summer.

Palanga is a popular Baltic sea resort. The town has recently been renovated attractively and has what is considered the finest beach in the Baltics.

Mantas Street contains the city's most fashionable boutiques. They open daily except Sunday.

Klaipeda has several shopping centres, the largest being Akropolis, which is also the biggest in the Baltics. Its attractions include a cinema, ice rink, restaurants, shops, 2 supermarkets, pizzerias and more.

Pavement cafés and restaurants are found throughout Klaipeda.

An appealing craft market stands beside the bridge at Tillu Galve, about 10 minutes along the Dane River on foot. The Meridian, a sailing ship converted into a restaurant, is next to the market.

The euro has been the chosen currency since 2015.

Lithuanian is Lithuania's official language and, with Latvian, one of only two languages in the Baltic branch of the Indo-European family. Despite its links with many European languages, its archaic grammar makes even basic sentences difficult for unfamiliar foreigners. Russian is understood almost universally, while younger people are increasingly proficient in English.

Numerous hotels and pavement cafés provide free WiFi. Old Mill Hotel, about 100 metres from the berth, has a good connection, although crew members can make it busy. Casino Terrace in town is another place with a reliable connection.

The emergency telephone number is 112.