NEED TO KNOW
The Curonian Spit National Park, cherished for its prehistoric sand-dunes, is also an excellent spot for birdwatching. In fact, this UNESCO-listed peninsula nestled between the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon, offers six different observation towers that help you observe the flocks of migratory birds passing above.
And if you forgot your birding manual at home (happens to the best of us), information stands on-site will help you identify the birds you spot.
One of the locations particularly suitable for birdwatching is the Nagliai Nature Reserve. There, visitors can observe such rare bird species as Peregrine and Red-Legged Falcons, Brown Kites and Pink Starlings.
Every autumn, nets are set up at the Juodkrantė Ringing Station to catch and ring over 10,000 thousand birds each year: Great and Blue Tits, Finches, Robins and others.
Highlights
Europe’s largest beach stretches for nearly 62 miles (100 km) along the Baltic Sea, and has the highest dunes in the northern hemisphere. If you visit on a sunny day, you may well think you have arrived in the middle of an Arabian desert.
The sand bar encloses an enormous lagoon and has a fragile ecosystem, so obey the local rules to avoid causing erosion.