One day in Palanga

We went to the Palanga from the side of the Curonian Spit. A small spray, both shores of which can be embraced by one not too wide angle lens, – and here from the reserve with one-storey fishing houses you get into a completely different world – on the mainland.

Big Earth comes immediately – a high-rise glass house is growing straight on the shore, similar to office, but residential. In any case, he should have become such if the builders managed to pass it. But while firefighters or someone else do not accept the building. And it performs one-sole function – a confident point on the map marks the beginning of a mainstall life. This is Klaipeda, from her to the Palanga – 25 kilometers along the shore. And after 25 kilometers you fall, perhaps, in the most famous Lithuanian resort, about which Robert Christmas wrote his famous "Palauk means "wait", Palanga means rains".

I was in Palanga only one day and neither rain nor touchie. But the wind met – strong and energetic, inflatable hair and ends shawls, blowing up dishes from the table. Palanga, unlike Latvian Jurmala, is not on the shore of the bay, and the wind is stronger here.

• Altitude house in Klaipeda
• Street Palanga
• Sculpture in Palanga

Baltic Sea and Beach

Unpredictable Baltic weather grown a completely special category of holidaymakers. Arriving here at the end of May, we met in August of the brown people. I was told that in Lithuania it was customary to sunbathe a very fun way – between the dunes under the blanket. Between dunes because there is less blowing. And under the blanket because cool. The sun went down – covered with a blanket, it turned out – the blanket threw off.

However, it was not possible to see it with my own eyes. But it was possible to see bathers in the still very, very cold sea. Bathed not only adults but also children. Once I tried to make a comparative description of holidaymakers in the south and in the north. And I realized that a little chill in the south promises empty beach. In the north, on the contrary, a little sun came out – everything is already in the water.

Palanga sandy beach and quite crowded. However, bear in mind that we were on Saturday and during the sports festival. Next to us pull the rope, then the children built sand castles, and we just sat and looked at the sea, gathering the spirit enter into it.

Palanga laid out on the grid plan – streets intersect at right angles and is difficult to get lost. The main tourist highway is called street Basanavicius and is perpendicular to the sea. On the beach, it blends in with the pier, the letter "G" protrudes into the water. In the evenings, every self-respecting vacationer come here to look at the moon. And the locals at this time of fishing rods on a funny ending little green lights – that was the end of the wine in the dark.

• Beach in Palanga
• cheerful holidaymakers

• Walk on the pier
• Street Basanavicius

Along the beach there is a bike path. Bicycles are rented in large quantities, are about 8 LTL per hour (lit. 1 – about 0.3 Euros). Skate, of course, not only on the bike path, but also throughout the city. Only owners are asked not to ride a bike on the beach to the sand not scored in the chain.

Legends of Palanga

If you stand facing the sea and go to the left, then after a while you will come to the Botanical Gardens of Palanga. There is a hill called Mount Birute (Birutė). This mountain was once a pagan temple, where the revered god Perkunas (Perun). It was the virgin priestess Biruta, keep the fire in the hearth (in the XIV century, Lithuania was still pagan). But once arrived in Palanga Keystut prince, son of the great Gediminas. He saw Biruta, in love with her and took away. Birut became the wife of Kestuta, and their son was born – the famous Vitautas (Vitovt Great). Now on the top of the mountain costs the chapel.

In addition, the Botanical Garden is the amber museum located in the Palace of Count Josapas Tyshkevich, and the rosary behind him. To see the museum from the inside we failed – too late we have been added to him. But we walked around. Before the museum stands the statue of Christ, raised by the hands of the autumn park. In general, I must say that Lithuania, unlike Latvia and Estonia, is Catholic country, so such statues are not uncommon here.

• On the road to Mount Birut
• Amber Museum
• Statue of Christ
• View of Park

But the spirit of folk fairy tales and legends, and not crowned from the culture of Lithuania by many centuries of missionary activity, vitates everywhere. A few meters from Christ is a monument to the heroine of the folk tales Egle – Queen. This tale tells how the girl named Egla, the youngest and beloved daughter. Once Egle bathed, and at that time she dragged her clothes. Asked Egle to give clothes, but agreed to do it, only if Egle will marry him. Nothing to do, egle agreed. Come came to match her. Parents did not want to give a favorite daughter, but the word is given, it must be kept. I just turned out to be a wonderful young man named Zhilvinas, living in the underwater kingdom. I loved him Egle, and they were born four children – sons of Agolas, Bigzhas and Wijis and Dorboul’s daughter.

But Egle began to raise around the house, and the husband let her join her. However, strictly-setting forbade her and to give it to her name. Egle did not give out, and the sons did not give out. And the youngest daughter issued. Then they went to the brothers Egle to the lake, lured the horns and killed him. Egle returned home, realized that her husband was killed, and decided not to live her and her children more. Egle has turned into a gloomy fir, a burning fir tree, Bigzhas and WSIIS – in persistent oak, birch and ash, and Durbule – in Osip. Until now, a buggy aspen, who issued the name of his father, trembles in the wind. On Lithovsky names of the heroes mean the names of the trees.

Pagan and Christian cultures are united in a figure of Biruts, living just during the Baptism of Lithuania and who has refused from the old God, to which she served as a prieste. Monument to Birut stands right there.

• Monument to Birut
• Monument to Egle – Queen
• Local residents

In Soviet times, writers came to the Palanga to relax and work, inspired by the legends of the old Lithuanian. We lived in the hotel Vila Diemedis ("Vila Deifeedis") in which the writers once rested. Walls are taken here to photographs of writers, and each room has a small shelf with books in German, Lithuanian and Russian. Shelves with books are in the corridor, and at the administrator rack, and even in a restaurant. Moreover, the publication is not modern, but the old, which gives a small hotel a special color.

In general, I must say that in the Palanga is actively mastering the resort legacy. And the speakers and the Soviet period. We looked at a huge modern house in front of our small hotel and experienced a strange feeling. It seems that we have already seen it somewhere, but where? Then it became clear. If you remove the modern cladding in traditional Lithuanian brown-green tones, then the usual Soviet sanatorium with many buildings will be. Now he is converted into a good hotel. What is very nice, since in many resorts the Soviet legacy gradually winds and turns into ruins, and this does not benefit nor the cities or tourists.

Palanga – Pretty noisy and attractive resort for youth. At about eleven in the evening, the stores were still open, and on the streets walked in love Couples and laughing companies. Although the noisy Baltic resort is the concept of relative. Like "noise" somewhere in the Crimea I would regard as a sudden end of the season.

You can get to the Palanga in several ways. Through Kaliningrad and the Curonian braid, from Vilnius, to which the train goes from Moscow, or by plane. Direct flights from Moscow to Palanga are summer. At other times you will have to fly with a transfer.

The author is grateful to the Center for Tourist Information Palanga and personally Director of the Center Alla Currency. As well as the Lithuanian Information Center in Moscow in the face of Birut Nenartavichut and Monica Czech.