Palanga

Palanga, a resort city located on Lithuania’s western coast, exemplifies the nation’s natural beauty and cultural heritage. Summer vacation and coastal appeal have come to be associated with this enchanted location where the Baltic Sea meets the Lithuanian coast. Derived from the phrase “on the Alanga River” (now Rąžė), the city’s name suggests its strong link to the rivers that have molded its terrain and past.

Palanga, the biggest and most well-known summer vacation spot in Lithuania, features an amazing length of eighteen kilometers of sandy beaches along the Baltic coast. Complementing these golden shores, which span up to 300 meters in width, are breathtaking sand dunes that provide both local and tourist natural playgrounds. For those looking for sun, sea, and leisure, Palanga’s coastline has drawn much affection.

The administrative reach of the city goes beyond its central area and includes several nearby towns adding to its varied character. Under municipal control, Šventoji, Nemirseta, Būtingė, and the Palanga International Airport together create a harmonic coastal community. From Nemirseta in the south to the Latvian border in the north, this vast area offers visitors a varied terrain and a spectrum of experiences.

With stories handed down through the years, Palanga’s past is rich in myth and romance. One of the most intriguing legends centers on Birutė, a stunning pagan priestess. Local legend has Birutė tending to the holy fires at a Palanga shrine at the base of a hill. Kęstutis, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, noticed her beauty and traveled to Palanga in search of her to be his wife.

Citing Birutė’s vow of virginity to the gods, the legend as told in the Lithuanian Bychowiec Chronicle describes her first rejection. Undeterred, Kęstutis is said to have abducted her forcibly to Trakai, his capital, where they were married in an extravagant ceremony. Birutė returned to Palanga after Kęstutis passed suddenly, picking up her work at the shrine until her own death. Now bearing her name, the hill where she was supposed to have been buried is a constant reminder of this fabled person in Lithuanian mythology.

The rivers running through Palanga define its geography by their coastal location. Meandering through the city, the Šventoji and Rąžė rivers empty into the Baltic Sea, adding to the natural beauty and ecological variety of the area. The development and appeal of Palanga as a resort destination have been much shaped by this unusual terrain.

Palanga’s coastal location has made it strategically important over history. Now part of Palanga, Nemirseta was the northernmost village of East Prussia in the turbulent month of March 1939 when the Klaipėda Region was turned over to Germany. Simultaneously, Palanga underlined its geopolitical importance during a turning point in European history by acting as a vital border checkpoint between German-owned land and Russian-occupied Lithuania.

Palanga today is easily connected to all of Lithuania and beyond. For domestic visitors, major roads link the city to Klaipėda and Šiauliai, so providing simple access. Although the city itself does not have a railway link, the neighbouring town of Kretinga, capital of the Kretinga district municipality, provides rail services to those wanting to see the surrounding area.

Palanga International Airport opens doors to this coastal paradise for foreign guests. Third-largest airport in Lithuania, it provides links to many European locations including Scandinavia, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Poland, and Riga, the biggest city in the Baltic States. The strategic location of the airport between Palanga and Šventoji combined with higher flight frequencies in the summer months helps to accommodate the seasonal influx of visitors ready to enjoy the coastal appeal of the city.