. Lithuania Curonian Spit: Nida to Juodkrantė Dunes and Heron Colony Trail
#arrivalguide The Curonian Spit is a 98 km sand bar shared by Lithuania and Russia, and the Nida–Juodkrantė segment (18 km north) packs dunes, grey heron colony and pine forest into one bike-or-bus day. I took the Klaipėda–Nida ferry with a rental car (vehicle fare ~20 EUR one way, card only, no booking needed outside July weekends) then parked in Nida and biked north (rental 15 EUR/day, euro accepted everywhere). The Parnidis Dune behind Nida is a 52 m climb with a sundial obelisk — shoes fill with sand, barefoot is better. The trail north is paved cycle path, not sand, until you reach the Juodkrantė “Heron and Cormorant Colony” boardwalk (entry 3 EUR, cash or card) where 100+ nests sit in dead pines, chicks gaping at 9 am. Continuing to Juodkrantė village you pass the Witch Hill sculpture garden (free). A mistake: I tried to walk the dune crest off-path and a ranger fined 20 EUR on the spot — on the spit you must stay on marked tracks or face erosion fines. Food in Nida is 30% pricier than Klaipėda; I packed rye bread and smoked eel. Best light is 7 pm when the dune shadow stretches east across the lagoon. Neringa municipality charges a summer eco-fee (~3 EUR/day) folded into lodging, not paid separately. Discussion: is the spit better as a slow 3-day bike traverse Klaipėda→Nida, or does a Nida-base day trip capture enough?