Neringa - a city in the Curonian Spit, between the Baltic Sea and the
Curonian Lagoon (western coast); resort. It is the longest (about 50 km)
and furthest west city in Lithuania. Administratively, the city is a
municipality of Neringa, it covers most of the Curonian Spit, its adm.
center - Nida. Curonian Spit National Park. There are two post offices
(the central one in Nida LT-93012).
Neringa is a particularly
popular vacation spot. There are many high sand dunes here, in
Juodkrante - Raganu Kalnas, in Nida - Parnidis dune. Neringa is visited
by many tourists not only from Lithuania, but also from other countries,
especially from Germany (before World War II, there were a lot of
Kursians, Germans who had to leave their homeland after the war).
of the Nida Tourism Information Center in 2001. according to data,
700 thousand people visited Neringa during the three months of the
summer season. tourists. Mostly vacationers from Lithuania, Germany,
Russia, Latvia rest in Neringa.
The name of the city is essentially new - it is not found in this
form in the old writings. It comes from the Curonian word nerija (from
the verb nerti), which was the name of the long peninsula (see the
Curonian spit for details), the German gender - Neringe, Nerunge,
Nehrung, etc. Aleksandras Vanagas rooted the root with the verb "nerti,
gramzdinti". The oldest form was Nerija and it became Neringa only under
the influence of the Germans.
Folk etymology tells many more
different stories about the beautiful and strong maiden Neringa, who may
even have been the daughter of ruler Karvaitis. One of them says:
In
time immemorial, when there was no Curonian Spit, and only a chain of
islands jutted out in its place, a girl was born on one of them, and her
parents named her Neringa. The yellow-haired beauty grew into a
giantess. She helped people in every way - she saved fishermen who were
carried far from the shore by the sea, drove fish into nets.
Once,
the god of the sea Bangputys got so angry that the sea did not calm down
for a whole year. Then people began to ask Neringa to protect them from
the raging waves. Neringa asked them and began to scoop sand into her
apron and pour it between the islands. Where the mound is still visible,
there are higher dunes. Thus she poured a huge embankment that separated
the calm inlet from the sea. In it, fishermen could catch fish without
fear of being carried far out to sea.
Nerija is the youngest landmass of the Lithuanian coast. 5-6 thousand
years ago, it was not here at all, only the tops of the islands
protruded above the water everywhere - there was an underwater shallow.
Gradually, sand moved onto the shoal, filling the interstices, raising a
white embankment. The wind blew the dried sand into mounds, from which
dunes, entire dune ridges grew, grass began to sprout, and trees began
to grow. It is believed that the first inhabitants settled in Neringa
area around 4000 years ago. Legend has it that the castle of the
mythical prince Videvutis used to be here.
Neringa belonged to
the South Curonian lands - Pilsot and Lamata. The first settlement on
the Curonian Spit is mentioned in 1385, although the first historical
mention of Neringa is considered to be 1437. on November 11, when the
Nida tavern was mentioned. Around 1500 massive deforestation began,
fires became more frequent, the thin, viable soil layer began to
disintegrate, and the wind began to push the dunes. Already in 1569 Many
languages were spoken in Neria - German (in institutions, church,
school), Lithuanian, Latvian-Curonian and Prussian. Curonian was mostly
spoken by fishermen. According to the 1897 population survey, out of
1,644 inhabitants of the main settlements of the spit, 994 (about 60%)
spoke the language of the Kursians of Neringa, the percentage among
fishermen reached 65%. Almost all the students understood Lithuanian as
well, which is why services were held in Lithuanian.
XVI-XVII
centuries. too much deforestation caused the turf to disintegrate, and
the wind began to blow the sand along the spit. Finally, the ledges of
menacing, never-before-seen high sand dunes hung over the coastal
villages. People had to leave their farms sinking in the sand and move
elsewhere. During the 16th-19th centuries a total of 14 villages were
buried: Old and New Agila, New Pilkopiai, Prėda, Kunčiai, Old and New
Latenvaldė, Karvaičiai and others. At the foundations of the present-day
white hills, decaying courtyards, gardens, and graves remain.
Later, the work of fixing the dunes was started. At Nida, the beginning
of that big thing was done by Georgas Dovydas Kuvertas, clerk of the
post office, by greening the Urbas hill. He planted mountain pines
brought from Western Europe, carefully looked after them, encouraging
others to continue this work.
Until the 20th century the early
settlements were only fishing villages. in 1904 a pre-dune (protective
dune) is formed. After the First World War, summer visitors began to
visit. Here they were attracted by the extremely beautiful and unique
landscape: sand dunes, excellent beaches.
in 1946 summer
residences Nida, Preila and Juodkrantė were recognized as city-type
settlements, but in 1947 were connected to Klaipėda. The city of Neringa
was formed in 1961. November 15 after connecting five settlements -
Alksnynė, Juodkrantė, Nida, Pervalka and Preila. Nida was appointed as
the administrative center, and at the same time, Neringa was given the
status of a landscape reserve. in 1976 Neringa has been declared a
forest park. The city was developed according to the 1968, 1980 and 1994
general plans.
in 1997 the new coat of arms of Neringa has been
approved.
The largest part of the territory of Neringa consists of forests
(83.9%), roads - 1.7%, built-up area - 0.7%, waters - 0.01%,
agricultural land - 0.2%, other land - 13.5 %.
Several
settlements are located from south to north - Nida (near it Purvynė and
Skruzdynė), Preila, Pervalka, Juodkrantė (next to it was Karvaičiai),
Alksnynė. The city is washed by the Curonian Lagoon from the east (the
coast is very winding), and the Baltic Sea from the west. The whole city
is located in the Curonian Spit National Park.
August is the
warmest month in Neringa, its average temperature is around 17 °C. There
are more clear days here than in Central or Eastern Lithuania. Southwest
and northwest winds prevail. The rest areas are located in the eastern
part of the spit, by the Curonian Lagoon, and are protected from sea
winds by a ridge of large dunes covered with forest.
The unique
architecture of homesteads is characteristic of Neringa, and the
decoration of houses is unique to the Pomeranian region. Folk
architecture buildings are being restored and adapted to today's needs.
One of the most picturesque natural monuments of Neringa is the
Parnidis dune near Nida. A picturesque panorama opens from this large
immobile dune, rising 68 m above sea level. In the nature reserve of
Naglii, between Pervalka and Juodkrantė, the Pilkosios Kopo stretches.
The coast of the Curonian Lagoon is carved by capes, the beaches of the
Baltic Sea were awarded the Blue Flag in 2002.
Dunes are
gradually carried and moved by the wind, for example in the 20th
century. In the 2nd half, the Great Dune of Nida lowered by 15 meters.
In addition, a lot of damage is caused by hurricane winds, as in 1967,
1981 and 1983, and sometimes by fires (for example, the fire in Alksnyne
in 2006).
Neringa History Museum
The Neringa History Museum was founded in
1933.
Engineer Riksford and architect Herbert Reismans created
the project of the building and managed the construction works. At that
time, the exposition was famous for its geology, archaeology, ceramics
and nature sections. During the war, the museum was bombed and the
collections disappeared.
After the war and several decades later,
the idea arose to restore the Neringa Museum again. in 1969 Neringa
History Museum was restored in autumn. Now the museum stores a total of
4,500 different exhibits. These are household items, tool sets, various
photographs and postcards, works of art about the Curonian Spit, as well
as accumulated exhibits about the city of Neringa. The museum has 3 more
exhibitions.
Neringa municipality has one general education school - Neringa
gymnasium. The Viktoras Miliūnas public library of Neringa municipality
operates in Nida.
Illegal constructions in Neringa
in 2008 In
July, the municipality of Neringa prepared a new general plan for
Neringa. The presentation of this plan renewed the public debate on
illegal constructions in Neringa. Aurelija Stancikienė, director of the
Curonian Spit National Park, as well as the civic organizations Piliečių
Santalka and the Alternative Cultural Heritage Commission said that the
Neringa General Plan sought to legitimize illegal construction. Members
of the municipality, such as Irma Baltrušaitienė, Antanas Noreika, Vice
Mayor Arūnas Burkšas, whose construction legality was discussed in the
courts, could not participate in the approval of the Neringa general
plan concept and were accused of confusing public and private interests.