Klaipėda: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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EUR 29 - 70 Palva
 The Palva is located in Smiltyne on the Curonian Spit, a 10-minute ferry ride from downtown Klaipeda. It offers free Wi-Fi access, an indoor pool, and… MoreEUR 36 - 87 Park Inn Klaipeda
 Overlooking the Curonian Lagoon, this modern hotel is located in Klaipeda a 2-minute drive from the ferry port. The bright rooms feature wooden furnit… MoreEUR 39 - 1,000 Pajurio Vieskelis
 This newly opened 3-star hotel in Klaipeda is close to City Park and just a 15-minute drive from the Baltic Sea. Pajurio Vieskelis offers rooms with f… MoreEUR 58 - 103 Old Port Hotel
 This modern hotel is located on the banks of the Dane River in the old town of Klaipeda.
Old Port Hotel offers spacious and cosy rooms with air condi… MoreEUR 70 - 300 National Hotel
 Set in a 19th-century building of Klaipeda’s Old Town, National Hotel offers soundproofed rooms overlooking the seaport and the River Dane. Faciliti… MoreEUR 52 - 82 Old Mill Hotel
 This modern 3-star hotel is located near the historic castle of Klaipeda, on the banks of the Dane River. Old Mill Hotel offers air-conditioned rooms … MoreEUR 43 - 79 Poilsis Jums
 Located in the centre of Kleipada, 100 metres from Kleipada Train station, the Poilsis Jums guest house offers you rooms with a flat-screen TV, free W… MoreEUR 76 - 235 Radisson BLU Hotel, Klaipeda
 This hotel is centrally located in the heart of the city, well situated for business, sightseeing, shopping and entertainment, with free wireless inte… MoreEUR 50 - 240 World of Apartment in Klaipeda
 World of Apartment offers a variety of accommodation in Klaipeda’s centre. All accommodation features modern kitchens and satellite TV. Airport tr… MoreEUR 30 - 80 Zaliasis slenis
 Enjoying a scenic and quiet location, the Zaliasis slenis guesthouse is situated only 6 km from Klaipeda, on the 7th kilometre of the Klaipeda-Palanga… MoreEUR 47 - 130 Vecekrug
 This is a contemporary hotel, with a subtly decorated interior, in Klaipeda city centre and offering 23 peaceful rooms in various styles, reminiscent … MoreEUR 39 - 140 Van Vila
 This modern villa in the district of Melnrage is only 350 metres away from the beach. It offers air-conditioned rooms, a sauna, and a jacuzzi. Wi-Fi a… MoreEUR 26 - 65 Ruta
 This small and cosy family-run hostel is about a 15-minute drive from the centre of Klaipeda.
Offering easy access to public transportation, the Ruta… MoreEUR 30 - 50 Tako Baras
 Surrounded by pine forests and the sea, this modern motel is only 200 metres away from the sandy beach of the Baltic Sea and only 4 km from the centre… MoreEUR 35 - 93 Morena
 Hotel Morena is only 200 metres away from the sand beach of the Baltic Sea. It is 4 km away from the centre of Klaipeda and offers free parking.
Surr… MoreEUR 58 - 235 Magnisima
 This modern, high-quality hotel is located in the very centre of Klaipeda, adjacent to the popular shopping street H. Mantas.
The Magnisima offers co… MoreEUR 29 - 120 Atlantas Hotel
 Atlantas Hotel offers rooms with free Wi-Fi and satellite TV, just 800 metres from Klaipeda’s city centre. Facilities include a sauna and a gym. Fre… MoreEUR 35 - 179 Basketball Fans Camp Klaipeda
 Located on the outskirts of Klaipeda, this fans camp is a temporary tent city. Each tent cottage at Basketball Fans Camp Klaipeda provides beds with m… MoreEUR 39 - 61 Aribe
 The Aribe is located in the heart of Klaipeda, half-way between the beautiful Old Town and the central commercial district. It offers free Wi-Fi, free… MoreEUR 44 - 342 Ararat Apart Hotel Klaipeda
 Ararat Apart Hotel Klaipeda is a new and modern leisure and entertainment complex in a quiet street in the heart of Klaipeda. It offers free internet … MoreEUR 43 - 319 Amberton Klaipeda
 Situated in the very centre of Klaipeda, Hotel Amberton Klaipeda features a casino, a bowling and entertainment centre, a gym, and an indoor pool. A 2… MoreEUR 45 - 59 Aparthotel Stora Antis
 Aparthotel Stora Antis is located in the heart of Klaipeda’s Old Town, 250 metres from the Old Town Market. It offers spacious, traditionally furnis… MoreEUR 56 - 199 Europa Royale Klaipeda
 The Europa Royale Klaipeda is established in an extensively reconstructed 19th century building, where hotels used to operate more than 100 years ago.… MoreEUR 52 - 230 Euterpe
 This new business class hotel is located in the heart of the Old Town of Klaipeda.
You will be astonished by the perfect blend of architecture from d… MoreEUR 50 - 150 Klaipedarent
 These newly built Klaipedarent apartments are set amidst the Melnrage Nature Reserve, a 3-minute walk from the Baltic Sea beaches. A grocery store is … More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Klaipėda: Guide
Klaipėda (, approximate Memel or Memelburg) is a Lithuanian city situated at the mouth of the [[Curonian Lagoon where it flows into the Baltic Sea. As Lithuania's only seaport, it has ferry terminal connections to Sweden, Denmark, and Germany.
During its history, the town has been known as Memel, when it was part of Prussia and Germany, and since 1923, when it became part of Lithuania, as Klaipėda. Some of its older buildings have picturesque half-timbered construction, similar to that found in Germany, England, and Denmark.
The population shrank from 207,100 in 1992 to 187,442 in 2005. Popular seaside resorts found close to Klaipėda are Nida (town)|Nida to the south on the Curonian Spit, and Palanga to the north.
Names
The Samogitian appellation which may refer to the boggy terrain of the town (klaidyti=obstruct and peda=foot).
History
Teutonic Knights
A settlement of Balts|Baltic tribes in the territory of the present-day city is said to have existed in the region as early as the 7th century.
In the 1240s the Pope offered King Haakon IV of Norway|Håkon IV of Norway the opportunity to conquer the peninsula of Sambia. However, following the personal acceptance of Christianity by Grand Duke Mindaugas of Grand Duchy of Lithuania|Lithuania, the Teutonic Knights and a group of crusaders from Lübeck moved into Sambia, founding unopposed a fort in 1252 recorded as Memele castrum (or Memelburg, "Memel Castle"). The fort's construction was completed in 1253 and Memel was garrisoned with troops of the Livonian Order, administered by Deutschmeister Eberhard von Seyne. Documents for its foundation were signed by Eberhard and Bishop Heinrich von Lützelburg of Courland on July 29, 1252 and August 1, 1252.
Master Conrad von Thierberg used the fortress as a base for further campaigns along the Neman River and against Samogitia. Memel was unsuccessfully besieged by Sambians in 1255, and the scattered Sambians submitted by 1259. Memel was colonized by settlers from Holstein, Lübeck, and Dortmund, hence Memel also being known at the time as Neu Dortmund, or "New Dortmund". It became the main town of the Diocese of Curonia, with a cathedral and at least two parochial churches, but the development of the castle became the dominant priority. According to different sources, Memel received Lübeck city rights in 1254Klaipėda city information portal. "". Retrieved 11 April 2006. or 1258.Magocsi, Paul Robert. Historical Atlas of Central Europe. University of Washington Press. Seattle, 2002. p. 41. ISBN 0295981466
In the spring and summer of 1323, a Lithuanian army led by Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania|Gediminas came up the Neman and laid siege to the castle of Memel after conquering the town, and devastated Sambia, forcing the Order to sue for a truce in October. During the planning of a campaign against Samogitia, Memel's garrison of the Teutonic Order's Livonian branch was replaced with knights from the Prussian branch in 1328. Threats and attacks by Lithuanians greatly thwarted the town's development; the town and the castle were both sacked by Lithuanian tribes in 1379, while Samogitians attacked 800 workers rebuilding Memel in 1389.
The Meuse and Neman River|Neman rivers.
Duchy of Prussia
Against the wishes of its governor and commander, Eric of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Memel adopted Lutheranism after the conversion of Hohenzollern Margrave of Brandenburg Albert of Prussia and the creation of the Duchy of Prussia as a fief of Poland in 1525. It was the onset of a long period of prosperity for the city and port. It served as a port for neighbouring Lithuania, benefiting from its location near the mouth of the Neman, with wheat as a profitable export. The Duchy of Prussia was inherited by a relative, John Sigismund , the Hohenzollern prince-electors of the Marches|March of Brandenburg in 1618. Brandenburg-Prussia began active participation in regional policy, which affected the development of Memel. From 1629-1635, the town was occupied by Swedish Empire|Sweden over several periods during the Polish-Swedish War#Polish-Swedish War of 1625-1629|Polish-Swedish War of 1625-1629 and the Thirty Years' War.
After the Treaty of Königsberg in 1656 during the Northern Wars, Elector Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick William opened Memel's harbor to Sweden, with whom the harbor's revenue was divided. Prussian independence from Poland and Sweden was affirmed in the Treaty of Oliva in 1660.
The construction of a defence system around the entire town, initiated in 1627, noticeably changed its status and prospects. In November 1678 a small Swedish army invaded Prussian territory, but was unable to capture the fortress of Memel.
Kingdom of Prussia
By the beginning of the 18th century, Memel was one of the strongest fortresses (Memelfestung) in Prussia, and the town became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701. Despite its fortifications, it was captured by Russians|Russian troops during the Seven Years' War in 1757. Consequently, from 1757–1762 the town, along with the rest of eastern Prussia, was dependent on the Russian Empire. After this war ended, the maintenance of the fortress was neglected, but the town's growth continued.
Memel became part of the province of East Prussia within the Kingdom of Prussia in 1773. In the second half of the 18th century Memel's lax customs and Riga's high duties enticed English people|English traders, who established the first industrial sawmills in the town. In 1784, 996 ships arrived in Memel, 500 of which were English. (In 1900 there was still an active English church in Memel, as well as a 'British Hotel'). The specialisation in wood manufacturing guaranteed Memel's merchants income and stability for more than a hundred years. During this era it also normalised its trade relations with Kaliningrad|Königsberg; regional instability had degraded relations since the 16th century.
Memel prospered during the second half of the 18th century by exporting timber to Great Britain for use by the British Navy. In 1792, 756 British ships visited the town to transport lumber from the Lithuanian forests near Memel. In 1800 its imports consisted chiefly of salt, iron, and herrings; the exports, which greatly exceeded the imports, were corn, hemp, flax, and, particularly, timber. The 1815 Encyclopædia Britannica stated that Memel was "provided with the finest harbour in the Baltic".
During the Napoleonic Wars, Memel became the temporary capital of the Kingdom of Prussia. Between 1807 - 1808, the town was the residence of King Frederick William III of Prussia|Frederick William III, his consort Louise, his court, and the government. On October 9, 1807 the king signed a document in Memel, later called the October Edict, which abolished serfdom in Prussia. It originated the reforms of Heinrich Friedrich Karl, Reichsfreiherr vom und zum Stein|Karl Freiherr vom und zum Stein and Karl August von Hardenberg. The land around Memel suffered major economic setbacks under Napoleon I of France|Napoleon Bonaparte's Continental System. During Napoleon's retreat from Moscow after the failed Napoleon's invasion of Russia|invasion of Russia in 1812, General Hans David Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg|Yorck refused Marshal Étienne-Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre MacDonald|MacDonald's orders to fortify Memel at Prussia's expense.
German Empire
After the unification of Germany into the German Empire in 1871, Memel became Germany's most northerly city.
The development of the town in the 19th century was influenced by the industrial revolution in Prussia and the attendant processes of urbanisation. Even though the population of Memel increased fourfold during the 19th century, and the population had risen to 21,470 by 1910, its pace of development lagged in comparison. The reasons for this were mostly political. Memel was the northernmost and easternmost city in Germany, and although the government was engaged in a very costly tree-planting exercise to stabilise the sand-dunes on the Curonian Spit, most of the financial infusions in the province of East Prussia were concentrated in Königsberg, the capital of the province. Some notable instances of the German infrastructure investments in the area included sandbar blasting and a new ship canal between Baltiysk|Pillau and Konigsberg, which enabled vessels of up to 21-foot draughts to moor alongside the city, at a cost of 13 million marks.
Owing to the absence of heavy industry in the 1870s and 1880s, the population of Memel stagnated, although wood manufacturing persisted as the main industry. It remained the central point of the Baltic timber-trade. A British Consul was located in the town in 1800; in 1900 a United Kingdom|British Vice-Consul was recorded there, as well as a Lloyd's of London|Lloyd's Agent.
By 1900 steamer services had been established between Memel and Zelenogradsk|Cranz (on the southern end of the Curonian Spit), and also between Memel and Tilsit. A main-line railway was built from Chernyakhovsk|Insterburg, the main East Prussian railway junction, to St. Petersburg via Chernyshevskoye|Eydtkuhnen, the Prussian frontier station. The Memel line also ran from Insterburg via Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast|Tilsit, where a further direct line connected with Konigsberg, that crossed the 2.5-mile-wide Memel River Valley over three bridges before its arrival in Memel.
During the second half of the 19th century, Memel was a center for the publication of books printed in the Lithuanian language using the Latin alphabet - these publications were prohibited in the nearby Russian Empire. The books were then smuggled over the border into Lithuania.
The German 1910 census lists the Klaipėda Region|Memel Territory population as 149,766, of whom 67,345 declared Lithuanian to be their first language. The Germans greatly predominated in the town and port of Memel as well as in other nearby villages; the Lithuanian population was predominant in the area's rural districts. (EB, 1938 Year Book, see )
Inter-war years
Under the Treaty of Versailles after World War I, Memel and the surrounding Memel Territory (or Klaipėda Region) was made a protectorate of the Allies#World War I|Entente States, in order to guarantee port rights to Lithuania and Poland. The territory was administered by an autonomous Landtag government, under a French High Commissioner, with the ultimate intention that it would be a self-governing territory on the model of Gdańsk|Danzig.
However, after Poland Republic of Central Lithuania|took control of the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius in 1920 and annexed it in 1922, Lithuania made the decision to invade Memel and the Memel Territory in January 1923. Weapons for the Lithuanians were supplied by Germans Vytautas Kažukauskas. . The German government, through intermediates, assured Lithuania that they would not interfere with the Lithuanian intervention in the region Vytautas Kažukauskas . . The French garrison made only limited resistance efforts. As this incident occurred on the eve of the French occupation of the Ruhr Area, the Allies had no troops to spare for the restoration of their authority; they consequently took refuge in negotiations which eventually left the juridical sovereignty in the hands of Lithuania. A convention suggested by the League of Nations was accepted in March 1924 securing a measure of autonomy for the inhabitants, (see Gathorne-Hardy).
The annexation of the city, renamed Klaipėda, and the Memel Territory with its large German population, had enormous consequences for the Lithuanian economy. The region subsequently accounted for up to 30% of the Lithuania's entire production, but after economic sanctions which were imposed on the region by the Nazi government in 1933, the economic importance of the region declined.
Animosity between the local Memellanders and the occupying Lithuanians prevented the smooth working of the government. The first Landtag, elected in October 1925, was composed of 27 Germans and two Lithuanians - an indication of the German sympathies of the Memellanders, even those whose first language was Lithuanian. In 1934, 538 German employees were dismissed and 126 Germans were accused of treason before a Lithuanian Military tribunal, after about 1,100 weapons and other illegal materials were found in their possession Mažoji Lietuva.. . Before the election of September 1935, German newspapers were suppressed and four candidates were deprived of Lithuanian citizenship to prevent their election; some 9,000 'new' Lithuanians were given the right to vote. An expropriation edict issued on 6 September 1937 by Lithuanian authorities enabled seizure of German land and public buildings without consultation on the part of local authorities and without adequate compensation. (EB 1938 Year Book).
Opposition by the population to Lithuanian rule continued. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office|British Foreign Office observed that prior to the Landtag (or Diet) elections on 11 December 1938, the Lithuanian police had been withdrawn and public order had been entrusted to the native German auxiliary police. Lithuanian troops had been confined to their barracks and the sentries removed from the town gates. The elections again displayed an overwhelming majority for the Germans, who then appealed to the German government.
Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop of Nazi Germany delivered an ultimatum to the Lithuanian Foreign Minister on March 20 1939, demanding the surrender of the Klaipėda region to German control. Ribbentrop also stated that Klaipėda “will be taken by other means if necessary". Mažoji Lietuva.. . Lithuania submitted to the ultimatum and transferred the disputed region to Germany on March 22 1939; Adolf Hitler personally arrived the next day and made a speech from a theatre balcony (see Ännchen von Tharau photo below).
1945-present
During World War II, from the end of 1944 into 1945, as Allied victory appeared imminent, the German inhabitants felt Evacuation of East Prussia|compelled to flee as the fighting drew nearer. Those who remained were later Expulsion of Germans after World War II|expelled or murdered. The city was captured by the Soviet Union|Soviet Red Army on January 28, 1945. Unlike the rest of East Prussia, the Memel Territory was not considered part of the Soviet occupation zone, and was therefore incorporated into the Lithuanian SSR, marking the start of a new epoch in the history of the city.
The Soviets transformed Klaipėda, the foremost ice-free port in the Eastern Baltic, into the largest piscatorial-marine base in the European USSR. A gigantic shipyard, dockyards, and a Fishing industry|fishing port were constructed. Subsequently, by the end of the 1950s, the population of the city had doubled its pre-war population, and by 1989 there were 203,000 inhabitants. In the aftermath of World War II almost all the new residents came to Klaipėda from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Lithuania. Initially the Russian language|Russian-speakers dominated local government in the city, but after the death of Joseph Stalin, more people came to the city from the rest of Lithuania than from other Soviet republics and oblasts; Lithuanians then became its major ethinic group. Among Lithuanian cities with a population greater than 100,000, however, Klaipėda has the highest percentage of people whose native language is Russian.
Until the 1970s, Klaipėda was only important to the USSR for its economy, while cultural and religious activity was minimal and restricted. The developers of a Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic church (Maria, Queen of Peace, constructed 1957-1962) were arrested. The city began to develop cultural activities in the 1970s and 1980s, such as the introduction of the Sea Festival cultural tradition. Based on the Pedagogical University of Šiauliai and the National Conservatory of Lithuania in Klaipėda, the University of Klaipėda was established in 1991. Klaipėda is now the home of a bilingual German-Lithuanian institution, the Hermann Sudermann|Hermann-Sudermann-Schule.
Demographics
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As of 2006, the population was 187,316. The population by age was: 0-14 15.1%, 15-59 66.5%,
60+ 18.40% There were 86,308 men and 101,008 women in the city. The ethinc composition in 2003 was:
Lithuanians 63%
Klaipėda has 30 neighborhoods:
The Port of Klaipėda is the principal Warm water port|ice-free port on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. It is the most important Lithuanian transportation hub, connecting sea, land and railway routes from East to West. Klaipėda is a multipurpose, universal, deep-water port. 19 big stevedoring companies, ship-repair and ship-building yards operate within the port and all marine business and cargo handling services are being rendered.
The remnants of the Memelburg Castle, built in the 13th century by the Livonian Order. It had a massive bulk and a quadrangular tower, surrounded by the ramparts and brick bastions. It lost importance after the Russian occupation from 1756 to 1762, and thenceforth started to decay.
The tallest building in Klaipėda is 34-story Pilsotas. A 40-story commercial building is scheduled to be built in 2010, which would become the tallest building in Klaipėda.
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The principal public transport routes in Klaipėda are:
8 - From south citys microdistrict to Klaipeda's Railroad Station;
Simon Dach (1605-1659), poet and writer of the Ännchen von Tharau song
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Klaipėda". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
Russians 28.2%
Poles 4.8%
Belarusians 0.5%
Other 3,5%
Of the city's area of 9,800 hectares, 38 % was used for buildings, 1.4% for roads, 8.45% for farming, 14.08% was water, and the remaining 38% was "other uses". Klaipeda contained 17 post offices, a railroad station, a bus station, a harbour, 20 hotels, 4 Catholic chapels, 10 museums, 4 theaters, and 15 sport centers.Geography
Neighborhoods
Baltijos
Bandužiai
Barškiai
Dauguliai
Debrecenas
Eglė
Gandrališkės
Giruliai
Kauno
Kopgalis
Laukininkai
Lypkiai
Mažasis Kaimelis
Melnragė
Miško rajonas
Naujakiemis
Pempininkai
Rimkai
Sendvaris
Smeltė
Smiltynė
Sportininkų
Sudmantai
Tauralaukis
Trinyčiai
Virkučiai
Šauliai
Švyturio
Žardė
Žvejybos uosto rajonas
Port of Klaipėda
The annual port cargo handling capacity is up to 40 million tons. The port operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all-year round.Points of historical interest
Klaipėda's main attractions are the historic buildings in the city's centre, dating from the 13th to 18th centuries. Other places of interest include:
The Žardė ancient settlement, situated on the right bank of the Smiltelė River. It is dated to the late Iron Age (10th century), and was inhabited until the 16th century.
The remnants of the so-called 'Netherlands|Dutch' defence system around the entire town from the 17th-18th centuries.
The maritime museum in Fort Wilhelm, built at the end of the 19th century at the spike of the Curonian Spit.Infrastructure
Notable buildings
Transportation
Klaipeda's public transport is very logical and comfortable for travelling because of its georafical peculiarity, the city is very enlarged from north to south.
6 - From south citys microdistrict to Melnragė|Melnragė;
3 - From Žvejybos uostas|Žvejybos uostas to (Klaipėda's southwest;
The special routes 1, 1A, 12, and 19 carry workers to the biggest harbour enterprises.Attractions and points of interest
Cinemas
4D Theatre
Cinamon (theatre)|CinamonTheatres
Klaipėdos Muzikinis Teatras
Klaipėdos Dramos TeatrasMuseums
Pilies muziejus
Mažosios Lietuvos istorijos muziejus
Kalvystės muziejus
Lietuvos jūrų muziejus ir delfinariumas
Laikrodžių muziejus
Kuršių nerijos nacionalinio parko Gamtos muziejus
Klaipėdos Vytauto Didžiojo gimnazijos gamtos apsaugos muziejusShopping centers
Akropolis opened in late 2005. The 2-story Klaipėdos Akropolis encompasses 76,700 square meters of retail. It is the biggest shopping mall in the city.
BIG, opened in 2004
Arena, opened in 2005. The third largest shopping centre in Klaipėda.Sports
}Media
Radio
Radijas 9 91,4 FM
Laluna (radio)|Laluna 94,9 FM
Vox Maris 99 FM
Kelyje 99,8 FM
Vakarų FM 100,4 FM
Raduga (radio)|Raduga 100,8 FM Television
Balticum TV, Analog television|Analog, Digital terrestrial television|Digital Newspapers
Vakarų ekspresas
Klaipeda (newspaper)|Klaipėda Famous residents of Klaipėda
Michael Wohlfahrt (1687-1741), religious leader in Pennsylvania
Friedrich Wilhelm Argelander (1799-1875), astronomer
Immanuel Kant's grandfather and father
Yisrael Salanter (1810-1883), founder of Musar movement within Judaism
Julius Kröhl (1820-1867), US submarine pioneer
George Adomeit (1879-1967), painter
Dietmar Willoweit (born 1936) president of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences
Tomas Venclova (born 1937), poet and author
Lena Valaitis (born 1943), pop singer
Hans Henning Atrott (born 1944), philosopher and pro-euthanasia activist
Eurelijus Žukauskas (born 1973) Europe basketball champion
Saulius Štombergas (born 1973)Europe basketball champion
Arvydas Macijauskas (born 1980) Europe basketball champion
Tomas Vaitkus (born 1982), cycling championSister cities and areas