Nida Off The Beaten Path

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During the Soviet era the Curonian Spit was more or less off limits to foreigners because of its potential military significance.

It was mainly only communist officials who were allowed to take their holidays here. The function was probably more for the purposes of observing the activities of its own citizens than to keep enemies away

Directions:
The Old Soviet watchtower is situated on the dune of the Baltic sea beach. If you head west from Nida's town center you will reach the Baltic coastline after about 500 m and you will definitely see the watchtower.

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On one rainy day we decided to take a walk from Nida along the beach to the border zone to Russia. One half of the 98 km long Curonian Spit belongs to Lithuania whereas the other half belongs to the Russian exclave Kaliningrad. Nida is located only about 3 km north of the border.

So we headed of to the Baltic Sea side of the Curonian Spit and walked along the beach until we eventually saw the Russian border sign which warns in various languages:

State border protection zone
Enter only upon authorisation by
state border guard service

Of course there is not too much to see, but at least we could spot a Russian watchtower in the distance.

I must admit that I got the idea for this walk from King_Golo's Nida page .

Ok, so this is not really a tourist attraction. There's nothing to see except a sign that tells you to stop unless you want to be in trouble with the Russian border guards... But it's a special experience to step into Russia and out again!
The Curonian Spit's southern part belongs to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, so that you have to cross an international border if you want to enter it. You'll also need a visa. Don't mess with the border guards, I suppose that they are not very pleased with tourists trying to enter Russia illegally just to see how far they can go.
VT member HORSCHECK has also been there 'n' done that. And he's just admitted that he "stole" the idea from me... ;)

The Valley of Death is located just south of Nida, between two big dunes. The name came around as a result of a prison camp being built here during the Prusso-French War in 1870-71. The Germans built this camp as a reaction to the French camps in North Africa. Many a French soldier is said to have died in this valley.

This is an area that you would have to know to find, so pay good attention so you done miss. It is on this island...I love the stories that the Lithuanian people tell...for this island it goes like this.
People have long been trying to solve the enigma how did the sand bank appear? Legend narrates that this place was covered with water from which a chain of the islands protruded. On the one of them a golden-haird girl was born having name Neringa (old Lithuanian name) The girl grew into a giant and helped people in all kinds of ways: to fishermen who had been carried far away from the shore, drove fish into their nets and so on...Once the god (little "g") of sea, Bangputys, became so enraged that the sea was stormy for entire year. The people began to ask Neringa to protect them from the furious waves. Neringa listened to them and began to scoop sand into her apron and pour it between the islands. This is how she make the embankment, with even today separates the sea from the peaceful bay, where fishermen can catch fish without fearing to be pulled into the deep sea.