Sunset from the pier
The sun sinks into the sea straight ahead.
Michael Kuhn — CC BY 4.0 · Michael Kuhn — CC BY 4.0 · Andrzej Otrębski — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Andrzej Otrębski — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Andrzej Otrębski — CC BY-SA 4.0
Palanga Pier is a long wooden walkway running 470 m into the Baltic Sea and the symbol of Lithuania's largest and busiest summer resort. People gather on it every evening to watch the sunset, and before it stretches a sandy beach 18 km long and up to 300 m wide. At the end of the 19th century, the Counts Tiškevičius ruled Palanga and wanted a dock for ships carrying bricks from their brickyard. It was built between 1884 and 1888, and the vessel Phoenix sailed from it to Klaipėda and Liepāja. When the brick trade failed, the pier became a place for walks. The present 470 m pier went up in 1998. You walk on wooden boards between blue railings and tall lamps, and the view widens as you leave the shore until the resort and its pine forest sit behind you. The far end draws anglers, couples and photographers, and on clear evenings the sun sinks into the water straight ahead. In winter the scene changes completely, with wind and ice along the beach. The pier lies about 24.2 km from Klaipėda in a straight line and 1.5 km from the Palanga Amber Museum. It gets very crowded at sunset in July and August, so go early to find a spot near the end. Bring a jacket even in summer, as the wind over the sea is cold, and watch children near the edges.
The sun sinks into the sea straight ahead.
A walkway with blue railings over the water.
18 km of sand along the shore.
End of J. Basanavičiaus g., Palanga, Lithuania
No, the pier is open around the clock and free to enter.
At sunset in July and August, so go early for a spot near the end.
