Ännchen statue
The girl from Dach's poem atop the fountain.
Barnos — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Andrzej Otrębski — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Daniel Cox — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Patrik Nylin — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kusurija — CC BY-SA 3.0
Theatre Square is the heart of the old town in Klaipėda, Lithuania's port on the Baltic. The red and white front of the Klaipėda Drama Theatre faces onto it, with a fountain topped by the statue of a girl at the centre, and it is where most visitors start their walk. The fountain was installed in 1912 in memory of Simon Dach (1605-1659), a poet born in Klaipėda and a professor at Königsberg. On top stands the figure named Ännchen von Tharau, the girl who inspired Dach's famous love poem, which became a well-known folk song. The statue disappeared after the Second World War and was put back on the square in 1989. You find a cobbled square framed by buildings of different styles, with the ornate theatre front before you and a relief of the poet on the fountain's column. The square hosts markets and seasonal events, and lanes lead off towards the Danė River, past half-timbered houses and small cafes. The square lies about 2.2 km from the Lithuanian Sea Museum in a straight line, on the far side of the strait. It is open at all hours and half an hour is enough, but it makes a good starting point for walking the old town. The cobbles can be slippery in rain, so wear comfortable shoes.
The girl from Dach's poem atop the fountain.
An ornate red and white facade.
Half-timbered houses towards the Danė.
Teatro aikštė, Old Town, Klaipėda, Lithuania
Ännchen von Tharau, who inspired the famous love poem by Simon Dach.
Walk the old town lanes towards the Danė, and you can cross the strait to the Sea Museum.