Observation decks near the Russian border on the Curonian Spit offer glimpses of a similarly forested landscape, punctuated by watchtowers. This stark reality underscores the pervasive nature of border enforcement, even in areas promoted for leisure and natural beauty.
Lithuania's popular beach resort, Palanga, draws holidaymakers to its Baltic coast with sandy white beaches and a 19th-century L-shaped pier. The town's central beach is crowded, featuring a kitsch promenade and historic wooden buildings replaced by brash signage and raucous entertainment venues.
Borders and Surveillance
The wealthy Tiškevičiai family transformed Palanga into a seaside resort about 170 years ago. Today, a bronze sculpture of Feliksas Tiškevičius stands outside the botanical garden, a site holding thousands of prehistoric exhibits.
Luxury defines parts of the Palanga experience; a 500-metre walk through aromatic pine forest leads to an uncrowded beach section. Here, €75 secures all-day use of a curtained cabana, complete with a bottle of prosecco and a mountain of ice-cream. This price is noted as less than half the cost for just a bed on the Greek island of Mykonos.
Further south, the Curonian Spit, described as Lithuania’s more untamed side, is a protected 61-mile stretch of dense forest and Blue Flag beaches. Access to this area is via the modern port city of Klaipėda, a half-hour drive away.
Trains run to Klaipėda from Vilnius, and the electrification of the train line next year will reduce the 205-mile journey time by 30 minutes to four hours. This infrastructure development facilitates internal movement within the EU, contrasting sharply with the external border fortifications.
Movement, Natural and Criminalized
The Curonian Spit is a vital migratory path for millions of birds, including peregrine falcons and red kites. Though in high summer, mostly gulls and cormorants are seen, the shoulder seasons are busiest for birdwatchers, according to Angelina Ivanova from Nida’s tourism centre.
With water on both sides, sometimes separated by as little as 400 metres, the spit sustains these migratory birds and the fishing traditions that have shaped life there. Birds move freely across these natural and political boundaries, a stark contrast to the criminalisation of human movement across similar lines.
Skipper Aurelijus Armonavičius, on an evening trip in a traditional flat-bottomed fishing boat from Nida harbour, recounts the 18th-century felling of forests. This environmental destruction led to the slow burial of 14 villages and two cemeteries on the spit, a historical displacement echoing contemporary forced migrations.
Only the construction of a sand ridge and concerted reforestation efforts preserved the now Unesco-listed landscape. This human intervention highlights the fragility of environments and the impact of human activity on settlement.
Angelina Ivanova guides a bike trip to Vecekrugas Dune, the spit’s highest point at 67 metres above sea level. The flat landscape and pine needle-strewn paths make it accessible even for inexperienced cyclists, a freedom of movement rarely afforded to those seeking refuge.
Foraging, a beloved Baltic activity, is restricted in certain protected areas like the Nagliai nature reserve, about 11 miles from Nida. This regulation of access to natural resources further illustrates the control exerted over land and its use, mirroring broader border regimes.