Juodkrantė (literally: Black Shore) is a seaside resort town in Lithuania Minor, with a permanent population of about 720. It is the second largest settlement on the Lithuanian side of the Curonian Spit.

Understand

Resort houses in Juodkrantė

For centuries it was a fishing village, changing hands between Lithuania and Prussia. In the late 1800s it underwent a tourist boom, and became a destination known for the refreshing beach and forest. You can still see some resort houses preserved from this era. It's now a nice place for a day trip (for Lithuanians and tourists alike). While it has more visitors than the average Lithuanian town, it's way less of a hot-spot than Nida, further down the Spit.

See

1979 sculpture "Lucifer and the gates of hell" by Raimundas and Anicentas Puškorius

• 1 The Hill of Witches (Raganų kalnas). An outdoor sculpture gallery on a forested sand dune about 0.5 km west of the Curonian Lagoon, on the Lithuanian Seaside Cycle Route. Begun in 1979, it has been expanded several times, and now contains about 80 wooden sculptures along with a series of trails. The artists drew on a long tradition of woodcarving in Samogitia, and on the equally long tradition of Joninės celebrations on the hill. The pieces depict characters from Lithuanian folklore and pagan traditions. Woodcarving symposia are held at the park on a regular basis, and new works are added. Free.  
• Sculpture park "Land and Water". Another sculpture park that houses 31 stone and metal sculptures created during an international symposium "Land and Water." The sculptures are located on the quay, 2.4 km in length, along the lagoon shore. A Weathervane gallery (Vėtrungių galerija) is maintained by Daiva and Remigijus Žadeikiai. The gallery has information on the Nerija cultural heritage. There is also a gallery maintained by the Lithuanian National Art Museum. 
• Heron and cormorant colonies. There are large great cormorant (2000 pairs) and grey heron (500 pairs) colonies west of Juodkrantė. It is believed that the herons have nested near Juodkrantė since 17th century, but the cormorants arrived only at the beginning of 19th century. The cormorants were exterminated at the end of the 19th century due to Prussian administration regulations but started to reappear in the 1970s. The large cormorant colony has damaged the old and fragile forest because the birds' excrement burns tree roots. 

Do

• Kitesurfing and indsurfing. Juodkrantė is one of the best kitesurfing anr windsurfing spots and kite flying beaches in Lithuania. It is open to all wind directions. The Curonian lagoon side is also great for snowkiteboarding. 
• Sailing. Juodkrantė is on inland waterway from Nida to Klaipėda. There are two piers in Juodkrantė for yachts and boats. A yacht club is under development. 
• Paragliding. Juodkrantė is a place of choice for eastern winds. Paragliding sand dune site is south-east from town. Western side - beach dunes are hard to fly. 

Go next

To the north the majority of the Spit is just park, and the ferry connection back to Klaipėda. To the south is the only other town on the Lithuanian side of the Spit, Nida. Nida is larger than Juodkrantė, so finding places to stay and things to do will definitely be easier.