Wellbeing Experiences of the Lithuanian Indian Summer

The central part of Palanga is well suited for cycling, especially in autumn, when there are no more holidaymakers. The length of Palanga bicycle paths reaches 40km, they are stretched all over the resort. After the hustle and bustle of the season, it is time for a quiet rest and rich leisure time in Palanga. In autumn, you can stay in Palanga much cheaper than in the heat of the season, avoid crowds, noise, congestion and feel part of nature rather than crowds. Iodine-rich air and active leisure at the seaside not only improves mood but also wellbeing. Autumn is a great time to get to know historic Palanga. Guests of the resort are offered to visit the most popular places – the Amber Museum, Birutė Hill with a chapel, the park of Tiškevičiai Palace, the restored Kurhaus. Palanga Amber Museum is a division of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art. Year 2011 a new exhibition has been opened in the museum, which contains 5 000 exhibits presenting Baltic gold from its origin and distribution to its application in traditional culture and jewellery. Various artistic events also attract visitors to the museum. In the fireplace art, prominent artists give concerts of classical and jazz music.

The Winnetou village is also accessible by bicycle from Palanga (ca. 12 km riding a bike path and a gravel road from Palanga).The Winnetou Village is an open-air living history museum, cherishing the traditions of the First Nations of North America in a picturesque Dangė-Akmena river valley near Klaipėda. Ancient drums roar here, mystical totemic pillars loomg in the sky, and labyrinths of stones lead to the answers to the most critical questions of life.The Winnetou Village is a destination of active and sustainable leisure. The guests live in authentic tipis or wooden houses, eat healthy, blessed food, bathe in an outdoor bath, and discover freedom by riding a kayak and lighting up an inner creative spark while making music and handicrafts. Getting to know the rich, legendary culture, history, customs and wisdom of life of the First Nations, reviving love and respect for Mother Earth, Father Heaven, everything around us, and feeling the vibrations of one’s soul are at the heart of educational, experiential tours for groups of children and adults. Regular rituals, nature festivals, camps and festivals are held in the village on various occasions. A museum of the First Nations is also located in the Winnetou Village, showcasing the handicrafts, arts and jewellery, ancient weapons, trophies, totem poles, musical instruments, clothing and decoration details, old photographs, paintings and other artefacts. The guests can also enjoy inipi – the bath of the First Nations and its benefits to the health, including a sweat cleansing ceremony.

Karkelbeck No. 409 homestead is also accessible by bicycle from Palanga (ca. 15 km riding a bike path) and from Klaipeda (ca. 11 km riding a bike path)Karkelbeck No. 409 wellbeing homestead is located on the Baltic Sea coast, next to the Olandų Kepurė cliff. Peace awaits the guests with the sea rustling through an open window, a Lithuanian meadow, an old forest, the white waves and sand of the Baltic beach, the healing blue clay. The homestead offers pre-ordered therapies for groups, families and for a single person: amber and sound therapy with sounding bowls; dance movement and sound therapy; fractal drawing; collecting of healing herbs (depending on the season). Massages: amber, Ayurvedic, Shiatsu, Baltic with tree sticks. The owners of the homestead organize the sessions according to the season.For those who long for silence, silence therapy is offered. The fall, spring or winter season is recommended, but this type of therapy is also available in summer. Upon the request of guests, the hosts will only use body language and leave notes. When words fall silent, nature and the heart speak.Walking along the seaside. Motion is life, and walking along the coast is a great wellbeing activity, especially in the early fall, when the seaside air is rich in iodine, or in the spring, when the waking nature spreads its healing ethers abundantly, or in the winter, when the frozen air is so clean and full of the sea smell.

Karkle Beach is also accessible by bicycle from Palanga (ca. 15 km riding a bike path) and from Klaipeda (ca. 11 km riding a bike path).The inhabitants of the Baltic coast have long cherished the gift of the sea – amber, equating it with gold. Many believed and still believe that amber has a magical power to protect against evil. Smelling amber is traditionally used to treat respiratory diseases and ear pain. A sore throat starting with the flu is treated by hanging a whitish amber necklace around the neck. Nowadays, new types of amber therapy are becoming popular: massage with large pieces of amber, pillows filled with small pieces of amber and mattresses.The largest amber deposits in the world are located on the southern Baltic coast, on the Sambian Peninsula, in Kaliningrad Oblast of the Russian Federation. For millennia, waves have eroded the amber layers of the Sambian Peninsula, and longshore currents carried pieces of amber along the southern Baltic coasts. During a storm, waves wash pieces of amber ashore, but for an inexperienced visitor, the chances of spotting a piece of amber on the beach are pretty slim. So Igoris Osnač, an experienced professional guide in the Karklė village, organizes excursions where he teaches how to catch amber and use it as a traditional healing agent. Because amber has a similar density to water, there is a greater chance of catching amber during colder periods, when amber is more easily washed ashore.An amber catching excursion on the Karkle beach is especially valuable for welbeing tourism. It is a unique outdoor leisure activity that includes all the necessary elements of wellbeing tourism: a sustainable lifestyle, physical, mental and spiritual harmony, active recreation, and a relationship with oneself, others, community and nature.

One of the most important migration routes for birds in the Northern Hemisphere stretches along the shores of the Baltic Sea. The Eastern Atlantic flyway runs along the entire Lithuanian Baltic Sea and Curonian Lagoon coast, including Cape Ventė. In the autumn, the cape is teaming with southbound migratory birds – cranes, geese, ducks. Up to half a million birds fly over the cape in one day. Therefore, a birdwatch station on Cape Ventė was established in 1929, just six years after the Klaipėda region was annexed to the Republic of Lithuania. The station was established on the initiative of the most famous Lithuanian naturalist, professor Tadas Ivanauskas. The most intensive migration takes place in Cape Ventė in September and the first two weeks of October, but in the second half of October, there are still large flocks of migratory birds.Common cranes are grey in colour but have very graceful memorable body shapes. They are somewhat reminiscent of white storks but are larger and more graceful birds. Grey cranes are probably the most attractive migratory birds in Lithuania for birdwatchers. Most grey cranes nesting in Lithuania return to this country by the end of March and leave it from mid-September to mid-October. Spring migration takes place over a wider area, making it difficult to watch. Meanwhile, the southbound grey cranes mainly follow the seaside and the lagoon coast, and with their specific flight, graceful descent at dusk and their particular sounds bring delight to all the more attentive and curious coastal visitors.After admiring the flocks of cranes and other migratory birds in the sunset on the Curonian Lagoon, staying on the lagoon coast for dinner and overnight is best. The principles and criteria of wellbeing are best met by Šturmų švyturys, a villa and restaurant whose hosts serve local fish caught in the Curonian Lagoon and other regional products. Everything inside the restaurant facilitates the enjoyment of peace, the dishes’ unique flavours, and a ubiquitous silence or the crackling fire sounds from the cosy fireplace.

Neringa seaside resort is famous far outside Lithuania for the Baltic Sea beaches. They are some of the cleanest and broadest sandy beaches in the entire Baltic Sea Region. Not surprisingly, the beaches of Neringa are regularly listed among the TOP 100 best beaches in the world in various selections (by Lonely Planet, The Sunday Times, TripAdvisor, etc.) along with beaches in Brazil, Australia and other exotic destinations.These are very wide, clean and medium-grained sandy beaches stretching for almost 50 km along the Baltic Sea on the Curonian Spit, ideal for passive and active leisure. Contrary to our beliefs, sandy beaches are not very widespread in the world. Gravel or pebble beaches are more common yet less attractive for leisure than clean, wide sandy beaches are.Another unique feature of the beaches of Neringa is that they are backed by a high protective dune ridge with natural “solariums” interlaced with fences, where holidaymakers can enjoy the seaside on windy but sunny days in compliance with the requirements of nature protection.

In addition to its idyllic tranquillity, Neringa can offer a physically active outdoor leisure side too. Besides sailing on the lagoon or jogging along the sea, Neringa provides plenty of opportunities for hiking and Nordic walking in the forests and the dunes. Neringa has long been considered a mecca for orienteers. International orienteering competitions are often held here. More than ten years ago, Nordic walking became popular in Neringa as well. Nordic walking can be practised by non-sports people as a health-promoting physical activity. Nordic walking requires special walking sticks similar to ski poles. Nordic walking in Neringa is an excellent form of physically active leisure for people looking for fun and health benefits, combining these benefits simply with the bliss of being in the open air and enjoying the most beautiful Lithuanian landscape. Nordic walking sticks can be rented at many holiday homes in Neringa.More and more people are discovering this form of active leisure as a superb form of active leisure, wellbeing and health promotion, suitable for people of all ages. Self-guided nature trails, the coastal promenade, forest trails on the Curonian Spit are ideal places for Nordic walking. The Nordic way of walking is much more efficient than normal walking without sticks because the upper part of the body is also “employed”. If a walker is appropriately dressed, Nordic walking can be practised in any weather, at any time of the year, by walking on forest trails, the seaside or the lagoon coast.In Nida, holidaymakers are offered two signposted Nordic walking routes: Green route (ca. 4 km) and Red route (ca. 6 km). The Green route stretches in the forests over the Urbo Hill and Parnidis dune observation deck and returns along the Parnidis Bay to the centre of Nida. The Red route winds through the woods over the Angių Hill towards the seaside. From there, it returns to the centre of Nida along the Parnidis Bay.