Palanga Overview

With the country’s largest botanical park, over 20km of shoreline, and exuberant nightlife, Palanga (pop. 20,000) is the hottest summer spot in Lithuania. The beach and the pier are the main attractions, but Palanga’s pride and joy is the Amber Museum (Gintaro Muziejus), housed in a mansion in the tranquil   Botanical Gardens. The collection includes 15,000 pieces of the petrified resin—known as “Baltic Gold”—with primeval flora and fauna trapped inside. (☎460 51319; www.pgm.lt. Open daily June-Aug. 10am-12:30pm and 1:30-7pm; Sept.-May 11am-4:30pm. 5Lt, students 2.50Lt.) Liukrena , Vytauto 93a, has a homey feel in a quiet neighborhood. (☎460 52521. Bike rentals available. Internet available for a fee. Singles May-June 75Lt, July-Aug. 110Lt; doubles 145/350Lt. Prices roughly half in winter.) Further down Vytauto, cafes and restaurants abound. The street runs parallel to the shore and passes the bus station, as well as the pedestrian thoroughfare J. Basanavičiaus, perpendicular to Vytauto. Buses (☎460 533 33) or microbuses from Klaipėda (30min., 2 per hr., 4-5Lt) arrive at Kretinjos 1. The tourist office to the right of the station books private rooms by email. (☎460 45005. Open M-F 9am-5pm, Sa 10am-2pm, Su 1-5pm.)