Mažoji Lietuva (literally Little Lithuania, the former Memelland) lies in Lithuania. Sometimes it becomes Žemaitija counted.
Regions
This historical region includes parts of the Klaipėda and Tauragė districts. You can see the landscape of the city Klaipeda and the Curonian Spit differ from the rest of the area.
places
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The biggest places are:
The old German names are given in brackets.
Also of interest to tourists are:
- Nida (Nidden) on the Curonian Spit
- Rusnė (Soot)
- Minija (Minge) - small but pretty place at the mouth of the river of the same name into the Memel Delta
Other goals
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- The 1 Curonian Spit with the National Park "Kuršių Nerija," recognized as UNESCO World Natural Heritage. This is undoubtedly the most important tourist destination in the area and described in its own article.
- The 2 Windenburger Eck (lit .: Ventės ragas) is a headland on the delta of the Memel estuary. There is a lighthouse from the 19th century and an ornithological station. It is often referred to as the oldest ornithological station in Europe. There is a museum building there.
- Rambynas Mountain is an ancient Lithuanian sanctuary.
background
Politically, the area did not become Lithuanian until after World War I, except for a brief period when the Lithuanian state was formed in the 13th century. In the meantime it was under German rule (first German Order, later Prussia). This political division resulted in the distinction between large and small Lithuania. With the exception of the city of Memel, the majority of the population remained Lithuanian. Traditionally, Mažoji Lietuva also includes the area south of the Memel (without a clearly defined southern border), where there was a strong Lithuanian minority until World War II. Mažoji Lietuva plays an important role in the preservation of the Lithuanian language and the development of Lithuanian literature, since in Greater Lithuania (Didžoji Lietuva) during the period of Polish domination, Lithuanian was oppressed and despised, and even banned from the public under the subsequent Russian rule was. Until 1904, books in Latin script were banned and smuggled out of Mažoji Lietuva.
language
The official language and predominant in public life is Lithuanian, as it is in the rest of Lithuania. Compared to most of the rest of the country, there is a stronger Russian minority. Knowledge of German is much more widespread than in the rest of Lithuania. Otherwise, the same applies to communication as in the entire country.
getting there
Often you will arrive in Klaipėda, see there for details. You can also drive along the Memel from Kaunas by bus or car.
mobility
The main traffic axis is the Klaipėda - Šilutė - Jurbarkas - Kaunas road, which is also used by regular buses. Otherwise there is no public transport outside of the Klaipėda region and the spit, apart from individual bus trips that are geared towards school and commuter traffic.
Tourist Attractions
Outside of the separately described destinations "Curonian Spit" and "Klaipėda" are worth mentioning:
In Šilutė:
- Protestant church. Viewing is possible. The church is generally closed, but there are places where you can ask for opening, including the diaconal station behind the church. With luck, you can also get a German-speaking tour.
- H. Scheu's manor house with museum
- Former court (prison during the Hitler and Stalin times, now a vocational school)
In Uostadvaris near Rusnė there is a listed pumping station and a lighthouse.
