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The landscape of the Curonian Spit was 960 plant species grow in the Curonian Spit, For over five thousand years the tide of most devastated in the 17th and 18th of which 27 are on the Red List of Lithuania. the Baltic Sea has been washing up a strip centuries, especially during the Seven Years Nowhere else in Lithuania with the of sand in the west of Lithuania thus War (1756–1763), when the forests were exception of the Curonian Spit can one find separating the waters of the River Nemunas cleared indiscriminately. The lumber was the sea holly, cross-leaved heath, early hair- from the sea. A line of high sand dunes used for the construction of fortresses and grass or creeping twinflower. The plants here rises here, called today the Curonian Spit. ships and for the production of tar and are adapted to the specific conditions: the It stretches for about 98 kilometres, coal. The Curonian Spit was gradually neighbouring sea and lagoon, strong winds, measuring some 4 kilometres at the widest becoming a sandy wasteland. By early 19th sudden and frequent weather changes. century only two small forest regions near About 70 per cent of the Curonian Spit is place near Nida and shrinking to a mere Juodkrantë and Nida, now called “old covered with forests with ample wildlife. 370 metres at the narrowest spot near growth forests”, had survived. The wind An important intercontinental spring and Ðarkuva. The western coast is rather was fast eroding the thin soil layer and straight and sandy, only slightly bent, while blowing off the sand of the old dunes. The Great Dune Ridge is the largest relief the eastern coastline, on the contrary, is a New mountains of sand were creeping formation on the Curonian Spit, rugged one with numerous horns and bays. inland burying the old fishermen’s villages stretching along its eastern side from the Since the very first days of its birth a fierce underneath. In less than 200 years 14 North to the South. While the average fight of wind, waves and plants has raged villages were covered with sand and people height of the ridge is approximately 30 here. The wind did not face any major were forced to move from place to place. metres, some dunes are twice as high. Most resistance from the plants and pushed the The village of Senieji Nagliai was thus of the Great Ridge is overgrown with sand inland. Parabolic dunes began to form forced to move four times. It was only in forests. Stretches of drifting dunes remain in elevated places, expanding and merging the middle of the 19th century that the only between Pervalka and Juodkrantë and as they moved east, and grew into long reinforcement and reforestation of the near Nida–Grobðtas Horn. The latter is chains of dunes. In this way the great dune drifting dunes was undertaken. Guided by the most beautiful and grandiose on the ridge of the Curonian Spit emerged, yet Danish and German experts, the local Curonian Spit. The horn, or lagoon sand the idyll did not last long. Old layers of Curonians engaged in new activities, such plain is the flatland between the Great forest soil found under the sand show that as planting grass to hold up the sand, Dune Ridge and the lagoon. In many places the forests of the Spit vanished regularly, making brushwood fences, reinforcing the it is overgrown with forests, while a grassy devastated by fires and buried by the sand, great dunes. All along the coastline the terrain dominates in open spaces. recovering time and again. wind, tide and human hands formed a protective foredune ridge. This time a well- planned human action against the elements created a new landscape of the Curonian Spit, the one we admire today. The following geomorphological forms autumn bird migration route passes over the can be distinguished on the way from the Curonian Spit, with millions of birds flying sea to the lagoon: the seaside beach with over it each year. Rare protected bird species a foredune ridge; the spit, or sea sand plain; breed on the Spit. the Great Dune Ridge; horn, or lagoon The Curonian Spit was divided by history sand plain, and lagoon beach. The spit, or sea sand plain is a flat terrain between the foredune ridge and the Great Dune Ridge. into two nearly equal parts. The southern Curonian Spit is Juodkrantë (population part belongs to the Russian Federation, 650) situated on the coast of the Curonian COIN DEDICATED TO THE CURONIAN SPIT LITHUANIAN where the national part Kurshskaya Kosa Lagoon at the foot of parabolic dunes. The (UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE) has been established. The northern part, place looks very dark when viewed from with the National Park of the Curonian the Lagoon at dusk, which gave rise to its COLLECTORS Spit established in 1991, is in Lithuania. name (Dark Coast). The settlement is Silver Ag 925 The Park includes two nature reservations: famous for its Amber Bay where Quality proof Grobðtas reservation near the Russian approximately an average of 75 tonnes of Diameter 38.61mm COINS border (northern slope of Sklandytojø amber per year were excavated in 1860– Weight 28.28 g (Gliders) Dune), and Nagliai reservation 1890. Prior to World War II Juodkrantë The edge of the coin features patterns from the emblem of Neringa (dead, or grey, dunes between Juodkrantë and Smiltynë. Nida is the largest of them was a resort of the European level, and today the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea was set Designed by Rytas Jonas Belevièius (population 1700). For the first time the up in 1994. Liudvikas Stulpinas (1871– and Pervalka). Four landscape reserves it is famous for its Witches Hill. It was in Mintage 2000 pcs should be singled out: Parnidis, Karvaièiai, name of Nida was mentioned in the 1979–1981 that folk artists and wood 1934), the first Lithuanian sea captain, is “The Curonian Spit is such a Issued 2004 Juodkrantë and Lapnugaris. The Curonian documents of the Teutonic Order in 1385. carvers came here during the summer and buried in the Kopgalis cemetery. peculiar place that one must Spit contains numerous objects of natural Three former villages – Purvynë, made 71 oak sculptures of witches, devils While talking about the Curonian Spit, and historical heritage. Natural Skruzdynë and Nida – make up the and heroes of the legends of the Spit. one should not fail to mention the absolutely see it to give pleasure monuments include six dunes, Raganø settlement of Nida today. The pride of Preila is the third largest settlement weathervanes that once decorated the (Witches) and Urbas hills, Lydumas Horn Nida is the Parnidis Dune (height 52 (population 200). It was established masts of the blunt-bowed kurënas boats. to one’s soul, as one should see and a marl lagoonal ooze at the foot of metres) featuring magnificent views of the between Preila and Oþkø (Goats) horns in In 1844, the Karaliauèius Fishing Italy or Spain”. Parnidis Dune. Objects of cultural heritage Baltic Sea, the Curonian Lagoon and the 1836–1843 by the people of Nagliø and Inspection introduced a system of special include the churches of Nida and Sklandytojø Dune. The ethnographic Karvaièiø villages that had been buried by signs to facilitate fishing control in the Juodkrantë and several dozen of old cemetery of Nida next to the Evangelical the sand. To the south of Preila is the highest Curonian Lagoon. A two-feet long and Information is available at the W. von Humboldt Bank of Lithuania fishermen’s houses. Most of such houses Lutheran Church is remarkable for its (67.2 metres) dune of the Curonian Spit one-foot wide weathervane, a plate Tel. (370 ~ 5) 268 03 16 are listed in the register of cultural real original grave markers called krikðtas. They called Vecekrugas, or the Old Inn Dune. painted in black and white quadrangles, Fax (370 ~ 5) 268 03 14 estate values. Also, the old part of Nida represent one of the oldest forms of grave Pervalka is the smallest settlement of the and a white or red pennant had to be www.lb.lt with several dozen old fishermen’s houses markers of the 19th–20th century in Spit with a mere 50 permanent residents. fixed to the boat mast. The ornamentation has been proclaimed an urban reservation. Lithuania. The peculiar nature of the It is believed that the name of the fishing and patterns indicated the village of the There are five settlements on the Curonian Curonian Spit and its peacefulness has long village originated from the action of owner of the kurënas, how many boats, The coin was minted at the state enterprise Lithuanian Mint Spit: Nida, Preila, Pervalka, Juodkrantë attracted eminent people. In 1930–1935 dragging boats. Like Preila, the settlement and houses he owned and how big his www.lithuanian-mint.lt Tomas Mann, writer and Nobel Prize was established by the population of the family was. winner, spend his summers in the villa here. sand-buried Nagliø and Karvaièiø villages The Curonian Spit, this exceptional Today the villa houses a memorial museum in 1884. In 1975, the folk artist Eduardas creation of man and nature located in the Lithuanian Collectors Coins and Tomas Mann Culture Centre. The Jonuðas made a sculpture dedicated to territory of the Republic of Lithuania and © Lietuvos bankas, 2004 lighthouse of Nida, one of the highest (29.3 Liudvikas Rëza, the folklorist, poet and the Russian Federation, by the decision Published by the Bank of Lithuania, Gedimino pr. 6, LT-01103 Vilnius, Lithuania metres) and most important lighthouses first publisher of the Seasons by Kristijonas of the UNESCO World Heritage Printed by the UAB “Baltijos kopija”, Kareiviø g.

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