Klaipeda Old Town and Castle Sightseeing
Klaipėda was known as Memel until 1923 and again from 1939 to 1945, and the old street grid, red-brick warehouses and half-timbered houses still show it. The centre is compact and flat. Prices are 2026 figures in euros.
Klaipėda Castle and the Castle Museum
The Teutonic Order founded Memelburg Castle here in 1252, at the mouth of the Danė. The masonry above ground was taken down long ago, but the earthwork bastions and brick passages survive. The Castle Museum at Priešpilio g. 2 occupies the site, and it includes the Museum 39/45, an exposition about the Second World War years in the city. Tickets are EUR 6, or EUR 3 reduced. The History Museum at Didžioji Vandens g. 2 costs EUR 4 or EUR 2, and the Blacksmith’s Museum at Šaltkalvių g. 2 costs EUR 3 or EUR 1.50. A joint ticket for all three is EUR 9, or EUR 4.50 reduced. The Sculpture Park is free, and so is the Resistance and Deportation exposition if you visit unguided.
Hours are 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:30. From 15 June to 16 September the museums are open Wednesday to Sunday, and from 17 September to 14 June Tuesday to Saturday. They close on state holidays. The ticket page lists current prices.
The Old Town
The Old Town lies south of the Danė, laid out on a rectangular grid in the 17th century. Look for half-timbered warehouses, brick buildings and cobbled lanes. Small bronze sculptures are scattered through the streets.
Theatre Square and Ännchen von Tharau
Theatre Square sits beside the Drama Theatre. The fountain honours Simon Dach, the baroque poet born in Memel, and his poem Ännchen von Tharau. The fountain dates from 1912, and the figure standing in it now is a reconstruction from around 1990. It is free and can be seen at any time of day.
Meridianas
Meridianas is a wooden three-masted barque built in Turku, Finland, in 1948, moored on the Danė. It houses a restaurant and is a landmark to look at from the quay.
Clock and Watch Museum
At Liepų g. 12, this museum costs EUR 5, or EUR 2.50 reduced. It is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10:00 to 18:00, Thursday 12:00 to 20:00 and Sunday 10:00 to 16:00, and it is closed on Mondays and public holidays. See the museum visiting page .
Across the water at Kopgalis
The Lithuanian Sea Museum is on the Curonian Spit at Kopgalis, and the ferry is the only way across. Take the Old Ferry from E. Galvanausko bul. 1, which costs EUR 1.70 round trip. The museum is about 1.6 km from the ferry landing.
Views from the Northern Pier
The Northern Pier at Melnragė is a long breakwater with views of ships entering the harbour. Stay off the wet boulders, and do not swim from it.
Read more: Walking tours in Klaipėda links these sights into a route.
Booking help
City sightseeing tours can be compared on Viator .