Klaipėda is the third largest Lithuania’s city with 180,000 inhabitants. located in the Northwestern corner of the country. It is the only Lithuanian port, stopover point for cruise ships, and the gateway to the Curonian Spit, the pride of Lithuania. Klaipėda is the European Youth Capital 2021.

Its original German name Memel was adopted after Mēmele river. Mēmele means "calm", refering to the calm flow of this river. Its current name Klaipėda, is the name used by Samogitians and Lithuanians, meaning "low and flat ground".

Originally founded by Baltic tribes, the city was a stronghold of the Order of the Sword-holders Knights (1252), or Fratres militiae Christi, and later, an important center for German Baltic merchants. For most of its history, Memel was part of Germany. When the city belonged to the Prussian Kingdom became a prosperous harbour town. It was the northernmost German city until 1918. After the defeat of Germany in First World War, Memel was first given free city status and subsequently annexed to the newly established Republic of Lithuania.

The German past emerges from many features of its neo-gothic architecture. The historic center suffered several damages during the Second World War, but it was expertly rebuilt after the devastation of the conflict and Klaipėda today is a particularly interesting city for the liveliness of the old town.

Since Lithuanian independence in 1990, Klaipėda has become one of Lithuania's most buoyant cities with a steadily growing tourism. The city comes alive every summer thanks to the Jūros šventė, the festival of the sea, during which it celebrates the ancient maritime traditions of the city.

Tourist attraction

Klaipėda is known for its landmarks: the sculpture Annchen von Tarau, located in theater square, an old sailing ship "Meridianas" and the Fachwerk (German: half-timbered) architecture in the Old Town, typical of the German Hamburg and Bremen style. The main square (Teatro aikstė), dominated by the neoclassical Dramos teatras is adorned with monuments dedicated to illustrious figures of the city and by the fountain of the beautiful Anikė, a young girl to whom the German poet Simon Dach dedicated one of his most famous lyrics. Theater square has a balcony where Adolph Hitler used to speak to the crowd. Legend says that Hitler was annoyed because the statue of Anikė was not facing him, so he had the statue of the girl removed. A replica is now in its original place.

Among other tourist sites there are the remains of Klaipėda Castle. Built in 1253 by Teutonic Knights in a strategically important place of Courland, on the left bank of Danė river mouth, close to Klaipėda Channel, which connects the lagoon to the Baltic Sea. Many times destroyed and rebuilt, finally demolished in 1888, currently the site is undergoing gradual archaeological research.

Prince Friedrich and Prince Karl bastions. Two surviving 16-19th centuries bastions with its western part of curtain wall and fosse. Underground T-shaped posterns with cylindrical vaults connect the bastions to the castle courtyard.

City bastion complex. 17th century fortification objects constructed in accordance with the New Dutch system. Only the two Northern bastions are in relatively good shape. 

Klaipėda is also known for it many small sculptures (mouse, guard dog, dragon, chimney sweep, post pigeons, black ghost, foot prints and others) hiding in the old town. The most famous ones are the ghost and the dragon.

The Ghost

One of the most interesting sculptures in the city, a ghost who climbs from the river to the street, holding a lantern in his hand. According to legend, the black ghost was some kind of meddlesome jerk, who made his appearance in 1595, in front of the castle. Found by one of the patrol guards, she asked him if in his opinion the stocks of grain and timber would be sufficient for the year. The guard replied that they would surely be enough, but the black ghost replied that they would not be enough, and went off into the fog.

The Dragon

This steel sculpture represents a hollow dragon inside, a sort of pipe, When it rains the water escapes from the dragon's mouth falling on a human footprint. It is a reminder of a legend about the birth of Klaipeda. Two brothers, Deer and Wolf, were in search of a new place for their tribe. From the top of a hill they saw a suitable seaside and decided it was the perfect place, but they didn't agree on how to get there. Deer chose the longer but safer route, following a river, whilst Wolf chose a shorter but dangerous route, through the marshes. Only Deer arrived. While searching his brother in the swamps he found only an imprint of his foot. Hence the name Klaipeda (klaiki-scary: foot-foot).

The Port

The Port of Klaipeda is the leader among the ports of the Baltic States in terms of container handling. It is ice-free all over the year. Over 78% of the total cargo volumes are transported on rail. The container train Viking is an important and successful intermodal project. It is also a good example of cooperation between Lithuanian, Belorussian and Ukrainian railway companies and the ports of Klaipėda, Odessa and Chernomorsk (Ukraine).

As the Port of Klaipeda is situated at the crossroad of two international transport corridors, it serves as a bridge between the markets of the formet Soviet Union countries and the Asian region on the one hand, and the European Union and other markets on the other hand. The Port of Klaipeda lies closest to the ports in the North-West of Europe and Southern parts of Scandinavia.

Partner City of Odessa

Most relevant events of the partnership between the two ports of Baltic and Black Seas:

• October 2012. The International conference «Healthy Cities» took place in Klaipeda. Odessa represented Ukraine at the event, in the person of Prof. Igor Ratovskiy, Head Doctor of Odessa Municipal Health Center. Ratovskiy announced that “Odessa is about to join the WHO’s Healthy Cities European network”, thanks to its “Odessa 2022” Economical and Social Development Strategy Plan until the year 2022, defined by Odessa Mayor Aleksey Kostusyev and aimed at providing the citizens with the lifestyle conditions for their well-being, safety, health sustenance and social interaction.

• February 10-11, 2016. A Lithuanian Foreign Ministry delegation visited the South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University “Ushynsky”. The Vice Foreign Minister of Lithuania Andrius Krivas and the Lithuanian Ambassador to Ukraine Marius Yanukonis met with the Rector Anton Ananiev and representatives of the Athenaeum. The day after the Lithuanian delegation visited the Odessa National Maritime Academy, where Andrius Krivas discussed Lithuania's European and Euroatlantic integration experience with the students.

• July 4, 2016, the Mayor of Klaipeda Vytautas Grubliauskas, visited its partner city Odessa and met with the Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov and the Honorary Consul of Lithuania, Elena Drutis. The sides discussed the questions of public utilities, infrastructure, transport, waste disposal and the other ones during the meeting.

Odessa and Klaipeda are port cities. I leave the city with a desire to visit Odessa again and, of course, hope that Odessa representatives will also come to Klaipeda. After all, there are more similarities than the differences between the two cities.

Vytautas Grubliauskas, Mayor of Klaipeda

• November 21, 2016. The Ambassador of Lithuania to Ukraine Marius Yanukonis, visited Odessa National University “Mechnikov” and met with Rector Prof. Igor Koval. The Ambassador gave a lecture on the experience of Lithuania's accession to the European Union.