Klaipeda
Click on thumbnail to view larger picture
Klaipeda is the most northern ice-free Baltic seaport and is also Lithuania's third-largest city. Local Lithuanians welcomed us at the dock with a folkloric band and the music was so bright and cheery.
Many different cultures have had an influence over Klaipeda but today one of the strongest or at least the most visible influences is German.
We left the dock and walked through the harbour area to the bottom of town and found an Amber Market, all set up with lots of
interesting items to sell.
|
After shopping for a while we moved on to find a craft market, where we spent sometime looking around and talking to
the craftsmen that were still making their wares. There were lots of unusual buildings here. Some of them were picturesque with half-timbered construction, similar to that found in Germany, England, and Denmark.
We took our time to stroll the streets and then we visited the fresh vegetable and fruit market stalls. We were trying to locate the Blackmiths Museum and the Brewery for a tour but had
no success and so moved onto other things.
|
Down near the dock there was an old fort that had been partially restored. It was hidden in the side of the hill
but had many items of historical interest inside. The curator was most informative and spent a lot of time explaining the history of the area.
|
The main or more modern part of town was across the bridge so off we went to explore. The streets were quite wide here unlike the older part of town and
there were very modern shops and restaurants everywhere. We came across a clock museum which was absolutely fascinating. The clocks, of all kinds were very old
and well restored. Out in the garden there were sundials and ancient navigational tools. We ended the day with a lovely cool beer and enjoyed the whole experience.
| 
