Curonian Coast

Lithuania's Baltic coastline is anchored at its south end by the Klaipėda Strait, the narrow passage between the open Baltic and the Curonian Lagoon — the largest coastal lagoon in Europe. Mean astronomical tidal range on the open Baltic here is under 10 cm; inside the Lagoon, tidal signal is essentially absent. What controls water level on both sides is wind: northerly winds push water through the Klaipėda Strait into the Lagoon, raising levels inside; southerlies reverse the flow. Palanga, on the open Baltic coast, is Lithuania's main beach resort. Nida sits on the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO World Heritage site of migrating sand dunes up to 65 m high, with the Lagoon on its east face and the Baltic on its west.