Klaipėda, situated on the Lithuania Coast, is a bright and lively city definitely worth exploring before heading to the beautiful Curonian Spit.
With a fascinatingly colourful past – it was briefly the capital of Prussia, then claimed by Lithuania despite the majority of its population being German, then reclaimed by Nazi Germany, then the Soviets, before finally falling back into Lithuanian hands with the country’s independence - Klaipėda enjoys a unique heritage and is distinctly Germanic in flavour.
There’s plenty to keep you occupied on a short stay in Klaipėda; take a stroll around the charming Old Town with its slightly hodgepodge attempts of reconstruction following World War II, visit one of many interesting museums and galleries including the excellent Martynas Mazvydas Sculpture Park, or stay out late and sample the vibrant nightlife scene.