Klaipeda & Ystad 2007-Any Port Reviews?

[FinelyRetired]

I would love to hear port/excursion reviews from any CC'ers who travelled to either Klaipeda, Lithuania or to Ystad, Sweden this summer.

 

Thanks, Martha

[engineer38]

We visited Klaipeda in August 2007 with "Spirit of Adventure" and took a ship's tour to the Amber Museum in Palanga. In my opinion Klaipeda has not really got used to the idea of mass tourism yet, but we did feel very welcome. The Amber Museum is in a beautiful park but the museum itself really needs a guide as the labels are all in Lithuanian and Russian. There is an excellent shop at the the end of the museum which sells amber jewelry with certificates of authenticity and accepts Euros. In Palanga the is a beach and a pier which is a local vacation spot and is busy at weekends.The local bars serve beer with garlic cheese and pigs' ears which are apparently a local delicacy, some bars accept euros, ask first. Klaipeda itself is small and much damaged by various oocupations. There is a small market place and the beach is reached by a ferry. The port is huge and industrial extending some 17km, being on a small ship (9500 tons, 350 passengers) we were right in the centre, an easy walk to the town square.

[north-bound]

I think it may be difficult to find someone who has visited Ystad on a cruise. So far I have never before come across this city as a part of a Baltic cruise.

 

But it is a charming small town on the Swedish south coast. Find out more about it through this link: http://www.ystad.se/ystadweb.nsf/docsbycodename/turismen

 

I hope you will enjoy your day in Ystad.

[FinelyRetired]

We visited Klaipeda in August 2007 with "Spirit of Adventure" and took a ship's tour to the Amber Museum in Palanga. In my opinion Klaipeda has not really got used to the idea of mass tourism yet, but we did feel very welcome. The Amber Museum is in a beautiful park but the museum itself really needs a guide as the labels are all in Lithuanian and Russian. There is an excellent shop at the the end of the museum which sells amber jewelry with certificates of authenticity and accepts Euros. In Palanga the is a beach and a pier which is a local vacation spot and is busy at weekends.The local bars serve beer with garlic cheese and pigs' ears which are apparently a local delicacy, some bars accept euros, ask first. Klaipeda itself is small and much damaged by various oocupations. There is a small market place and the beach is reached by a ferry. The port is huge and industrial extending some 17km, being on a small ship (9500 tons, 350 passengers) we were right in the centre, an easy walk to the town square.

 

engineer38:

 

Thanks so much for your review. Had hoped to find someone who had visited very recently. I would be very interested in Palanga-- park & Amber Museum. Did this area require a taxi or ship's tour to reach?

 

Thanks, again.

[FinelyRetired]

I think it may be difficult to find someone who has visited Ystad on a cruise. So far I have never before come across this city as a part of a Baltic cruise.

 

But it is a charming small town on the Swedish south coast. Find out more about it through this link: http://www.ystad.se/ystadweb.nsf/docsbycodename/turismen

 

I hope you will enjoy your day in Ystad.

 

north-bound:

 

What a terrific web link! Spent an hour there just now. Ystad & its environs look lovely. I love half-timbered architecture & a small town; and, add a 1000 yr old stone circle and a thriving artist's area into the mix and I'm now very much looking forward to this small port which may prove to be gem. I was fascinated to learn from the website that the "light" in Ystad/Osterlen area is "special" & often compared by artists to that of Provence and, so, many artists are "drawn" to the area. Will look for some of their work when there.

 

I believe that Holland America had Ystad on this summer's Baltic itineraries. Obviously it does next summer, at least in June on my Prinsendam cruise.

 

Posting the link was very thoughtful. Martha

 

P.S. I'll read a Kurt Wallander detective novel before I go!

[engineer38]

Palanga is about 15 miles north of Klaipeda so you'll certainly need some sort of transport. As we used a ship's tour I've no idea about availability or pricing of taxis. Maybe somone else on this board can help?

[zeitgeist]

We rented a car from Europcar which was delivered on the pier by a very friendly young man.

 

As the little town of Klaipeda has not much to offer we took the ferry to the Curonian Spit (Neringa) and drove westwards to the Russian border.

 

On the spit, you find one of the world's longest beaches, huge areas of sanddunes (easily accessible), picturesque towns with wooden houses and many spots for taking romantic pictures. Nida is the most attractive town on the spit.

 

If you do not want to drive by yourself (no problem at all), you may hire a car with driver on the pier. It is rather inexpensive and a fraction of the rate that the ship's (Century) concierge told us.

[MightyQuinn]

I think it may be difficult to find someone who has visited Ystad on a cruise. So far I have never before come across this city as a part of a Baltic cruise.

 

But it is a charming small town on the Swedish south coast. Find out more about it through this link: http://www.ystad.se/ystadweb.nsf/docsbycodename/turismen

 

I hope you will enjoy your day in Ystad.

 

Anyone been to Ales Stenar? It seems to be a Viking-style Stongehenge, which holds some intrigue. The website shows that Tourism Ystad arranges guided tours, but unfortunately they won't begin until after our cruise is over. Our ship doesn't provide a shorex specifically to Ales Stenar, but only does a "drive-by" as part of a full-day tour (not appealing to us). So I wonder if anyone can tell me if it's worth hiring a private guide? Would appreciate any feedback. Many thanks!

[north-bound]

Ales Stenar is an intriguing place, but there is not much to see beside the monument. Here is a link that may give you a better picture of what it looks like. A car can take you to the small village Kåseberga, I think it may take 20 minutes, and from there it is a short walk up the hill.

 

http://www.raa.se/cms/extern/en/places_to_visit/our_historical_sites/ales_stenar.html

[MightyQuinn]

Ales Stenar is an intriguing place, but there is not much to see beside the monument. Here is a link that may give you a better picture of what it looks like. A car can take you to the small village Kåseberga, I think it may take 20 minutes, and from there it is a short walk up the hill.

 

http://www.raa.se/cms/extern/en/places_to_visit/our_historical_sites/ales_stenar.html

 

Thanks for posting this link, north-bound. I can see that we'd definitely need an enthusiastic guide to make the stones of Ales Stenar come alive! A drive-by just wouldn't do. Now we're considering side trips to Malmo and Lund, in addition to a walking tour of charming Ystad. We're really excited to see another part of Sweden - the ancestral homeland of my DH!