Klaipda

Klaipėda is a port city in western Lithuania, located at the mouth of the Danė River on the Baltic Sea. It is Lithuania's third-largest city by population and serves as the country's main seaport.

Founded in 1252 by the Teutonic Knights as Memel, the city developed as a German-speaking port in East Prussia. After World War I, the Memel Territory was detached from Germany and joined Lithuania following the Klaipėda Revolt in 1923. Nazi Germany occupied the area in 1939; after World War II it became part of the Lithuanian SSR within the Soviet Union, and since 1990 has been part of independent Lithuania.

The port handles bulk cargo, containers, and passenger traffic, making Klaipėda Lithuania’s principal gateway to the sea. It supports regional logistics, ship repair, fisheries, and related industries, and maintains connections to other Baltic ports by sea and rail.

The Old Town preserves German-influenced architecture and timber-framed merchant houses. The Mermaid statue near the harbor is a well-known symbol of Klaipėda. The nearby Curonian Spit, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a major natural attraction, and the city hosts the annual Sea Festival in summer.

Klaipėda is a regional center for higher education, with institutions such as Klaipėda University and LCC International University. The city is served by rail and road networks and by a ferry terminal that links Klaipėda with other Baltic destinations.