Day 1
Departure from Riga at 7:30. Arrival in Palanga with one stop on the way in Saldus. Charming Palanga, surrounded by a pine forest, feels and looks completely different from our Jurmala — it is brighter and always full of people. The Raze River flows through the town, with 10 bridges and small crossings built over it, while wonderful beaches stretch along the Baltic Sea coast. We will see the Sea Pier, Tiskevicius Alley, and Basanavicius Street — the main pedestrian street with restaurants, taverns, shops, and souvenir stalls.
This year marks the 23rd traditional "Palangos Stinta" festival. Every year, Palanga celebrates the Baltic smelt festival on a grand scale: fair tents with various delicacies and souvenirs are spread along the streets and the promenade, the main souvenir being the fish itself. In restaurants and bars, smelt and fish soup become the dishes of the day, and the main entertainment is watching fishermen compete to see who catches the most fish to the accompaniment of folk melodies. On the Basanavicius Street promenade, visitors can enjoy smelt prepared in various ways: fried, still hot, smoked, as well as fish soup. This is truly a celebration of the queen of the day — fresh, cucumber-scented, newly fried or smoked amber smelt.
Free time at the festival. You can stroll among colorful tents with an abundance of souvenirs, buy magnets, paintings, amber fish, and amber jewelry. For those interested, there is an opportunity to visit the Amber Museum, which houses about 5,000 exhibits. The museum is currently hosting the international exhibition "Unexpected Amber: Strong Feelings."
At the end of the day, we suggest visiting the HBH Juozo Alus recreation and entertainment complex. Here you can enjoy excellent traditional Lithuanian and Samogitian dishes, many of which are marked with the Culinary Heritage sign. Beer lovers can try the excellent beer and kvass from the local brewery. Departure for Riga. Arrival at approximately 20:30–21:00.
