Palanga

Palanga is the biggest Lithuanian resourt symbolically called Palanga’s summer capital, it is located at the Baltic sea. It is one of the oldest cities in Lithuania. According to archeologists, people started to live here as early as 5 thousand years ago. Palanga was first mentioned in written sources in XII c. People living in Palanga and nearby went fishing, gathered and processed amber, traded. Even at that time Palanga was known as a famous seaside trading center, in the end of the XIV c.– middle of the XVIII c. this place was mentioned in Hansa merchants’ routes.

Sea has always influenced life and culture of local residents. Many folklore legends are connected with it – those are legends about love of the sea goddess Jurate and a fisher Kastytis, about a fisher’s daughter Eglė and the serpent Žilvinas, about giants Naglis and Neringa, about romantic love story of priestess Birutė. 

The very name of Palanga is said to be connected with the sea. The fishers’ homes were said to stand so close to the sea shore that the sea waves used to reach, and the wind used to blow them with sand till the window sill (in Lithuanian – palangė). Yet, most often Palanga’s name is derived from the archaic Baltic words palvė, palios, pala, palas (meaning low, marshy places) or from river names Palanga, Palangis, Alanga, Langa. 

This seaside city also was the most important Lithuanian port. In the XV c. It was the only one that remained squeezed between the lands conquered by Crusaders and Brothers of the Sward, Only this port connected Lithuania through samogitians with the sea, because in 1422 after the Meln treaty with the Crusaders Klaipėda remained in the germans’ hands, while Palanga and Šventoji became sea ports of the Lithuanian Great Principality. 

Palanga and Šventoji ports rivaled Riga, Liepaja and other ports, because goods here were sold cheaper. After wars with Sweden in 1701 Palanga and Šventoji ports were destroyed. This is said to have been done upon request of Riga and Liepaja ports’ owners. Since XVII c. Part of the western area of the city had been blown with sand, the Palanga port was then even more choked up with sand. 

In 1756 Palanga received free trade rights, and in 1791 Warsaw four year Seym granted to Palanga as a royal city Magdeburg law. In 1795 after dissolution of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Rzeczpospolita) Palanga was annexed to the Russian Empire. In 1824 Palanga lands including Darbėnai, Grušlaukė and Palanga (which at that time already was known as a place good for holiday and treatment) estates were purchased from general K. Niesiolovsky by a Russian tsarist army colonel Mykolas Tyshkevich. This was the beginning of the counts Tyshkevich age in Palanga in the third decade of the XIX c. The first holdiay homes were constructed for the guests, a park was created next to the Birutė’s hill, count Tyshkevich’s palace was constructed. Count J. Tyshkevich also tried to restore Palanga port, he had a sea pier constructed, purchased a steam ship for passengers and goods, although pretty soon the port was choked up with sand, and the sea pier since then has been used only for walking. 

Fos some time Palanga belonged to Couronian province, after the First World War, when the Russian Empire dissolved, Lithuanian became an independent state, and now argument regarding Palanga and Šventoji territories went on between Lithuania and Latvia. In 1921 Palanga was returned to Lithuania.

The resourt is famous for its cultural life traditions. Every year there are season opening festivals, music festivals “Palanga summer”, “Night serenades”, classical music and potery evenings in the Amber Museum, Palanga orchestra concerts in the Botanical park, potery readings at the grotto, various holidays, events and exhibitions. There are a lot of places in Palanga that remember art, science, public figures: J. Basanavičius, A. Smetona, J. Simpson, L. Vaineikis, J. Šliūpas, M. Čiurlionis, A. Mončius, V. Jurgutis and many others. 

Today Palanga has become one of the most popular resorts at the Baltic sea. The resort is developing. Today it occupies a 25 km zone along theBaltic sea and is divided into 3 parts: the old, the new Palanga and Šventoji. New modren private villas, hotels are being constructed here, the resort’s infrastructure is being improved. Holiday-makers are offered a lot of additional services. Sea pier again invites to watch the sunset, to enjoy the sea’s endless space and greatness, eagulls’ flight. People meet here again and leaving say: “See you again!”

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