Lithuania. Palanga

  Living in the village of Šventoji, we had the opportunity to ride our bikes to its administrative center, the city of Palanga, which is about 14 km away. One evening, we set out to watch the sunset from the famous pier and see the singing fountains located in the city's central part...    

  The pier in Palanga extends 480 meters into the sea and is its main attraction. Previously, the pier served as a dock for trading and passenger steamships traveling between Palanga and Liepāja (Latvia), but it soon became unsuitable for navigation and turned into a very popular spot for walks...

   The beach at sunset...

  The singing fountains in the colors of the Lithuanian flag...

  A specially paved bike path ran from the village of Šventoji to Palanga, flanked by mighty pine trees on both sides... 

  Morning in Palanga...

   In the morning, there are far fewer people on the pier...

  Reaching the end of the pier, we traditionally tossed coins into the sea...

   Biking down the main street of Palanga...

   Church of the Holy Virgin Mary...

 On the way back to Šventoji, we often stopped at the beaches along the bike path behind the pine forest. We fell in love with the landscapes of those places...

   

   Returning to the village...

    

  Bike rides were a very pleasant addition to the classic "beach vacation." I also tried to run 12-18 km every morning along the beach and through the pine forest, choosing new routes each time... Twice, I crossed the border between Lithuania and Latvia, so I managed to swim on the Latvian side of the Baltic Sea too...