Presenting… Palanga

Hands up who’d heard of Palanga? Well if you haven’t, get ready to add it to your summer holiday bucket-list, because this completely adorable beach town on Lithuania’s amazing amber coast has all the elements you need for a great little escape to the sun.

Here are just seven of the things it has going for it…

Alright, so obviously that big, long, beautiful golden beach in Palanga is the thing that draws thousands of Lithuanian’s to the town every spring and summer.

Don’t be fooled by the Baltic-ness of the place, it actually gets lovely and warm here in the summer, with temperatures easily hitting the 20s and higher in the summer months.

The 18kms of gorgeous golden sand are the perfect place to enjoy those warm days, and if you like the sun but hate the dead heat, temperatures are perfect – but be warned; the sea always has just a little Baltic bite!

If you come to Palanga for the beach, you’ll stay for the prices, it’s a great place to have a budget-friendly sun holiday. You can expect to find a decent main meal from as little as €6 a head, and the quality is good.

Pints of beer are around €2-€2.50, depending on where you get them. You can find really nice accommodation for two people, for two weeks, in peak season, for under €500.

The pier is basically Palanga’s little epicentre. This is where you go to hang out during the day, to walk in the evening and watch the sun set before you go ‘out’ out, and to get a different perspective on the beach and land behind you.

Walking to the end and back takes just 10/15 minutes, and from its end you can feel a little bit ‘out at sea’ while you get a great view along Lithuania’s Baltic coast. It’s lovely. If you’re very disciplined, get up early for a sunrise walk when it’s not so busy.

The town of Palanga is great – it’s all very chocolate-box, with lots of little colourful log houses and wide, breezy streets.

Combine that with a few out-of-place, abandoned buildings leftover from Soviet times and a brilliantly kitsch beach promenade, and you’ve got a thoroughly pleasant and very interesting place to explore.

Basanavičius street is the main thoroughfare for tourists and holidaymakers – it leads to the pier and is lined with lovely little cafés, restaurants and shops.

One more lovely thing about Palanga’s big beautiful beach is that just behind it lies a tranquil pine forest. It’s a gorgeous one too, the perfect place for a long leisurely stroll in pine scented air.

If you want to get out of the sun for a little while, or you need to walk off a few heavy ‘Zeppelins’ (delicious Lithuanian stuffed dumplings) you had for lunch, this is the place to do it!

Palanga has a hopping nightlife, as you would expect from any seaside holiday resort worth its salt. During the summer, Mojo Lounge is the place to be. It’s right on the beach, it’s always packed, the music is thumping, and it’s full of beautiful people having a great time.

There are loads of bars and clubs here though, and you won’t be stuck for a party if that’s what you want.

And more specifically, the amber museum. This beautiful semi-precious stone is important to Lithuanians, and not just to their economy. It’s maybe a bit like Guinness is to the Irish – a point of national pride.

The Palanga Amber Museum is a great place to learn a little more about the history of amber in Lithuania, and to see the impressive exhibition which includes ancient artifacts and jewellery, as well as ‘The Amber Sun’, one of the world’s largest pieces of amber.

Best of all, the museum is located in Palanga’s botanical gardens, so you can treat yourself to a stroll among the flowers while you’re at it.

Flights to Palanga