Treasures of the Baltic Sea - Shifting Sand Dunes - Discover Moving Landscapes

7/28/2019 Treasures of the Baltic Sea - Shifting Sand Dunes - Discover Moving Landscapes

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editorial

Dear readers,

what comes into your mind when you thinko the Baltic Sea Region: endless beaches, sanddunes, birch orests, castles and churchesor even amber? Countries around the BalticSea share a great variety o natural and culturalresources as well as a long common history.

The area, however, is still not well recognised asone common region outside its borders. In theramework o the EU-unded project AGORA 2.0we aim to improve the common identity o theBaltic Sea Region, based on its rich natural andcultural treasures.

The ve issues o the Treasures o the BalticSea are our appetisers or you to raise yourawareness o the unique beauty o the Baltic SeaRegion by telling exciting stories and providingshort background inormation at a glance thatmake you eel like visiting the region.

This issue will bring the ascinating worldo shiting sand dunes in the Baltic Sea Regioncloser to you.

Dipl. oec. Betina MelissEditor

University o GreiswaldInstitute o Geography and GeologyMakarenkostrae 2217487 Greiswald

Tel. +49 3834 / [email protected]

Historic Konu village at Pape

Latvia, Cape Kolka

Photos:kindpermissionofLaukuceotjs


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EditorialContent

Shiting Dunes in the Baltic Sea RegionMap

Denmark - Rbjerg MileGermany - The Peninsula o Fischland-Dar-ZingstPoland - Shiting Sand Dunes in the Country o LborkLatvia - The Sunset Trail to the White DuneLatvia - The Prciems Trail o the White DuneLatvia - The Kolkasrags Pine TrailLatvia - The Grey Dune o PvilostaLatvia - The Mouth o River UavaLatvia - The Mouth o River Gauja

Latvia - The Nature Trail O PapeLatvia - The Psnu HillLatvia - The Sedums o LapmeciemsEstonia - Luitemaa Nature ReserveRussia - The Curonian Spit in the Kaliningrad RegionLithuania - The Curonian Spit in Lithuania at a Glance

Touristic inormationImprint

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Shifting duneSin the Baltic Sea region

PrefaceShiting dunes at a stormy summer daysomewhere at the southern coast o theBaltic Sea: Moving sand is everywhere -it crunches between the teeth, it burnsin the eyes, and it itches the skin andin the ears. But most o the tourists are as-cinated by the beauty o white sand dunesand the eternal character o the movingsand particles it is the expression o

the Greek principle o Panta rhei.

Shiting dunes with their large dimensionsare important elements o the landscapeo the Baltic Sea coasts. The dunes playa maniold role in the system o nature andtourism: They are attractions by their ownand destinations or nature tourists, butdunes are also threats or inrastructureo tourism and tra c.

The ollowing paragraphs will ocus onthe natural background o the dunes.

The endless sand hills along the coastsare the result o a very complex systemo climate, soil and biosphere and in detailo weathering, transport and accumula-tion processes. This introduction helps tounderstand the existing landscapes, theirbeauty and the necessity o protection.

White sand dunes What is itand Where does it come from?

The origin o most o the sand in the Baltic

Sea Region is Scandinavia. In act, the sand

is a result o the geological developmentand especially o the weathering o gran-ites, gneisses and older sand stones othe Baltic Shield during millions o years.Sand was transported southward duringthe quaternary periods southwardto Middle Europe to be altered and trans-ported there again and sometimesto become a shiting dune.

To understand the processes o the dunes

we should try to ollow the lie cycleo a single sand grain on its way rom nort-hern Sweden to the coast o MecklenburgWestern Pomerania. The sand grain wasborn more than 500 million years agoin a large magma mass in the earth crust.By cooling down the magma di erenttypes o minerals developed: rst the darkminerals o the granite like pyroxene andmica, than the di erent eldspars and atthe end the rest quartz (silicium dioxide) our sand grain was born! In opposite tothe other minerals, the quartz developed

a very stable three-dimensional rameworko chemical bonds between the oxygenand silicium atoms with an enormousresistance against chemical and physicalattacks. At the end o the process oweathering quartz is oten the only relicto the initial rock type.

In the ollowing millions o years thegranite had an easy lie nearly without anydisturbances. The surace o the granitebody corroded by chemical weathering

in wet and warm geological periods;

the quartz was stable enough to survive.But more than one million years agothe climate became colder. Large icemasses covered the granite landscape,and the foating glaciers moved materialsouthward over distances o thousandso kilometres, at the glacier surace and atthe bottom. In the summer times the waterin the crevasses moved ne materialsoutside o the ice mass.

Our sand grain was moved to a new land-scape at the end o the last ice age (15,000years ago) with melting ice masses, accu-mulated till, sand, lakes and wild rivers.

The rising sea level o the Baltic Seaaltered the landscape. The sand grain wastransported by rivers and waves and nallyaccumulated at the beach o the BalticSea. Due to the transport processes andthe mechanical stress our sand grain lostsubstance and shrunk to a diameter o lessthan 0.5 mm and got a round shape.

Ater drying, the wind could mobilise thesand grain and accumulate it again atera short or long way. This is how the sanddune was born.

As a short summary, the sand in shiting

dunes has the ollowing eatures:

materialSilicium Dioxide (SiO2);rarely Feldspar and other mineralssizebetween 0.2 and 0.5 mm (wellsorted grain size)

shaPenearly round with dull nish P h o t o : k i n d p e r m i s s i o n o f L a u k u c e o t j s


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Latvia, View rom the Uzava lighthouse


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dunes in the systemof ice age landscaPesOther sand grains went a di erent way there are variants o accumulation andtransport on the way to dunes. Firstly,(similar to our sand grain above) sandis transported by the glacier and sortedby running water. The sand grains areaccumulated near the glacier in variousshapes: sandar, outwash plains, kames, and

esker. The cold wind coming down romthe glacier blows out ne material andtransports and deposits it again to ormdunes. Secondly, sand is a componento other sediments, e.g. moraine till.

That type o sediment contains a broadspectrum o grain sizes rom clay upto boulders. Due to the sticking elements(clay and loam) till is stable and can notbe eroded by blowing wind. With excep-tions (chalk o Ruegen), nearly all cli salong the costs consists o moraine till.

The rising sea level with the inf uence

o waves and sea currents erodes the cli s;the material is sorted by the transportcompetence o the water. As a result,the ront o the moraine cli s is coveredby coarse sand and boulders, the nercomponents are taken away and will beaccumulated in shallow water areas withdecreasing current speed as sand barriers.Sometimes (in case o storms with highwater level) the accumulation processesinf uence the hinterland; Barriers o coarsesand and stones are deposited hundreds

o meters inland. In every case, the sand

barriers are vulnerable to be blown out.The wind can mobilise the sand grains,i the wind is strong enough to overcomethe gravity o the sand grains. The coastso the German Fischland-Darss-Zingst-peninsula and in Poland, Russia as well asLithuania are typical thereore. Sometimes,there are typical smaller dunes at the up-per edge o cli s. The wind turbulences atthe edge cause local sand accumulations.

the Process of the sandtransPort in detailWind erosion is inf uenced by someimportant actors: erodibility o thesediment, vegetation coverage, and thee ective wind speed at the earth surace.Only sand grains between 0.1 and 0.5 mmin diameter are moved directly; largerparticles are too heavy or direct transport,smaller particles (loam and clay) are boundby cohesive orces. Wet sand is more stableagainst wind erosion than dry sand o

the same grain size.The main transport process is the saltation.The sand grain lited up by the wind witha minimal speed is speeded up in theheight and alls down ater a certaindistance; the movement is like jumping.Sand grains o 0.1 0.3 mm diameter reachaltitudes o more than 35 dm and aretransported over distances o more than5 m (it depends on the wind speed).

The alling sand grain contains kineticenergy and thus inf uences the sand

grains o a larger grain size: They roll away

through the impact o the allingsand grains which causes them to moveover smaller distances. Unortunately,the process o saltation is a sel-energisingprocess. The more the impact o sandgrains inf uences the surace, the morenew particles are divorced rom theground and transported through the air.Moving sand in the air is aggressivein itsel. A desert storm can cut shapes into

solid rocks and smooth and polish suraceso nearly all materials e ortlessly. The typi-cal mushroom shaped rocks in arid areasare witnesses o these types o processes.

shaPes of dunesGenerally, dunes show a typical crosssection. The leeward slope has a typicalslope angle o 34 degrees caused bythe alling sand grains (typical dump angleo sand). The windward slope angleis smaller. Internally, the dunes havea typical cross-bedding o the leeward

slope angle. This asymmetrical shapeis typical or underwater current ripplemarks, too.

The view rom above shows the directinf uence o wind speed, direction andobstacles which can be an anchor orthe dunes, e.g. trees, houses or others.Dunes o the linear type are typical orconstant wind directions. Star dunesare the result o altering wind directionsand speeds in combination with some

obstacles. The parabolic and barchanoid

Germany, Fischland-Dar-Zingst Germany, Fischland-Dar-Zingst

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h o t o s : B e t i n a M e l i s s


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types need vegetation or anchoringthe edges o the dunes. Reversing dunesare a result o inverting wind directionsand show the typical cross section withan asymmetry o the main dune body andthe opposite shape at the top. Most o thetypes can be observed at the Baltic Seacoast, but obviously not in such dimen-sions like in the deserts in arid regionso the world.

staBle or unstaBle?Shiting dunes are an unstable system.

The ree sand surace is permanentlyvulnerable to be blown out. A certaindegree o stability can only be reached byvegetation. The vegetation can avoid winderosion and transport e ectively.Wind speed at the surace is decreasedby riction between wind and suracestructures, and nally the sand grains arecaught by the plants ater transport.

Due to the salty water the developmento natural dune vegetation is complicat-ed Organic litter deposited by stormsduring the winter period (e.g. seagrass)is the basement or pioneer plants o thehalophyte type like Sea Rocket (Cakilemaritima) and Prickly Saltwort (Salsola kali)and nally Sea Couch (Agropyron junce-um). In the ollowing years the dune bodyis desalinated by precipitation and otherplant communities start growing, likeEuropean Beach Grass (Ammophila are-

naria), or the Sea Holly (Eryngium mari-

timum). Ater getting more stability, lowgrowing shrubs like Heather (Calluna vul-garis) and Creeping willow (Salix repens)and rst trees like Pine (Pinus sylvestris)and shrubs like Sea Buckthorn (Hippophaerhamnoides) settle the dunes.

Not only by observing the vegetation,but also by investigating the soil de-velopment the stability and the age o

a dune complex can be assessed. Theaccumulation o organic litter rom leas,Sea Grass and other plants gives the startpoint or developing soil horizons byvertical transport o material like humicacids and oxides o iron, manganese andalloy. Depending on the progress o soildevelopment generations o dunes arede ned: White dunes show only a very thincoverage o litter; the soil development isabout to start.

Grey dunes show a virgin soil with a de-

nitive horizon o organic matter. Browndunes have a proceeded soil development(podsol) with a horizon with organic mat-ter, a horizon with bleached sand grainsand a horizon o accumulated iron andalloy oxides and humic material.Brown dunes are the result o a long-termsoil evolution o some hundred years.Normally, they have a stock o pine trees.Only brown dunes have the stability toride out extreme climatic events like heavystorms o f oods. The younger dunes are

more or less vulnerable.

the man-made imPact on dunesHuman settlements near the coastlinehave their own tradition or hundredso years. Fishery and agriculture in thelowlands had been the reason or pre-erred settlement in coastal areas since theearly Neolithic time, even i the rst settlershad been orced to choose a dryer groundwith the increasing sea level o the BalticSea during the Littorina transgression

phase. Nevertheless, the pine trees wereinteresting or the rst settlers: or heating,or construction purposes and or woodenboats. In comparison with other specieso trees (e.g. oak and beech) the pine treewas easier to work. There is no doubt,that the st settlers chose the pine treesat the dunes or their purposes, eveni the trees in direct neighbourhood to thecoastline were o minor quality (buckledgrowth). Unortunately, they launcheda vicious circle so: The orest clearancecaused the mobility o dunes not only

in the hinterland, but also in the coastalareas. Some o the rst settlements hadbeen given up even since several yearsbecause o the shiting sand masses buriedeverything: the settlements, the agricultu-ral grounds and the rst harbours. Not onlyin prehistoric times, but also in mediaevaltimes the growing population orced to ex-tend the human settlements again in thedirect neighbourhood o dunes.

Denmark, Rabjerg MileGermany, Northern tip o the Dar

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Bodden near Fischland-Dar-Zin


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The results o these activities are stillshiting dunes with their own speci cproblems. The unrulable sand masses wereon o the reasons o the emigration in thesecond hal o the 19th century.

ProBlems With shifting dunes

today and the Benefits of dunesToday many shiting dune areas areprotected by governmental acts e.g. asnature protection areas, national parks etc.In these areas human settlements arethe exception; thereore the impact onsettlements is low. However, today shitingsand causes several problems:Shiting sand can reduce the visibilityat highways and other streets within sec-onds seriously; it causes heavy accidents.Moreover, the e ort to remove thousands

o tons o sand is extensive. Shiting sand

has it own impact on navigation. Not onlysand transported by coastal current,but also aeolian sand reduces the deptho navigation channels. The regular dig-ging is expensive. Dunes a ect tourisminrastructure. The uncontrolled accumu-lation o sand cause problems or beaches;

the visibility rom the boardwalk to the seais reduced or complete impossible.

On the other hand, dunes have their ownposition in the system o coastal protec-tion, e.g. o sandy low coasts. There dunesare the rst step o the protection system(beside dykes, groynes and stone walls and nally the coastal orest), but thereore it isnecessary to protect the dunes or blowingaway by planting European Beach Grass(and to avoid them or trampling

by tourists, too).

Ps:And the uture destiny o our sandgrain? The dune will be compacted toa solid sand stone, and million years laterby reaching a subduction zone the sandgrain will be molten again, and the circleis complete

By Dr. Ral Scheibe

Lithuania, Curoninan Spit, Hagenas Hill Lithuania, Curoninan Spit, Vecekrugas Hill

Germany, Fischland-Dar-Zingst Germany, Fischland-Dar-Zingst


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denmark

1 Rbjerg Mile

germany

2 The Peninsulao Fischland-Dar-Zingst

Poland

3 Shiting Sand Dunesin the County o Lbork

latVia

4 The Sunset Trail to the White Dune

5 The Prciems Trail o the White Dune

6 The Kolkasrags Pine Trail

7 The Grey Dune o Pvilosta

8 The Mouth o River Uava

9 The Mouth o River Gauja

10 The Nature Trail o Pape

11 The Psnu Hill

12 The Sedums o Lapmeciems

estonia

13 Luitemaa Nature Reserve

russia

14 The Curonian Spitin the Kaliningrad Region

lithuania

15 The Curonian Spit in Lithuaniaat a Glance

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rBJ ergmile

Vs s s e x v q ws s ssb.

the dune of rBJerg mileRbjerg Mile is Denmark's largest migrat-ing dune, located at Bunken Klitplantagesituated between the cities Skagen andFrederikshavn in Jutland, in the northern

part o Denmark. It is the largest mo-ving dune in Northern Europe, and over250,000 people visit the dune annually.

origin of the duneof rBJerg mileFor hundreds o years big parts o Den-mark were characterised by the westernwind creating the landscapes, and movingsand over long stretches while ruiningvillages and cultivated areas. It was thecase especially in Jutland but also in Zeal-

and. The sand drits resulted in big dunes

and desert-like landscapes. It meant thatthe sand drits destroyed armland, roadsand drove people away rom their homes.Only when the plantation o rs started inthe 1800s the sand drit was brought more

under human control. Interestingly,The Buried Church (Den tilsandedekirke see picture) still stands as a relico the time when most o the associatedhouses and arms disappeared. To stopthe sand drits, the state bought a largeproportion o the surrounding area andplanted various conierous trees that wereable to tackle the di cult growing condi-tions. Even though the plantation helpedto diminish the sand drits, it ultimatelymeant that some magni cent natural areas

disappeared, which led to protests rom

such prominent locals as the author JeppeAakjr. The discussion ended when thestate bought the area around Rbjerg Milein 1900 and preserved it by law so thatit could remain a natural wonder, a monu-

ment and reminder or uture generationso what damage the sand drits had causedor generations o people in the northo Jutland.

the dune itselfThe dune covers an area o approximately2 km2 and is up to 35 m high. Thereore,Rbjerg Mile is one o the largest dunes inEurope, containing about 3.5 million m3o sand, thereby orming a "mini desert".On a hike through Rbjerg Mile, there

might even be the risk o going into quick-

Grenen, the northernmost point o Denmark

Rbjerg Mile

Photos:1,2-

ChristophSchmidtkind,3-permissionofSkagenTuristfo

rening

Sunset over Rbjerg Mile


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sand. Interestingly, on several occasionsinternational lm companies have actuallyused Rbjerg Mile as a setting to shootdesert scenes.

rBJerg mile is a shiftingcoastal dune

The wind moves it about 15 m annually inthe east-north-easterly direction. The dunethereby leaves a low, moist layer o sand

behind it, trailing back westwards romSkagerrak, where the dune originally wasormed more than 300 years ago.Rbjerg Mile has u-shaped mounds o sandwith convex noses trailed by elongatedarms, which make it a parabolic dune.

This is due to the act that the wind keepsthe sand in the middle o the dune drybecause this part the dune has no accessto groundwater, while the sides are wetbecause they are close to groundwater.Vegetation thereore grows easily along

the sides, while the dune (made o sand)

moves aster in the middle leaving quitea spectacular sight rom the top.

Notably, dunes in deserts are ormed in theexact opposite way, since they are ar awayrom groundwater, making the arms comeorward instead.

The top o the dune is a good vantagepoint to enjoy a unique view over the

beautiul nature surrounding Skagenstop. In act, more than 6000 acres o duneand dune heaths are preserved in one oDenmark's most distinctive natural areas.Also, behind the dune itsel you can see,among other things, skeletal pines thathad been covered by the dune or morethan 40 years and have now come intoview ater its passage.

conserVation of the duneThrough conservation the dunes contin-

ued voyage has been secured, although

it has not yet been taken into accountthat it will actually bury the main road toSkagen in a 100 years rom now. In act,all indications are that that the dune willcontinue its journey towards the Kattegat.

Thereore, i no other measures are takenit is estimated it will reach the road inthe year 2200 and end its days in the Katte-gat by the year 2230. As aorementioned,Rbjerg Mile has been preserved to allow

uture generations to understandthe problem o sand dune drit, whereasthe clear majority o other dunes havebeen stabilised by planting.

The central area o the dune waspurchased by the state in 1900 (to secureree passage or the dune), and ater theConservation o Nature Act in 1917 urthersurrounding areas were purchased. Thedune is, however, now driting out o thestate-owned area and urther conservation

legislation is discussed.

denmark

COPENHAGEN

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Photo:ChristophSchmidt

Den Tilsandede Kirke


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Plants and Wildlife in thearea of rBJerg mile

The dune is ree o vegetation but thearea in ront o the dune with its manytemporary ponds and wet areas containsa large number o rare plants that haveadapted to the particular environment.Amongst other plants, 10 species o thegenus Juncus and Denmark s smallest

plant Crassula aquatica can be ound here.

On a spring day in Rbjerg Mile, the areais lled with the sound o thousandso croaking beach toads (Buo calamita)Here, you actually nd most o this kindin Denmark. Also, adders (Vipera berus)occur commonly in the terrain. Careulobservation, however, is needed to explorethe beautiul snake as it disappears at theslightest tremor in the ground. The bestchance o nding one is on a sunny spring

day, where adders are tanning on south-

acing slopes. The area around RbjergMile is also known or its migrating birds,especially during spring. The huge terrainwest o the dune is oten used as a restingplace by migrating eagles and owls, just asroosting cranes can be seen by the smalllakes. Rare breeding birds include tawnypipits (Anthus campestris), curlews (Nume-nius phaeopus) and cranes (Grus grus).

actiVities at rBJerg mile and inthe area surrounding the duneIn the local tourist shops, in the touristinormation o ces and on the internet itis possible to get a brochure including amap with our di erent hiking trails in thedune. The longest route is 9,5 km longand the shortest 3,5 km. At nearby placessuch as Hulsig and Bunken visitors can ndbeautiul beaches or people o all ages.

The area o ers also a biking route and di-erent horse trails. It is possible to arrange

or guided tours ocusing on the surround-

ing nature and shing in the lakes o Lillesand Birkes. Being a part o nature, RbjergMile is open year-round and ree o charge.

The best months or a visit are June, Julyand August due to the weather conditions.Rbjerg Mile is situated in the top o North

Jutland with many beautiul sites. Forexample, Skagen is known as the townwith the most sunshine hours in Denmark,and is surrounded by unique scenery and

many white sand beaches. There are alsomany exciting museums (especially artmuseums), monuments and castles in thearea. In Skagens pedestrian street you will nd an exciting choice o specialist shops,whilst at the harbour red warehouses areused as shmongers and restaurants.For tourists interested in nature, Grenenis certainly also worthwhile visiting. It isthe most northern part o Denmark, andthe two seas Skagerak and Kattegat meetat the tip o it. It is a nature preserved area,

but 110.000 ships (those weighing more

actiVities atrBJerg mile:

hiking trails

Beatiful Beaches horse trails guided tours fishing at lillesand Birkes

Photos:kindpermissionofSkagenTuristforening


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denmark

than 150 ton) pass Grenen every year. Inorder to get there, the small bus Sandor-men transports visitors rom the parkinglot next to the Grenen art museum or20 DKK or adults and 10 DKK or children.As one can see, that the area surroundingRbjerg Mile is also quite interesting ortourists. Over time the sea has deposi-ted huge areas o sand, north o Skagenincreasing the size o Jutland considerably.

To keep ships rom hitting these massivedeposits o sand new lighthouses have tobe built every one hundred years, becausethe old lighthouses ended up being arinland over time. Today, these depositsand lighthouses stand as a testimonyo the changes o the landscape o north-ern Jutland.

accommodation in the areaIn the area o Rbjerg Mile there are manypossibilities o accommodation. There are

two places where it is possible to either

sleep in a shelter or in a tent i visitorsbring one themselves. There is also a smallcamp or organised groups (with permis-sion). Moreover, there is a camping sitethat is well designed and big, suitable orlonger stays. Rbjerg Mile is only 16 kmsouthwest o Skagen. Skagen has plenty oopportunities or accommodation as thearea o ers seven camping sites, 19 hotels/inns, a holiday centre as well as numerous

second homes and private homes and f atsthat can be rented.

transPortation to the duneand the surrounding area

There are di erent busses that take you toRbjerg Mile rom the surrounding cities,and it is easy to get there by car. Visitorscan f y directly to Aalborg Airport romCopenhagen, Oslo, Paris, Berlin and Lon-don and then onwards to Skagen and itssurroundings with train, bus or car.

The distance rom Aalborg to Skagen is

106 km. Ferries rom Larvik, Kristiansand,Stavanger, Bergen and Oslo in Norwayas well as Gothenburg in Sweden canalso take you to the region. Coming romother areas in Denmark, there are severaloptions to get to the region by expressbus.Abildskouoperates between Copen-hagen and Aalborg, andThinggaardrunsbetween Esbjerg and Frederikshavn, aswell as Odense, Kolding and Aalborg.

DSB operates train services on the Aalborg Frederikshavn line. The train stops inHjrring, Sindal, (Tolne, Kvissel) andFrederikshavn, with urther connectionsto all major cities in Denmark.

By Mads Willemoes Hjardemaal and Lise Lyck

contact

s tiVestre Strandvej 10DK-9990 Skagen

Denmark

Tel. +45 98 44 13 77

[email protected]

www.skagen-tourist.dk

COPENHAGEN

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Photo:ChristophSchmidt


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the peninSula offiSchland-darSS-ZingSt

lasting memories

at the darsser WeststrandFischland-Darss-Zingst is a peninsulaat the coast o Mecklenburg-West Pomera-nia between Rostock and the isle o Rgen.It is among the most popular tourist des-tinations on the German Baltic coast andwelcomes its visitors in the amous seasideresorts Prerow and Zingst. About 60 kmo beaches are waiting to be discovered.For all visitors who like to experiencea more quiet part o the peninsula, awayrom the lively tourist centres, there is

the beautiul beach at the western shore

called Darsser Weststrand. Between the

shermens village o Wustrow and DarsserOrt visitors can nd one o the most beau-tiul beaches o the coast.

The 10 km o beach are part o the NationalPark Vorpommersche Boddenlandschat.Accordingly, no maintenance is carried outin this area according to the National Parkso cial motto Let nature take its course(Natur Natur sein lassen).Ater storms it might happen that allentrees line the beach. It will look di erentand new things will catch the walkers eye

at every visit. Things that everybody will

probably keep in mind are the windswept

trees in the dunes as a result o requentstrong winds rom the sea. The Germanword or these trees describes theirunusual shape very well. It means thatthey f ee rom the wind (Windf chter).In the evenings or on misty winter daysthe trees create the mystical atmosphere,which has made the peninsula popularwith painters and artists or decades.

a look Back in historyAter the last Ice Age, Fischland-Darss-

Zingst consisted o three separate isles but

a w s v w w bs wb s b b s s s s v w x js .t s fs-dss-Zs B s g s ws w vs.

Typical gable signs

Photos:BetinaMeliss


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due to continuing erosion the isles mergedover the centuries orming todays longhook-shaped structure. On Fischland,an isthmus between the mainland andthe ormer island Darss, between Wustrowand Ahrenshoop, it is still possible to ndhigh cli s rom glacial till and sand.About 6000 years ago, these cli s wereat least twice as high as they are today.

The material eroded rom the cli s by the

orces o wind and waves o the Baltic Seahas been shited north-westwards alongthe shore or thousands o years.

This sand orms the wide and unspoiledbeaches o the Darsser Weststrand stret-ching towards the northern tip at DarsserOrt. From there material is re-depositedurther west resulting in wide beacheswith ne sand along the coast o Darssand Zingst.Every year, about hal a meter o coastis carried away rom Fischland and the

Darsser Weststrand. Thereore, extensive

coastal protection measures are neededalong the whole coast o Fischland-Darss-Zingst.

Between the peninsula and the mainland,visitors can nd a natural eature which isunique in the Baltic Sea Region: the Bod-den. These ormer open bays are enclosedby peninsulas, spits or islands.Boddenonlyhave a narrow connection to the open sea

or to adjacentbodden. There is a chain oboddenrom Fischland-Darss-Zingst toHiddensee, Rgen and Usedeom along thecoast o Mecklenburg-West Pomerania.Due to the act that bodden-type bays areshallow and contain brackish water, theyhave a very distinctive f ora and auna.

They are rich in sh and important restingplaces or migratory birds like cranes andgeese. East o the seaside resort Zingst,in the Sundischen Wiesen, a meadow andheathland, there are observation platorms

rom where visitors can view thousands

o resting cranes. From the historical pointo view, it is also interesting to know thatthe peninsula marks the ormer borderbetween Mecklenburg and Pomerania.Fischland in the southwest was part oMecklenburg while Darss and Zingst be-longed to Pomerania.

For centuries, people on Fischland-Darss-Zingst used to be seaarers, shermen, and

amers. However, at the end o the 19thcentury Germanys economic situationunderwent signi cant changes and leadto the development o a small but growingtourism industry. More people rom thecities could a ord to go on holiday.

This is why inhabitants o Zingst, Prerow,Wustrow und Dierhagen set up the rstaccommodation or tourists rom the cities,leading to the development o seasideresorts on Fischland-Darss-Zingst. At thesame time, Ahrenshoop became popular

as a colony or artists.

germany

BERLIN

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Photos:FreddieBijkerk

Darss door (Darsser Haustr) Northern tip o the Darss


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Especially painters were ascinated withthe picturesque scenery o cli s, beachesand the peaceulness o theboddenas wellas the unique lighting conditions throug-hout the seasons. In 1892, the painter PaulMller-Kaemp laid the oundationsor Ahrenshoops development as a colonyor painters by building the rst paintershouses and a guesthouse or art students.When visiting Ahrenshoop today, the spe-

cial atmosphere can still be elt becausethere are many galleries and culturalevents that emphasize Ahrenshoopsdistinctive character.

floWers on doorsVisitors looking or something they cannot nd somewhere else will de nitely ndwhat they are looking or on Fischland-Darss-Zingst. Some houses have kept theirtraditional colourul ront doors. Thesedoors are very characteristic o the region.

People used to paint and decorate the

doors with many di erent subjects thatwere part o their daily lie. They arereminiscent o the peninsulas maritimepast and its history o seaarers. But theyalso show pictures that were to protecthouse owners rom natural disasters andeven witchcrat. Suns are shown particu-larly oten on the doors. They symbolisea sae return rom the sea. Although thedoors are becoming less, visitors can still

nd them in some places, especially onthe Darss. In the Darss-Museum in Prerowthere are more inormation and manymore examples o the Darss door(Darsser Haustr) to be ound.

dunes and forestsTowards the northern tip o the Darss liesa pristine landscape, which is constantlychanging depending on the ocean currentand the wind. Here, sand is continuous-ly accumulated and re-deposited. The

resulting landscape comprises sandbanks,

berms and small lakes cut o rom theBaltic Sea. Further inland the landscapeturns into dunes o di erent age ollowedby the gradually developing orest.

The Darss orest, in German Darwald,has a size o about 5,000 ha and is situatedin the core zone o the National Park.

Thereore, there are no settlements or anyother human intererence apart rom alighthouse at Darsser Ort and the Natu-

reum, a branch o the German MaritimeMuseum in Stralsund displaying f ora andauna o the Darss. Both are only accessibleon oot, bike or horse, because cars arenot allowed.

While walking through the orest, visitorscan see how the land has developed overtime. As a result o constant growth othe peninsula, the orest shows di erentstages o development. There is a systemo coastal berms and damp troughs (lo-

cally known as Re en and Riegen)

At the beach near Ahrenshoop

Photos:1-

BetinaMeliss,2,3-

FreddieBijkerk

Evening mood


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BERLIN

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running rom east to west. The higherberms are predominantly covered withpine trees, English oaks and beeches. Onthe lower-lying troughs you nd alders andlarge brackens. Due to the act that thesea level was higher in the past, it is stillpossible to see the 3 6 m high cli s o theold coastline within the Darss orest.

The best place to observe the characteris-tic landscape is the top o the lighthouse.

It is 35 m high and was built in 1848.The lighthouse is open or visitors all yearand allows wonderul views o the Darss,Rostock and the Danish coastline.

For centuries, Darss orest was deorestedand used as pastureland. Other parts werealso repeatedly used as hunting groundrom the middle ages up to GDR times.For this reason, there is still a high numbero red deer causing damage to the vege-tation. Not all areas o the orest have ully

recovered rom the centuries o extensive

use yet. But since it has become a NationalPark a lot o e ort has been put in restor-ing the natural state o the vegetation.In many areas the nature is now complete-ly let to its own devices.

More inormation on the National ParkVorpommersche Boddenlandschatcan be obtained rom the National ParkCentre Darer Arche in Wieck. Based in

a ormer school building, it eatures vari-ous exhibitions about the National Park,the bodden, and explains how this uniquelandscape was ormed. Visitors who areinterested in the history o the Sundi-schen Wiesen and, more importantly, itsaviauna, should not miss the InormationCentre Zingst / Sundische Wiese.

By Christoph Schmidt

germany

contact

t in d o

Darer Ort 1-318375 Born a. Dar

Tel. +49 38233 304

[email protected]

www.meeresmuseum.de

W, d a,np g

(National Park Visitor Centre)Bliesenrader Weg 218375 Wieck a. Dar

Tel. +49 38233-7038-0

[email protected]

www.darsser-arche.de

i c

z /s W

100m east o the car parko Hotel Schlchen

The Inormation Centre is onlyaccessible by bike or on ootvia the dyke


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The County o Lbork comprises 5 com-munes: 2 towns (Lbork and eba) and3rural areas (Cewice, Nowa Wie Lborskaand Wicko). 64,000 residents populatean area o 707 square kilometres.

There are wide sandy beaches to strollalong. The Sowiski National Park invitesguests to walk along shiting sand dunes.

There visitors can still see wild, quiet spotsuntouched by human activity and admire

the abundance o auna and f ora as well aslandscapes o great scenic beauty.It is recommended to see the sand dunesnear eba. eba is a known health andtourist resort as well as a shing port.

The town by the mouth o the eba Riveris situated between two lakes: the ebskoand the Sarbsko. One can nd the orest-dune sanctuary "Mierzeja Sarbska" inthe east o the town, whereas in the west,there is the Slovinski National Park withshiting sand dunes unique on a global

scale.

Protection of shifting sanddunes in Poland

The Sovinski National Park (Polish:Sowiski Park Narodowy; SPN) is one o23 national parks and one o 2 seasideparks in Poland. It is situated on the Balticcoast, between eba and Rowy, in Pomera-nian Voivodeship, northern Poland.

The park was ounded in 1967 to preservethe incomparable beauty, the system o

seaside lakes, bogs, peatbogs, meadows,seaside woods and orests, but rst o all,to maintain a dune belt o spits with shi-ting dunes, unique in Europe.

The natural value o the SNP is provenby the act o its placement in internationalnetworks o protected areas, such asHELCOMBSPA or World Nature Sanctuary.In 1977, UNESCO designated the park abiosphere reserve according to its Pro-gramme on Man and the Biosphere (MaB).

The Sowiski wetlands were designated

a Ramsar site in 1995. Currently, the SPNis also an International Birds Sanctuary.Furthermore, the SNP orms the coreo "Slovinian Sanctuary" and "SlovinianSea-Shore" - areas de ned according tothe same criteria in all countries o theEuropean Union, ollowing the guidelineso the Birds Directive and the HabitatDirective.

Today the park covers 186.18 km2, o which

102.13 km consist o waters and 45.99 kmo orests. The northern boundary o thepark consists o 32.5 km o coastline. Thestrictly preserved zone covers 56.19 km.

The County o Lbork lies in the bu erzone o the Slovinski National Park.However, the easiest way to see shitingsand dunes is to go to eba and then toRbka to get to the main gate o the park.

The park is named ater the Slavic (laterGermanized) people known as the Slovin-

cians (Polish: Sowicy), who used to live in

Shifting Sand duneSin the county of lBork

P h t 1

A d j D b k 2 3

T A d i j k


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this swampy, inaccessible area at the edgeo Lake eba. There is an open-air museumin the village o Kluki, presenting aspectso those people's ormer lie and culture.

In the past, the parks area was a Baltic Seabay. The seas activity, however, createdsand dunes, which iseparated the bayrom the Baltic Sea in the course o time.As waves and wind carry sand inland,

the dunes slowly move at a speed o3 to 10 m per year. Some dunes are quitehigh - up to 30 m. The highest peak o thepark Rowokol (115 m above sea level) is also an excellent observation point. The"moving dunes" are regarded as a curiosityo nature.

Waters, which occupy 55% o the parksarea, are mainly lakes - ebsko (71.40 km,maximum depth 6.3m), Gardno(24.68 km, maximum depth 2.6m) and

Dolgie Wielkie (1.46 km, maximum depth

2.9 m). Both ebsko and Gardno lake werepreviously bays. There are also 7 riverscrossing the park, the largest ones beingthe eba and the upawa.

The orests in the park are mainly madeup o pines. These trees cover 80% othe wooded areas. There are also severaltypes o peat bogs in the park. Regardinganimals, the most numerous are birds with

257 species. This is because the park islocated on the routes o migrating birds.

They eel sae here because humanactivities are limited. The most interestingspecies are: erne (white-tailed eagle), eagleowl, crow, swan and various kinds o ducks.Among mammals, one has to point outdeer, elk, wild boar and hare.

adVice for Visitors of sloVinskinational ParkAt present there are over 170 kilometres

o routes. Foot tracks are rendered ac-

cessible or bicycle tourism. We cordiallyinvite to take the advantage o using thisactive orm o recreation. In case o nothaving one's own bicycle, the rental shopssituated in Rbka may be helpul. In thesummer months there is the possibility ocruising on ebsko Lake on the passengerboat "Ohar" with the itinerary o eba-Kluki-eba, or taking the boats "Alka" and"Kormoran" on the route eba-Rbka-

Wyrzutnia-eba.

Practicing water sports is permitted onlyin the specially de ned zones in the lakeso ebsko and Gardno. The same regu-lations apply to angling rom the coastor boat. Dog enthusiasts do not have toseparate rom their avourites while beingin the park. However, or the good o theanimals and other visitors, the dog ownersare requested to use the lead and muzzle.Horse-riding enthusiasts are recommend-

ed to attend horse-riding classes in

WARSAW

poland3

P h o t o : T o m a s z A w d z i e j c z y k


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Nowcin. There is a ban on using wheeledvehicles apart rom specially designated

areas in the SPN. The number and locationo car parks acilitates to plan the sojournand meet all the "corners" o the Park.

The entry as well as the use o the car parkis to be charged. Unlimited lming andphotographing is permitted only on theselected tourist tracks and transit routes.Inormation on the rules and regulationso land and water tourism may be obtai-ned rom the Head O ce o the SPN inSmoldzino.

By Katarzyna Dampc

Photos:BetinaMeliss


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Centrum Inormacji TurystycznejBrama Kaszubskiego Piercienia,ul. Kociuszki 12184-360 eba

Tel. +48 519 400 701

[email protected]

www.leba.eu

Gminne Centrum Kultury84-312 Cewiceul. Wgrzynowicza 16

Tel. +48 59 861 14 90

[email protected]

www.gck.cewice.pl

WARSAW

Gminny Orodek Kulturyi Sportu w WickuWicko 39, 84-352 Wicko

Tel. +48 59 861 11 17

[email protected]

www.gokis.wicko.eu

Gminny Orodek Kulturyw Nowej Wsi Lborskiejul. Lborska 20,84-351 Nowa WieLborska,

Tel. +48 59 8612 253

[email protected]

www.goknwl.pl

poland3

contact

Centrum Inormacji TurystycznejBrama Kaszubskiego Piercienia -Al. Niepodlegoci 684-300 Lbork

Tel. +48 59 842 01 [email protected]

www.lck-regata.pl

Inormacja Turystyczna -Stowarzyszenie LOT ebaul. 11 listopada 5A84-360 eba

Tel. +48 59 866 25 65,

www.lotleba.pl

[email protected]

P h o t o : T o m a s z A w d z i e j c z y k


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The Sunset Trail starts in the centre oSaulkrasti town and takes you to the WhiteDune. It is situated on the right side o theriver Inupes mouth. It is covered with oldpine orest. The white, 18 m high outcropo sand served as a landmark or shermenin the past.

The White Dune ormed as winds carriedthe sand rom the beach over clay sedi-ments o the Baltic Ice Lake. Several layerso soil buried within the dune give witness

to the driting o the dune some 150-200years ago.

Local shermen and armers at Btciemsinitiated a orestation o the driting dunes.At that time, the 30 m high dunes, whichare now covered with orest, were bare,shiting and even buried a armstead. Tospeed up a orestation, mountain pineswere planted. The White Dune was partlywashed away in a heavy storm in 1969,and a 4-6 m high precipice ormed. Today,

wind and sand have levelled out the dune

surace. It has been xed with willow-twigsand orest has grown. The largest pinesare more than 170-190 years old. Notableeatures o the pines are their large trunksand branches, the scars obtained duringtheir lietime and the typical crocodileskin the bark orms rhombuses resem-bling those o the reptiles scales. Scots Pine(Pinus Silvestris) is one o the most commontree species in Latvia. It grows in dry, mea-gre sandy soil, in dunes as well as in marsh.However, it does not stand overshadowing.

Forest res help pines to get rid o compe-titors as pine endures re better than othertrees because o its thick bark and highcrown. The wood exudes resin and burnwounds close quickly. Fire cleans space orseedlings o young pines. Pines can live upto 300-350 years.

The ground cover in dune orests is verysensitive. I the sparse vegetation is de-stroyed, not only the natural biodiversityand landscape is damaged, but also the

dangerous shiting dunes might possibly

wake up. Embryonic dunes, White (yellow)dunes, Grey dunes and Wooded dunes arebiotopes protected by the EU. Grey Dunes areprotected by Latvian law as well. A woodentrail with an observation platorm was builtto protect the White Dune and to acilitatesightseeing. In winter, a skiing trail in thevicinity o the White Dune is arranged.By Gita Memmna,

Saulkrasti Tourist Inormation Offi ce

RIGA

latVia

the SunSet trailto the White dune

4

Photos:kindpermissionofLaukuceotjs

View rom the observation platorm

contact

s tiAinazu 13b, Saulkrasti,LV 2160, Latvia

Tel. +371 67952641

[email protected]

www.saulkrasti.lv


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latVia

RIGA

the prciemSWhite dune trail

The trail winds along the blu s o thelower River Pilsupe and reveals a ascinat-ing sight o three white dune exposures(the largest is called the White Dune).

The White Dune is ca. 20 m high.It was ormed ca. 6000 years ago, in theperiod o the Littorina Sea, which wasa predecessor o the Baltic Sea.

The rst Stone Age settlement on thenorth-western coast o Latvia was ound

there in 1934 by geologist S. Burhards. Inthe sand, some 500 m rom the sea, heound pottery ragments, a sandstonehone, a piece o f int, parts o bones andan amber bead. He handed the ndingsover to the National Museum o History.In October 1934, the site was checked byarchaeologist E. turms, who ound thearchaeological layer, typical or such settle-ments, in the landslides o the Pilsuperiverbanks. From 1936 to 1938, excavationswere undertaken. In total, seven settle-

ments o di erent age were detected and

many arteacts ound, including ragmentso the so-called Srnate and pit-combpottery, as well as some pieces o cordedpottery. Based on these ndings, thesettlement is dated back to the beginningor middle o the 3rd millenary B.C., and itwas inhabited until the beginning o the2nd millenary B.C. Especially remarkableare three clay gures in human shapewhich were probably used or religiouscult purposes.

Since 1993, archaeologist Ilzes Loze hasdiscovered several pit-comb ware culturesettlements in the larger area aroundPrciems village. They are known as thethe ipka settlements in research litera-ture.

Sources:1. I. Roze, Talsi Tourist Inormation O ce2. Guidebook Talsu rajona pilskalni, kulta vietas unsenkapi (Hillorts, cult sites and burial sites in Talsi district)(J.Asaris) 2005

5

Photo:kindpermissionofLaukuceotjs

contact

t ioffi rj c

Roja

Elgas 33Tel. +371 63269594

[email protected]/tour


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the kolkaSragSpine trail

The Kolkasrags Pine Trail is in SltereNational Park. The trail (partly made owood) introduces to the habitats o dunesand century-old pines. Biologists estimatethat the oldest tree, the mother o pines,could be around 200 years old. Coastalpine orests serve as a barrier betweenthe sea and land protecting inland areasrom impact o the sea and winds. Fellingcoastal orests was orbidden by law

already back in 1643, during the Duchy oCourland. Still, due to economic activities,the seashore orests were oten elledand res occurred there occasionally. As aresult, the sand, which had been stabilisedby trees or centuries, started dritingat Cape Kolka. In the 1930s, there wereabout 142 ha o sandy areas in the SltereNational Park and 11.5 ha o those weredriting sand. To stop the driting, the sandareas were careully a orested. A oresta-tion started beore World War I and was

completed in the 1970s. First, the sand

had to be stopped in order to plant newtrees. Just 26 km to the south rom Kolka,there was one o the largest sand dunes inLatvia, 25 km in length.Every year it devoured 0.3 ha o land.

The sand was stopped by covering it withheather, twigs and branches o pines and

junipers and by planting pine trees.

Today, the old low pine trees tell about

Kolkas sand that used to drit. Aterstorms, when the water washes the bluand tree roots are exposed, one can seethat the tree trunks were once coveredwith sand more than 1 m high. The treeson the seacoast usually have crookedtrunks and f ag-shaped crowns ormedunder the inf uence o persisting seawinds. These orests are today a designa-ted biotope: Wooded dunes o the coast.

Stable white dunes cannot orm in Cape

Kolka as they are washed away by sea

currents during spring and autumn storms.Embryonic dunes develop here withplants that usually grow in dunes.

These plants have adapted well to poorsoils, heat, drought, and the saline seawater. The most common species aresearocket (Cakile baltica), sea sandwort(Honckenia peploides), narrowlea hawk-weed (Hieracium umbellatum), marram(Ammophila arenaria), lyme-grass (Leymus

arenarius), sand sedge (Carex arenaria).

Sources:1. Dace Smte, Andra Ratkevia, Latvian Nature Conserva-tion Agency, Kurzeme Regional Administration2. Alanda Plia, Dundaga municipality2. Jnis Dambtis, Kolka municipality

Please see page 30 or contact details.

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Cape Kolka


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latVia

RIGA

the grey duneof pViloSta

The Grey Dune o Pvilosta nature reservecovers 42 ha o land and has been desig-nated to protect Latvias widest dune (1.5km parallel to the sea coast), and the bioto-pes and species ound there. A two-storiedobservation platorm was built to savourthe scenery.

In Soviet time, local shermen used todry seaweed in dunes or the production

o agar, and thus rich vegetation devel-oped in the dune. The Grey Dune is parto a unique landscape with a stunningsea view, the traditional architecture oPvilosta shing town, and biotopes,including protected areas, which borderthe nature reserve: pine orests, embryonicdunes and white dunes,occur here. TheBiotope 2130 Fixed dunes with herbace-ous vegetation (grey dunes) can be oundhere. At present pines are taking over thebiotope. Thereore some maintenance

activities are required. The Grey Dune

is most beautiul in the second hal oJuly and in August when the blossomingbreckland thyme (Thymus serpyllum) andnarrowlea hawkweed (Hieracium umbel-latum) colour the dune in shades o yellowand violet. The most typical species hereare pasquef ower (Pulsatilla pretense), greyhair-grass (Corynephorus canescens), bluehair-grass (Koeleria glauca), and sand pink(Dianthus arenarius).

The Grey Dune earned wide recognitionwhen a group o enthusiasts actively cam-paigned or six years to achieve the statuso a nature reserve. Guna Grimsta, a grouprepresentative, remembers that theyorganised events and activities throughoutLatvia involving large parts o the society,prominent personalities, church parishes,NGOs, pupils and university students.

The activists were writing letters, makingvideos, doing research articles, composing

music, collecting signatures and submit-

ting proposals to achieve the o cial statuso an especially protected nature site orthe Grey Dune. They organised seminars,concerts, art plein aires and exhibitions,educational excursions, church services,meetings with high o cials and on-sitevisits to the Grey Dune.In 2006, the group received the titleProudness o Latvia awarded by thenational TV3 broadcasting company and

the daily paper Diena. The nature reserveGrey Dune o Pvilosta was establishedon 30 October 2007. It is the most recentNatura2000 site in Latvia.

Sources:1. Dace Smte, deputy director, Latvian Nature Conserva-tion Agency, Kurzeme Regional Administration2. Guna Grimsta, the Pvilosta Grey Dune Protection group

Please see page 30 or contact details.

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the mouthof riVer uaVa

RIGA

latVia

The trail in the nature reserve Uavatells about grey dunes which have survivedthanks to border restrictions and thepresence o military. The trail starts atthe parking lot at the mouth o the UavaRiver. It is one o the ew natural estuariesin Europe. One can also see the tacis,which is an industrial installation or lam-prey (Lampetra f uviatilis) shing duringtheir spawning migration period.

The circular trail winds rom the moutho the Uava to the north along the coast-line (the beach is covered with sand andpebbles) and returns to the starting pointthrough grey dunes. Along the trail, onecan observe a distinct white dune withthe rare plant species Linaria loeselii,Lathyrus maritimus, Anthyllis arenaria,

Tragopogon heterospermus. About 1 kmrom the mouth o the river, in the sea,one can see the wreck o a sailing ship.

The way back opens a beautiul view o

the range o grey dunes. Unortunately,scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) trees starttaking over the area.

There are three important biotopes ac-cording to EU classi cation: Fixed duneswith herbaceous vegetation, Decalci ed xed dunes with Empetrum nigrum andDunes with Salix arenaria, orming aunique mosaic. Because the area is a

ormer military site, some military con-structions can still be seen like horseshoe-shaped sand ramparts by the road in thegrey dunes. They were built to disguisemilitary vehicles in case o a sea attack.By the Kangroti graveyard, towards theUava River, there is an undergroundpillbox.

Source: Dace Smte, Latvian Nature Conservation Agency,Kurzeme Regional Administration

8


contact

n cvak r

alteres meniecba,Dundaga district, LV-3270

Tel. + 371 632 860 00

[email protected]

www.daba.gov.lv

View rom the Uava lighthouse


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the mouthof riVer gauJ a

Gauja is the most beautiul river oVidzeme. On the seashore between themouths o river Gauja and river Daugava,one o the largest dune ranges in Latvia issituated, with distinctive parabolic dunescovered with orest (wooded dunes).

The mouth o the river Gauja is unique asit is one o the ew major rivers in Latviaand in the EU countries to f ow into the sea

naturally. There is no harbour or any otherhydro-engineering construction.

It is a popular recreation area in the vicinityo Riga and Saulkrasti, while, unortunately,the lack o inrastructure makes it su errom anthropogenic load.

Not ar rom the river mouth, hidden indunes, there are pillboxes which werebuilt in the 1920s or 1930s as anti-airbornebarriers. There was a whole range o them

along the coastline rom the mouth o

the river Lielupe to the mouth o the riverGauja orming a part o the DaugavgrvaFortress orti cations. The pillboxes aremade o concrete, about 1.5 m thick.Every year, on the 3rd Sunday in August,a lamprey estival takes place in Carnikavatown by the Gauja river mouth. Carnikavais called the Lamprey Capital as it is amousor its lamprey shing tradition and gen-erous catches.

The mouth o the River Gauja is a goodbird-watching area, especially in springand autumn when one can observe thehighest variety o species. It is part oPiejras (seashore) Nature Park.

By Agnese Balandia,

Latvian Nature Conservation Agency

9


contact

n cv aV ra

[email protected]

www.daba.gov.lv

cv ti c

Stacijas 2A, Carnikava,Carnikava district, LV-2163

Tel. +371 67708443

[email protected]

www.tourism.carnikava.lv


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the naturetrail of pape

The nature trail was built in 2003, sup-ported by the WWF, the Latvian Environ-ment Protection Fund, the Internationalvolunteering organization supportingconservation initiatives in the United King-dom (BTCV) involving volunteers rom themunicipal parishes Nca and Rucava.

Pape was one o the largest shing villagesin the Kurzeme region ater World War I.

For generations, shing was the mainmeans o subsistence or the local inhabi-tants. They built their homes rom naturalmaterials wood, reed, straw and boul-ders. Most o the buildings have reed roos.

The Pape Nature Park was establishedin 1993 to protect the biological diversityin the Nida marsh, the Lake Pape, the BalticSea coast, and migrating as well as nestingbirds as Pape is one o the most importantand largest bird migration sites in the

Baltics. The trail exposes the surrounding

landscapes and related biotopes dunes,orest, grasslands and bogs as well asbird and animal species ound there. Onthe trail there is a bird watching tower andtwo birdwatcher hides. You can see therivers Paurupe and Lgupe, beaver activityareas, grasslands, a black alder orest,a spruce orest, f oodland, wild horses,aurochs, the ilu lime tree, the HolyGrove, the Ezerskolas sacri cial stone,

the Pape ornithological eld station,the Papes polder grasslands and the Papelighthouse. There are resting places enroute. The trail leads through the historicalou village with the traditional coastal shing village architecture o buildingsand yards.

The trail in the Pape Nature Park is 9.1 kmlong (5.1 km in one direction on an unpa-ved road, 4 km back along the seashore).

RIGA

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10


contact

Pp n Pf

Tel. + 371 29224331

[email protected]

www.pd-pape.lv

rv ti c

Tel. + 371 29134903

[email protected]

www.rucava.lv

Historic Konu Village at Pape


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RIGA

the pSnuhill

The Pusenu Hill is one o the highest dunesin Latvia, located between the villagesBernti and Jrmalciems. It is 37 m highand o ers a magni cent view o the seaand natural pine orests. The highest dunesin Latvia stand to the south o Jrmalciemsvillage: the Psnu hill, the upu hill, theMietragkalns or Tiesas hill, the Pu hill,the Garais hill, the trais hill, the Lvas hill.

The Psnu dune is the highest o these

dunes, which are all called hills by the localpeople. The Psnu hill evolved between1785 and 1835, when shiting sand becameextremely dangerous. Several homesteadswere buried in sand, among them Psni,where a oresters amily lived. The amily issaid to have moved to Brta. The dune wasnamed ater the buried homestead.

Jkabs Janevskis, a Latvian writer, wrote inhis book Nca: In olden times, large pinetrees were growing in the dunes on the

coast o Nca and they stood steady and

rm. But in Swedish times (around 1650),the Swedes built a large kiln or charcoaland tar. Pine wood and stumps providedan excellent material or this. Once a big re rose, and the charcoal kiln burneddown as well as the whole pine orest.

The remaining stumps and bare trunks inthe vast burnout could not hold the storm-driven sand; it f ew urther and urtherburying not only the burned-out orest,

but also the nearest elds. In wintertime,when the vast, low marshy grasslandswere covered with ice, jets o sand dritedurther over its surace, and soon most othe grasslands and large meadows turnedinto sandy heath-land and dunes.

To reconstruct Liepja, severely damag-ed during World War II, a silicate brickactory was built in the town. The main rawmaterial was white sand and it was takenrom the Berntu orest. In the 1960s the

workers started to dig o the Green Dune

and the White Dune, later also the Psnuhill. The excavators used to work day andnight, in three shits. The work stoppedaround 1980 as there was no more sandsuitable or the production o brick. Today,a trail acilitates walking in the Psnu

dune in the Berntu Nature Park.

11


contact

n tiBrtas 6Nca, Ncas county

LV 3473, LatviaTel. + 371 63489501

[email protected]


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the SedumSof lapmeciemS

In the dunes o Lapmeciems, one canstill nd interesting historical monumentso shermen lie, or example sedums,ormer shing boat piers, where shermenbuilt their net huts and kept inventory.From there they went to the sea and cameback, and, while the shing nets wheredrying on the poles, the shermen weretalking.

The sedums o Lapmeciems are underthe status o architectural heritage o localimportance and are waiting or reconstruc-tion. Today, there are three huts, well visib-le rom the sea. I you look or them drivingon the the main road, there is a landmark a metal bull installed to advertise a localmetal working company. The road passingit leads straight to the sedums and tothe beach.

In the nearby Ragaciems village the local shermen have reconstructed, with theirown labour and money, some old net hutsin memory o their grandathers. Recon-struction is still going on, and the alreadyrebuilt net huts have been put in activeuse.

Lapmeciems is also a promisingbird watching site because migrating birds

are attracted by seaweed cast ashore.The sedums in the villages oLapmeciems and Ragaciems are part othe emeri National Park.

Sources:1. Agnese Balandia, Latvian Nature Conservation Agency,Pierga regional administration2. Ingrda Smukova, Tukums Tourist inormation

RIGA

latVia

12

Photos:1,2-

kindpermissionofLaukuceotjs,3-

DanielEngert

contact

t lpm

Lapmeciems

Engure countyLiepu 4, Latvia

Tel. + 371 631 632 40

[email protected]

At the beach in Lapmeciems


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TALLINN

eStonia

luitemaanature reSerVe

13

Photos:1-

LiisTalv,

2-

TivJul,3-

kindpermissionofLaukuceotjs

A bog lake in LuitemaaRannametsa-Tolkuse viewing tower

Luitemaa Nature Reserve includes themost beautiul nature areas in south-western Estonia. Luitemaa means the land o dunes in Estonian.

It is a 13km long stretch along thePrnu Bay shoreline between Visteand Hdemeeste villages, with shallowwaters, vast coastal grasslands, thehighest dune range in Estonia and the

Tolkuse bog (Tolkuse raba). There isthe Tolkuse bog trail (2.2 km) leading tothe largest lake in the bog (approx. 96x 210 m) and to Tornimgi, the highestdune in Estonia with a viewing platormat a heigth o 18 m.

The visitors rise 50 m above sea leveland can see the Kihnu Island romthere. The area is popular or hikingas well as mushroom and berry picking.

contact

l ng

Marika Kose

+ 372 565 61373

[email protected]


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the curonian Spit inthe kaliningrad region

Only a ew countries can o er beautiuldunes, among them are Germany, Poland,Lithuania, Denmark and the Kaliningradregion. The dunes o the Curonian Spitare rightly considered as pearl o the regionwhich attracts tourists rom di erent coun-tries because the Russian part o the dunesis included in the national park and regis-tered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The sand dunes o the Kaliningrad region

are a signi cant eature o the identityo the Baltic Sea Region. Furthermore,the dunes aare a very attractive destinationor tourists o the Baltic Sea Region.

Resolution No 423 o the Council o Minis-ters o the RSFSR o 6 November 1987 setup the Curonian Spit National Park onthe southern part o the Curonian Spitwhich belongs to the Zelenogradsk districto the Kaliningrad region accordingto administrative division.

it is one of the oldest nationalParks in the country

Total area o the Curonian Spit NationalPark:66.21 km

Dune types:shiting and xed

Functional zones:National park: 7.83 kmTourism zone: 3.88 km

Recreational zone:16.35 km(includingzone o services or visitors: 3.51 km)Specially protected zone:38.15 km

Settlements (Lesnoy, Rybachiy, Morskoe):Area o the settlements: 4.61 kmPopulation: 1 558

Number o tourists:1500 cars and 4000visitors dailyrom May to November.

The picturesque landscape o the Curonian

Spit comprises high sand dunes, both open

and wooded. The contrasting colours owhite and green dunes will leave a lastingimpression on every visitor. The open sanddunes o the Curonian Spit o the Kali-ningrad region are called the Great DuneRidge.

The Curonian Spit dunes can be dividedinto two types: xed and mobile (so-calledliving or shiting dunes). Fixed dunes are

represented by a single ront-dune stret-ching along the coast o the Curonian Spitand coastal sand bars which are runningparallel to the ront-dune on the lee-side.Mobile dunes that are like giant barchansare situated on the coast o the CuronianSpit and consist o separate tracts.

Currently about 70% o sand is xed byshrubbery (i.e. overgrown dunes) and bygrass (i.e. partly overgrown dunes) and only30% o the dunes are lacking vegetation

and represent mobile barchans.

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hoto:NationalPark"CuronianSpit"(RUS)


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They usually have steep lee slopes andapproach the coast. Mobile dunes al-ternate with overgrown xed dunes, i.e.dunes covered with planted shrubbery.

The Curonian Spit dunes are asymmetricwith precipices towards the lagoon andrelatively gentle slopes towards the sea.Mobile dunes are currently moving towardsthe lagoon.

It is possible to determine the age oa dune by its colour. New dunes, in contrastto old ones, consist o light silica sand. Thatis why they are called white dunes. Olddunes are called black or brown due totheir dark colour. They are preserved nearthe town Nida.

The Great Dune Ridge was ormed150200 years ago on the site o ormerparabolic dunes that were irretrievably lostdue to the destruction o ancient orests,deeply buried under a thick layer o sand.

Western windward slopes o white dunes

are long and f at while eastern leewardslopes are short and steep towards a plaincalled palve or towards the CuronianLagoon. The tops o the dunes are broad,sometimes f attened. Their suraceis covered with small and large aeolianorms like ripple marks or wind-blownmounds.Mobile dunes occupy less than hal thelength o the Dune Ridge. Perpetual mo-

tion is their normal state. Driven by westwinds they are moving towards the Curoni-an Lagoon. Thus, the size and the height othe dunes are constantly shrinking.It is hard to believe that the high dunes othe Curonian Spit as well as the whole land-scape have been created by humans. Du-ring the time o crusaders the Curonian Spitwas an important road connecting Prussia,the Baltic States and the Russian Empire.For ve centuries this road was used bythe army. It was used or the transporta-

tion o goods; carriages, stagecoaches and

horsemen used this road. Even, the RussianEmperor Peter I and the Prussian QueenLouise took this road on their journeys.In the 14th century, the rst settlementsappeared near the road and postal stationsopened.When people cut down the orests nothingprevented the ree movement o sand,which began to cover roads, houses andeven entire villages. Sand, not xed by

vegetation, was a disaster or locals.People had to leave their homes and seeknew places to live, where sand and windcould not reach them. The sand approach-ed so quickly that even the doorso the houses had to be built in two partsso that a person could get out o the housethrough the upper part o the door.Only when sand began to cover the roadand the Curonian Lagoon shallowed, thegovernment decided to step in to savethe unique Curonian Spit by elaborating

a conservation project or the duration

ruSSia

MOSCOW

P

hoto:NationalPark"CuronianSpit"(RUS)

14


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o nearly 200 years. In terms o measurestaken, labour and expenditures this projectis unique in the history o mankind.In the 18th century, a special contest orthe best idea to save the road and peoplerom mobile dunes was announced. Theproject o J ohann Titius, a proessor romWittenberg, won. He proposed to dividethe peninsula into two zones - protectedgreen and living areas.

The green zone was to consist o a bankalong the Baltic Sea. In order to stop dunesrom moving, Titius proposed to plantvarious kinds o vegetation so that it wouldcreate a stepped barrier against west windblowing rom the sea. A narrow strip olowland near the dune was to become theliving area. The rst work to set the bank upstarted in 1803.Separate dunes rom the side o the seawere united with wicker ences. The windbegan to blow sand into hollow spaces,

and eventually a wall, the ront-dune, stret-

ching along the Curonian Spit appeared.A large part o the Great Dune Ridge doesnot move. It is covered with grass andorest. First, the sand- lled cavities and slo-pes are stabilised temporarily. Aterwards,sand traps (ascines) are made o branches.When they ll up with sand, beach grass isplanted. It prevents sand rom moving andthereore hinders sand drits. A dense net-work o roots prevents sand rom vanishing

and contributes to the accumulation andormation o soil. Subsequently trees andshrubs are planted where it is necessary.

ePhas heightThe most beautiul and enchanting placeor tourists o the Russian part o the Curo-nian Spit is the route Ephas Height.

The route runs along the south-westernslope o Orekhovaya dune (Petsh). It waswooded in the late 19th century under thedirection o the orester Franz Epha.

From the observation deck tourists enjoy a

wonderul view to the mobile dune Staro-derevenskaya (Altdorerberg) in the South.

The Great Dune Ridge, which can be view-ed rom the observation deck, its a symbolo the Curonian Spit. Its width ranges rom100 to 800 m. The dune stretches 16 kmrom the south-west to the north-east,rom low white dunes on the CuronianSpit to the Lithuanian border and urtheralong the coast o the Curonian Lagoon. Its

average height is 30-40 m with a maximumheight o 67 m (Ventsekrugas a oresteddune on the Lithuanian side o the Spit).

muller's heightThe area near Rybachiy is the most ancientpart o the Curonian Spit. Here, the ront-dune divides into separate dunes.

The highest and the most beautiul dune isBolotnaya dune near lake Chaika. The route(1.5 km long) will take wanderers along theslope o Bolotnaya dune. It is hard to imag-

ine that the dune, which is stable and xed

View rom Ephas Height to Morskoye

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hoto:ChristophSchmidt


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today, was switly moving towards thesettlement Rossitten (Rybachiy) in the 19thcentury. Fortunately, the movement o thedune was stopped. There is evidence romthe age-old pines and spruces at its ootand the mountain pines planted on bothsides o the clearing, leading to the highestpeak o Bolotnaya dune Mullers Height.

The height is named ater KonigsbergsChie Forester who got 5 years o public

unding or the expensive tree-plantingactivities. On the nal point o the routenear the observation deck there is agranite with the phrase Mullers Heightand the date o the nal planting. The ob-servation deck o ers stunning views overthe Baltic Sea, the Curonian Lagoon as wellas amazing views o the Swan Lake andthe Rybachiy settlement.Not only opendunes have brought world ame to theCuronian Spit or more than a century,but also migratory birds. Nestland is

the old name o the spit which dates back

to 1258. Every spring and autumn rom10 million to 20 million birds f y over thespit. Most o them stop here to rest andeed. In 1901, Johann Tinnemann oundedthe world's rst ringing station in the settle-ment Rossitten on the Curonian Spit.His work was continued by Russian scien-tists rom the Zoological Institute o theRussian Academy o Sciences. Today, two-thirds o all the birds, which are ringed in

Russia, have bird passports o the station"Fringilla" on the Curonian Spit. The biggesttraps in the world are used or this purpose.Scientists working at the station rom earlyspring to late autumn, will gladly tell youabout their work and even show you howto catch, ring and then release the birds.It is possible to speak endlessly about theenchanting beauty o the sand dunes othe Curonian Spit, but it is better to see itwith your own eyes.

By Anna Belova

ruSSia

MOSCOW

14

On the Curonian Spit

P

hoto:ChristophSchmidt

contact

Visitor Centre othe National Park Curonian Spito the Kaliningrad Region

Lesnoye MuseumTel. + 7 40150 4-51-19

Kaliningrad Region TourismInormation Centre. ,. , 28

Tel. +7 4012 555-200

[email protected]

www.visit-kaliningrad.ru


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the curonian Spitin lithuania at a glance

Kuri nerija, the Curonian Spit, is a narrowstrip o sand stretching 97 kilometres(180 km2) along the western coast o theBaltic Sea in Lithuania and Kaliningrad(Russia). The Lithuanian side, which is 50kilometres long, is divided into two parts Klaipda city municipality and Neringamunicipality. According to the legend,the spit was ormed a long time ago byNeringa, a girl giant who poured the sandy

peninsula into the Baltic Sea to protect thepeaceul bay rom the stormy sea and tocreate an embankment or shermen tolive. Today the Curonian Lagoon washesthe eastern shore o the Curonian Spit,while the Baltic Sea washes the westernshore. With its still driting sand dunes,seaside orests consisting o hundred-year-old pine trees, dunes covered by mountainpines planted by hand, white sand beachesand old shermen villages, the CuronianSpit is truly unique! The annual number o

visitors is approximately 400,000.

cultural and natural heritageof international significanceIn 2000, the Curonian Spit was inscribedon the UNESCO World Heritage List asa cultural landscape with signi cantnatural and cultural heritage value.

The Curonian Spit is part o Natura 2000,a network o protected territories in Eu-rope connecting its most valuable naturalhabitats. It also belongs to HELCOM,

which seeks to protect the marineenvironment o the Baltic Sea throughintergovernmental cooperation.

natural ValueThe dunes are an outstanding elemento the Curonian Spit landscape. Here visi-tors can explore all stages o dune orma-tion. There are embryonic shiting dunes,humid dune slacks, decalci ed xed dunesand wooded dunes, white and grey dunes,which are amous or their exceptional

beauty.

In order to preserve the valuable land-scape complex, the Curonian Spit NationalPark was established in 1991. The areao the park comprises 26,464 hectares:9,764 ha are covered by land and 16,700ha by water. The park includes two naturereserves: Grobtas Reserve near the Rus-sian border (northern slope o the GlidersDune) and Nagliai Reserve (Dead or Greydunes between Juodkrant and Pervalka).

Furthermore, there are our landscapereserves: Parnidis, Karvaiiai, Juodkrantand Lapnugaris.

sand dunes in the curonian sPitYour journey through the Curonian Spitand its dunes starts in Smiltyn (Klaipda).Here, visitors will be able to admire thediversity o the orests. The most commonsight is the dwar mountain overgrownwith pines. However, it is very susceptibleto res. Visitors must be very careul with

open re in these orests. The scorched

The Gliders DunePhotos:1-

TheCuronianSpitNationalParkAdministration2-

NidaCu

ltureandTourismInformationCentre

The cognitive path to the grey dunes


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area, caused by the re o 4 May 2006,is a very touching lesson. Further towardsNida, there are pine plantings at BearHead, Bear Ravine or Hagenas Dune.

the great dune ridgeThe Great Dune Ridge is the largest relieormation on the Curonian Spit, stretchingalong its eastern side rom the north tothe south. Most o the Great Ridge is

covered with trees. It is the most beautiulorest on the Curonian Spit.

One o the oldest and most wonderulparabolic dunes in Neringa (Juodkrantsettlement) is the Hill o Witches.

The slopes o the hill are covered withcenturies-old pine trees. Through theshady woods, the path rises to 42 m.From the Grey (Dead) Dunes visitors canenjoy the most beautiul panoramao the Spit. It is the area o the Nagliai Na-

ture Strict Reserve with an area o 1,680ha.

It stretches 8 km rom the north to thesouth with an average width o 2 km.

The highest dunes are Vingkop (51 m)and Nagliai (53 m). Along the entire lengtho the dunes there are ravines o the mostintricate patterns blown by the wind andsand hills covered with grass. This reserveis a sanctuary or a number o species,which are included in the Red List. Thewhite-tailed eagle is a requent visitor

there, too.

In the south o Preila settlement is thehighest dune (67.2 m) o the Curonian SpitPark called Vecekrugas Dune or the Old InnHill. The name o the dune originates romthe Curonian vece (= old) and kruogs(= inn), reminiscent o the inn that used tobe at the oot o the dune. The entire duneis covered with dwar mountain pines(Pinus mugo Turra).

Parnidis landscaPe reserVeThis reserve is a bu er zone o theGrobtas Strict Nature Reserve towardsthe Nida settlement.It eatures landscapes o great aestheticvalue. Particularly interesting is the duneridge, which is covered with mountain pineon the northern end and moving sandin the south. This is the only place inthe national park where driting dunes

remain active. Driting dunes are very sen-sitive to any disturbance by visitors.An observation point was set up on thetop o Parnidis Dune. It is one o the mostpopular tourist sites in Nida and o ers aspectacular view o the Curonian Lagoonand the Baltic Sea. In 1995, architectR. Kristapaviius, sculptor K. Pudymas andastronomer R. Klimka built a solar clockthere. This place was chosen not by chance the Curonian Spit is the only place inLithuania where the sun rises and sets

in the water. On the let hal o the clock,

lithuania

VILNIUS

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Parnidis Dune

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hoto:TheCuronianSpitNationalParkAdministration


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one can see signs and symbols o calendarcelebrations, which were copied rom theancient wooden runes calendar.

At Urbas Hill, one o the rst dunes orest-ed by local inhabitants, planting o treesand shrubs has been carried out since1874. At the same time, upon the initiativeo Koenigsbergs authorities, the construc-tion o Nidas lighthouse began. The pres-

ent lighthouse is a 29.3 m high reinorcedconcrete tower.

traditional festiVals in neringaNowadays, a variety o di erent kinds ocultural events, plein-airs, exhibitions andsport events takes place on the CuronianSpit.

An international olk estival, called Teksaulu ant marai in Lithuanian lan-guage, takes place once a year since 1999.

Concerts by guests rom di erent Lithua-

nian regions and other countries, get-to-gethers and marches, crat airs, where youcan purchase original and authentic wares,presentations o culinary heritage,educational workshops or the disper-sion o olk traditions, dance and songteachings all o this has become anintegral part o Neringa's cultural lie.Each year the estival has its own themebased on di erent traditions. Because this

estival takes place at the end o June,the tradition o St Johns day has becomea very important part o the estival and iscelebrated mostly either in Nida, with sanddunes in the background, or on the dunes.

There is nothing more beautiul and moreimpressive than traditional clothing, songsand dances o the locals together with theboundless background o sand dunes.

In the summer o 2011, the olklore en-semble Giedruze o Nidas Cultural and

Tourism Inormation Centre Agila starred

in a lm presenting the regions traditions,dances and songs. Many parts o the lmwere produced in the sand dunes or near-by. The lm was made to present Neringasregion and its culture to a national andinternational audience.

The dunes o the Curonian Spit can alsobe seen in a ew other Lithuanian movies:A woman and her our men, Elze oGilija and others.

Author o the article: Klaudija KioniesArticle based on The Curonian Spit National ParkAdministration and Neringa Culture and Tourism CentreAgila inormation.

Photos by: The Curonian Spit National ParkAdministration, Neringa Culture and Tourism Centre Agila

The Hill o witches Moviemaking in the sand dunes P h o t o s : N i d a C u l t u r e a n d T o u r i s m I n f o r m a t i o n C e n t r e


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Curonian Spit National ParkVisitor Centrein NidaNagli str.8LT-93123 Neringa, Nida

Tel. + 370 469 51256,

[email protected]

www.nerija.lt

lithuania

VILNIUS

Tel. + 370 469 53 490Mobile + 370 618 62 447

[email protected]

www.visitneringa.com

Curonian Spit National Park

Visitor Centrein Smiltyne (n the summer season only)Smiltyns str.11LT-93100 Klaipeda

Tel. + 370 46 402 256,

[email protected]

www.nerija.lt

15

Urbas Hill P h o t o : N i d a C u l t u r e a n d T o u r i s m I n f o r m a t i o n C e n t r e

contact

Nida CulturalTourism Inormation Centre AgilaTaikos str. 4LT -93121, Neringa, Nida

Tel. + 370 469 52 345,Mobile + 370 682 19 473

[email protected]

www.visitneringa.com

Tourism Inormation CentreIn JuodkrantL. Rzos str. 8LT-93101, Juodkrant, Neringa


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touriSticinformationm v b s agora 2.0:

Bs

Visit Belaruswww.belarus.by/en/travel

d

Visit Denmarkwww.visitdenmark.com

Visit Copenhagen

www.visitcopenhagen.com

es

Visit Estoniawww.visitestonia.com

The O cial Website othe Tallinn City Tourist O cewww.tourism.tallinn.ee

Visit Tartuwww.visittartu.com

f

The O cial Travel Site o Finlandwww.visitf nland.com

Visit Helsinkiwww.visithelsinki.f

g

German National Tourist Board

www.germany.travel

O cial Tourism Portal or Visitorsto the German Capitalwww.visitberlin.com

Tourist Board Mecklenburg-West Pomerania TourismusverbandMecklenburg-Vorpommernwww.au-nach-mv.de

Tourism Marketing Brandenburg Tourismus Marketing Brandenburg(in German)www.reiseland-brandenburg.de

Tourism Agency Schleswig-Holstein Tourismus-Agentur Schleswig-Holsteinwww.sh-tourismus.de


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lv

O cial Latvian Tourism Portalwww.latvia.travel

Visit Rigawww.liveriga.com

Latvian Rural Tourism Associationwww.countryholidays.lv

lVisit Lithuaniawww.visitlithuania.net

Visit Vilniuswww.vilnius-tourism.lt

p

Polands O cial Travel Websitewww.poland.travel

O cial Tourist Website o Warsawwww.warsawtour.pl

rss / k r

Regional Tourism InormationCenter Kaliningrad

www.visit-kaliningrad.ru

Sw

Sweden's O cial Websiteor Tourism and Travel Inormationwww.visitsweden.com

Stockholms O cial Visitors Guidewww.visitstockholm.com


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imprint

ISSN 2194 - 8232

All rights reserved2012 University o Greiswald

SERIES EDITORDipl. oec. Betina Meliss

Tel. +49 3834 / [email protected]

ISSUE EDITORChristoph Schmidt

[email protected]

PRODUCED IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE PROJECT AGORA 2.0Project leader:Pro. Dr. Wi

Treasures of the Baltic Sea - Shifting Sand Dunes - Discover Moving Landscapes

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Transcript of Treasures of the Baltic Sea - Shifting Sand Dunes - Discover Moving Landscapes