Curonian Spit
Kurskaya Kosa is a national park in the Kaliningrad region, formed in 1987. The park is a strip of sand from Zelenogradsk to the city of Klaipeda in Lithuania, separating the Baltic Sea from the Curonian lagoon. On the Lithuanian part of the braid, the national park of the same name is also formed. In total, the length of the braid is 98 kilometers, and the width varies from 400 meters to almost 4 km.
The name came from the ancient tribe of the Kursh, who once lived here. Due to its unique natural-anthropogenic relief and biological diversity, the Curonian Spit was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. Desert and tundra landscapes are combined on the Curonian Spit, over which 10-20 million migratory birds fly over in autumn and spring. Because of this, the Curonian Spit is also called the bird bridge, and in 1901 the German ornithologist Johann Tineman built an ornithological station here. In total, 102 species of birds live permanently on the braid, and there is also a migration route from Northern Europe to Africa of about 150 species of birds, many stop for food and rest on the scythe.
For the Kaliningrad region, the park is a business card and one of the favorite places for residents and visitors of the region. Although the territory of the park is very small, more than 100 thousand people visit it annually to admire the wonderful nature of the region. Due to good climatic conditions, it is comfortable to spend time on the Curonian Spit from May to November, sunbathe on the beaches, as well as swim both in the salty waters of the Baltic Sea and in the fresh waters of the bay. For the convenience of tourists, several tourist routes pass through the most interesting places are laid.
The route "Royal Bor" passes by centuries-old coniferous trees and thickets of introducents and thuy giant. On the local flood meadows, Prussian falcons for royal hunting were previously trained. On the route "Fringilla Ornithological Station" during an excursion led by ornithologists, you can learn more about migratory birds. On the "Epha Height" trail from the observation deck you can fully see the landscapes of moving sands, forests, the sea, and the Curonian Spit Bay. Of no less interest is the "Dancing Forest", a forest plot planted in 1961 to fix the sands of the Curonian Spit. The name of the forest was obtained due to hundreds of curved pines. The reasons for this form of trees are not completely clear, but the main version is the damage to young shoots of pines by caterpillars.
Approximately 70% of the territory is occupied by forests, in which you can find about 600 species of vegetation: trees, grass, shrubs. Of animals, moose, wild boars, roe deer, foxes are often found, a total of 296 species of vertebrate animals.
