The route is dedicated to the element of air: it explores the legacy of Nida’s gliding school that was active from 1933 to 1939. Experience it solo or with a group: look out for seven orange colour marked stops that host records of stories from the school’s employees and students. The scenic route allows time for contemplation on how the splendid nature of Neringa was creatively used to rise to the open skies.
The first stop takes you to the original location of the gliding school that is home to the original hangar arch. Feast your imagination on the size of the school and the atmosphere of the bygone times before setting off to the Dune of Parnidis, where a desert-like feeling overtakes the sceneries of fragrant forest. Admire the open views of the nostalgic lagoon, the town of Nida and the nature reserve of Grobštas. The territory of the current reserve is home to the gliders’ favourite dune - the Dune of Gliders - that used to see regular gliders cruising back and forth.Take the route through the Valley of Silence, and meet the lagoon shores that will take you to the cosy hubbub of the Nida port to hear a story of the locals’ reaction to the newcomer gliders. The route then takes visitors to the Museum of the History of the Curonian Spit that hosts several rather sarcastic awards that the gliders would award each other. The route then follows the steep lagoon shores northwards until you reach the sandy and narrow paths leading up to the Horn of Bulvikis, the widest part of the Curonian Lagoon. Today, it is the place that breathes the most of the spirit of aviation in Neringa.
Of course, how can one experience Neringa without its splendid beaches? While walking towards the sea, you will climb the hills of Bulvikis and Vipers, before your senses rejoice in the playful wind of the Baltic sea.
Duration of the route: 3–5,5 val.
Lenght: 19 km.