An Impressive Trip around the Curonian Waterways 

The Curonians were a tribe of Balts who lived beside the Baltic Sea in the west of present-day Latvia and Lithuania from the seventh century to the first half of the 17th century. Although these warlike people engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry and crafts, it has to be admitted that the first image that comes to mind when you hear the name of the Curonians is sailing and waterways. And this really is fair, because the Curonians, like the Prussian Sambians, were particularly skilful and brave sailors, and also excellent fishermen.

Today the Klaipėda region, the former land of the Curonians, has plenty of interesting sights to visit. We want to tell you about the village of Dreverna and its surrounding area, so we are inviting you to take an impressive trip around the waterways of the Curonians.

Dreverna: a historic past and a modern way of life

We suggest you start your journey around the Curonian waterways at Dreverna, an old fishing village on the shore of the Curonian Lagoon, near the mouth of the River Dreverna. It was first mentioned in written sources as early as 1253. For almost 300 years there was a large fish market here, called Strykis, which attracted throngs of fishermen and traders. If it were possible to travel back in time to the village as it was then, the smell of fish and the sheer numbers of people would be quite overpowering.

Today, Dreverna is a perfect combination of the historical past and a modern lifestyle. For anyone who wants to go on a journey back through time, we recommend visiting the ethnographic homestead of Jonas Gižas, a famous builder of ships on the Curonian Lagoon, which was reconstructed in the 20th century. There you can see the exhibition ‘J. Gižas. Opening the Shipwright’s Chest’, where you will learn about the shipbuilding and fishing traditions of the region, and you can colour in the Dreverna weathervane, one of the most vivid and unique signs in the world. The homestead also organises the educational programme ‘The Way of Fish’, a culinary cruise on the Curonian Lagoon in an ancient Curonian boat. With food, education, the coastal region’s traditions, and the breeze and the billowing sails of the lagoon, it all makes for an unrivalled experience.

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