Where is the Baltic Grass Spit on the map

Baltiyskaya Spit for grass (Baltiyskaya Spit)

Less well known than the famous Curonian Grass Spit in the Kalina region Baltic Grass Spit, a relatively narrow strip of land separating the Kalina and Gdańsk bays of the Baltic Sea.

Its total length is 65 kilometers, 30 of which belong to Poland (there it is called the Vistula Grass Spit). The Russian part of the spit is broader, in some places a strip of land reaching several kilometers in width. The northern part of the Russian part is separated from the mainland by the navigable strait near the city of Baltiysk.

Nature of the Baltic Grass Spit

The entire area of the Baltic Spit for grass is covered with forest and sand. Among the trees predominate pines, there are also birches, as well as alder, oak, ash. The sands form dunes, not so high as on the Curonian Spit, not higher than 40 meters, but very picturesque too.

Fauna is diverse. roe deer, wild boars, a lot of foxes and hedgehogs, raccoon dogs can be found, seals sometimes come to the western shore. Both coasts of the Baltic Grass Spit are natural sandy beaches. Bathing season here is typically Baltic, usually from late July to late August 20s.

Attractions of Baltic Spit for grass

Spartan character of the Baltic Spit with almost complete absence of usual city services, however, does not scare away many tourists, mostly from large cities of Russia. The pristine wilderness is the main attraction of this place.

Invigorating sea air with the scent of pine, fantastic landscapes with dunes, an endless stretch of beaches with clean sand, where you can find the sun stone amber, all this attracts fans of healthy lifestyles and lovers of quiet solitude, exciting hiking and biking among the picturesque Baltic nature.

Fans of historical research also often visit the Baltic Spit. From the times of World War II there are many German military facilities, which after the war were used by the Soviet army for several decades, and now are left empty and in ruins.

Farming Simulator 19. Map First Impression. Baltic Sea

These are aircraft hangars (the German airfield Neutif, a seaplane base, was located here), the ruins of the Western Fort built back in the 19th century, numerous bunkers and other fortifications and engineering structures scattered all over the area of the Grass Spit.

The Baltic Grass Spit is the westernmost territory of the Russian Federation. At 1938 coordinates′ is located Zeleny Mol, the western tip of Russia.

Infrastructure on the Baltic Spit

It would be more correct to say that there is no tourist infrastructure in the Russian part of the Baltic Spit for grass. In two small villages, Rybachiy and Kosa, located on the spit, you can rent rooms in the private sector.

Tourists are usually accommodated in tents, in Rybachy village, in a small tourist center, there is a place to rent hiking equipment. Here you can also rent a bicycle.

Medical care, as well as pharmacies are absent, for these goods of civilization, as well as for food, tourists and locals have to regularly go by ferry to Baltiysk.

How to get to the Baltic Spit for grass

First you need to get to Kaliningrad by plane or train. From there you can get to Baltiysk by bus or by train, it takes about an hour and a half. In Baltiysk the grass spit is already clearly visible, but you have to get to it by ferry or private carrier boat.

The Baltic Grass Spit on the map

The Baltic Spit is a rather narrow part of land, which is also the border between the Baltic Sea and the Bay of Gdańsk with Kalina Bay. The length of the Grass Spit is 65 km, 35 of which are part of Russia and the rest 30 are part of Poland. The width of the Spit is 300 m 1.8 km in the center and in the south, but in the north the width is much greater. On this peninsula about 1200 people live.

There are sandy beaches on the grass spit, as well as wooded dunes. Peninsula Baltic Spit for grass was formed due to the counteraction of natural forces. The waves and currents carry the sand to the shore and then the wind carries the sand to the land, after which the dunes are formed. The height of the dunes is usually not higher than 40 m on the Baltic Spit. Due to the forested nature of the peninsula the sand moves quite long. The process of dune formation itself started about 6-7 thousand years ago. Around this time, the Kalina Bay was formed, which was caused by the Valdai Glacier and the fluctuations in the water level of the Baltic Sea.

The Baltic Grass Spit also has its own history, there were armed clashes on it, such as the defense of the island in 1807, which took place under the command of Kamensky. Also after the war a Soviet airbase was formed. After the departure of the military, only echoes of history remained of it, which still stand to this day. There are many inscriptions on the walls, including in German, as well as paths typical of the airfield. Baltic Grass Spit is an amazing place in terms of geography, as well as having its own unique and inimitable history, but not everyone knows where the Baltic Grass Spit is. The closest neighbor on the peninsula is Poland, where on half of the peninsula there is the famous and quite popular resort Morska Krynica. There is also a ferry service on the peninsula, so it is not too difficult to get there, and since 2007 a shipping company has been doing it, which ensures stability of the crossing.

Baltic Spit for Grass: beaches, an abandoned airfield and the fortress of Pillau

Vistula (aka Baltic) Spit for grass. A narrow strip of land stretching from the glorious city of Baltiysk toward Poland. Not so long ago a military base. And now how to figure out what’s out there now? A place of timelessness, a place of memory, a point gouged out in time and space, a principle of uncertainty.

We saw it this way even now. What will happen to this fragile world in a few years? Now no one knows.

Baltic Grass Spit

Two narrow strips of land catch the eye on the map of the Kalina region, separating the Curonian Lagoon and the Kalina Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. The southwest strip is the Baltic Spit for grass.

Originally German, after World War II the Baltic Grass Spit was divided between Russia and Poland. In Poland, the spit is called the Vistula Spit and its Polish part has long been developed as a seaside resort. The northern part of the spit was a closed military facility for grass the whole XX century, at first. the German, after World War II. the Soviet and then Russian. Only in 2010, restrictions on visiting the spit for grass were lifted and tourists began to freely go there.

According to the scientists’ version, the Baltic Spit for Grass appeared about 6 000 years ago, when the northwest of the Central Russian Plain was freed from the Valdai glacier and the Kalina Bay was formed. Sea waves and currents bring the sand to the shore, and the winds form the dunes. The height of the dunes is no more than 40 meters, and vegetation that has grown on the sand delays its movement.

The waters of the Baltic Sea have always strived to break into the gulf, eroding the spit in one, and then in another place. In 1510, an especially violent storm broke out that deepened one of the straits. Since then, the northern boundary of the Baltic Spit for grass. the strait separates the Spit from the city of Baltiysk. The connection between the spit and the mainland is provided by boats and a car ferry.

Length of the spit for grass. 65 km, of which 35. Russian territory. Width. from 300 to 1800 meters. The closed border zone on the Russian side begins 7 km before the border, there is no border crossing.

The western extremity of the Russian part of the Baltic Grass Spit with coordinate 19° 38′ East is the westernmost point of Russia.

In 1869 German engineers, rebuilding the old fortress of Pillau, added two forts. One of them, the “Western”, was located across the strait, at the northern extremity of the Baltic Spit for grass. It covered the city from the Baltic. The fort had strong brick walls, galleries, additionally protected by earth ramparts, and a two-story barracks. Three caponiers (long ledges-garages designed for simultaneous firing in two opposite directions) allowed to keep under crossfire almost the entire surrounding water area, the coastline and the strait. In addition, when high-explosive bombs were invented, some of the fort’s buildings were reinforced with concrete, a material that was new at the time.

In 1934, next to the fort “West” on the shore of a semicircular bay of Kalina Bay, the Germans began construction of a military airfield Neutief (Neutief). The works were finished at the end of 1939. The airfield could receive not only regular, but also seaplanes, and in almost any weather. Three concrete aircraft hangars 100 by 30 meters and two metal garages for other equipment were built.

On April 26, 1945, the Soviet landing troops landed on the spit, and the fighting lasted until May 9. After the war, the Soviet troops began to use the airfield, including for the placement of seaplanes and amphibious aircraft, and in the Baltic was placed the base of the Baltic Fleet.

Soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union, troops left the airfield on the spit, and it began to rapidly deteriorate. Fort Zapadny received an even sadder fate. During its construction the Germans used the most modern materials, but did not take into account one thing. the variability of the coastal mowing line. In a hundred years the sea successfully mowed up the wide pile-strewn shoreline and the breakwaters that protected it, coming up to the very walls of the fort. The southern guardhouse is almost completely submerged, and the earth ramparts are washed away by the surf, which splashes in the brick arches of the galleries. The northern and southern caponiers were partly destroyed during the war, and partly dismantled into bricks by the locals. But even in this state, the mighty sealing walls of the fort, overgrown with grass, make a strong impression.

The main wealth of the Baltic Spit for grass today is its many kilometers of sandy beaches, thirty meters wide, practically untouched by civilization. The tourist infrastructure of the grass spit is limited to a small campsite and cafe.

Baltic Spit for Grass sights, location, photo

The Baltic Grass Spit (German name: Fritsche Nerung) is a narrow strip of land, separating the Gulf of Kalina from the main part of the Gulf of Gdańsk, which is 65 km long. On the spit passes through the Russian-Polish border. Here you can endlessly admire the unspoiled nature, walk freely in the dunes and relax on the pristine beaches. In addition to nature, the Baltic Spit has many sights of a bygone era.

On the spit there is a settlement of the same name. the Grass Spit, which is administratively part of Baltiysk. In the village you can rent a house, buy food and eat in the cafe.

During Soviet times, visits to the spit for grass was limited, which explains the complete absence of tourist infrastructure.

Baltic Spit for Grass is an atmospheric place, which is ideal for devotees of quiet and secluded rest, as well as for those who prefer to rest “wildly” in tents. On the Spit abandoned military installations, built by the Germans before World War II.

Where is the Baltic Grass Spit? Coordinates of the Baltic Spit

Not everyone knows where the Baltic Spit for grass is, and asks this question. The most extreme point of the western part of the Russian Federation is in the Kalina region. This point is situated on a beautiful natural formation called the Baltic Grass Spit (also called the Vistula Grass Spit). It is a fairly narrow, but long strip of land, which, on the one hand, is connected to the shore, and on the other hand separates Kalina and Gdańsk Bay. From the Russian side, the Baltic Grass Spit is separated from the mainland by the Baltic Strait through a channel, on which ships sail from Baltiysk. The surface of the grass spit is covered with sand. The height of the Baltic Spit dunes for grass currently does not exceed 40 meters.

The Baltic Grass Spit belongs to the Baltic Sea water area. Geographical coordinates of the Baltic Spit for grass 54°24′ N 19°30′ E. The entire length of the Baltic Grass Spit is 65 kilometers. The northwestern part of the Grass Spit is in Russia, 35 kilometers, the rest of the land is in Poland. The grass spit is 350 to 1,800 meters wide in the southern and central parts, and widens out to the north, reaching a width of 8-9 kilometers. The Baltic Grass Spit belongs to the Baltic Urban District, the total population of which is approximately 35 thousand people.

In the Russian part, there are settlements called Rybachy and Spit for Grass. On the Polish side there are villages called Krynica Morska, Fishermen’s Lots and Piaski. The area of the whole Baltic Grass Spit is 2522 ha. The northern part of the Grass Spit is called the Pillau Peninsula. You can get from the mainland to the Spit for Grass from the ferry, the way takes about 5 minutes. A boat runs between the Baltic Sea and the Spit several times a day. And there are also car ferries, which run less frequently.

On the territory of this “strip of land” closer to the border from the Russian Federation has a 24-hour border regime. In order to be there, you need a permit-pass. Any citizen of the Russian Federation can come to the Baltic Spit as a tourist. You need to show your passport of a Russian citizen at a checkpoint.

Where is the Baltic Grass Mower on the map

The Baltic Grass Spit is a narrow strip of land that separates the Gulf of Kalina from the Baltic Sea. It is 65 kilometers long, 35 of which are Russian territory, the remaining 30 are Polish. The width of the Baltic Spit for grass varies from 300-1800 meters in its southern and middle parts to 8000-9000 in the northern. The Polish part of the grassy spit is called the Vistula Lagoon (also called the Vistula Lagoon in Poland).

The Baltic Grass Spit was created by the rising of the sand masses caused by the sea currents. Its German name is Frische Nehrung, first mentioned in ancient chronicles in 1190. The people who inhabited the spit have always struggled with the sand, fortifying the dunes with iron rods and forest plantations. The Baltic Grass Spit is separated from the mainland by a shipping channel (the strait between the spit and Pillau was created in 1510 as a result of a big storm); communication between it and the Baltic Sea is provided by a cargo-passenger ferry. There is a village on the Spit, with about 900 inhabitants. There is no border crossing on the Polish-Russian border.

View the Baltic Spit on a larger map

The Baltic Spit for Grass. landmarks

By its natural conditions the Baltic Grass Spit is similar to the Curonian Spit. the same beaches and sand dunes, but poorer vegetation. There are rare species of animals and plants included in the Red Book.

The sights of the Baltic Spit for grass are the German military installations: the Western Fort, 1869/71. The Soviet and Russian military installations, the Neutief airfield built in 1934/39, the coastal battery Neutief, the anti-aircraft batteries Lemberg and Kaddig and the former Luftwaffe ammunition depots. The airfield was used by the Soviet and Russian militaries until the 1990s. Runways, taxiways, aircraft hangars and many dilapidated buildings for various purposes have been preserved. The Western Fort and the installations of Neutif and Lemberg batteries are now gradually crumbling and sinking into the sea. Former Luftwaffe depots are privately rented and used for public events, such as the Rusty Dragon post-apocalyptic festival.

Rest on the Baltic Spit

Russian part of the Baltic Spit for grass until the mid-90s was a closed territory and (unlike in Poland) was not used as a resort and recreational area. In the village there is a recreation center, a bar, several cafes and stores. Locals offer windsailing boards, bicycles, motorboats with steering, cars with driver. It is possible to book a yacht trip, a paratruke ride and horseback riding. Currently developed t. н. “Wild tourism, which contributes to the wide (up to 40 meters) sandy beaches and picturesque nature, attracting fans of beach holidays, hiking and fishing. Also Baltic Grass Spit is popular with explorers of fortifications.

Map of Curonian Spit for grass and its geographical coordinates

The Curonian grass spit was originally called the Curishe-Nerunga, which means “sandbank, grass spit” in German. This name comes from the ancient tribes called the Curonians who lived here before the Germans colonized Prussia. In 1947, after the part of the Spit for grass (south) passed to Kalina region it was given the name Kursk Nereya, and in 1959 the name was changed to Kursk Spit for grass. In 1971 the name was changed to the present day Curonian Spit for grass.

Information map of the Curonian Spit for grass

Geographical coordinates of the Curonian Spit for grass. 55°16′ N 20°58′ E. November 6, 1987. The Curonian Spit was given the status of a State Nature National Park. The grass spit covers a distance of ninety eight kilometers. Its width varies from 400 m to 3.8 km. The area of the territory is 6621 hectares. In the famous UNESCO World Heritage List the Curonian Spit for grass was included in 2000.

The border between the Russian part of the Curonian Spit for grass and the Lithuanian part is its 49th kilometer, if you count the distance from Zelenogradsk. The national park “Curonian Spit for Grass” is located on it. It was given this status in 1987. There are also three settlements here. Morskoye, Rybachy and Lesnoy, which form the rural settlement of the Curonian Spit for grass, which is part of the Zelenograd district. This settlement has a population of 1,556 and its center is the village of Rybachy.

Detailed map of Curonian Spit for grass with places of interest

To open in maximum resolution, click on the map.

Curonian Spit for grass is a unique natural anthropogenic landscape. It is the biggest sand body, which together with the Baltic Spit and the Heli Spit is a part of the Baltic sand spits, which has no analogues in the world. About 72 % of its territory is covered by forests with about 600 different species of bushes, herbs and trees. Fauna of the Grass Spit counts 296 species of various terrestrial vertebrates, such as roe deer, moose, wild boar, fox, etc. The Curonian Spit is also called the “bird bridge” because more than 150 species of birds migrate through it. That is why one of the world’s first ornithological stations “Fringippa” (Rybachy settlement), founded in January 1901, is located here.

Map of Curonian Spit for grass with symbols

There are six equipped hiking trails in the national park of the Curonian Spit for grass, such as “Royal Forest”, Ornithological Station “Fringilla”, “Müller Height”, “Dancing Forest”, “Height of Efa” and “Swan Lake”.

Curonian Spit for grass sights 2022. Guide with description and photo ️

Curonian Spit for Grass. Nature Reserve, which has no analogues anywhere in the world. Just imagine: you drive on a narrow strip of land, located in the middle of the big water. On one side it is washed by the Baltic Sea, on the other side by the Curonian Lagoon, which visually does not differ much from the sea. Life is boiling on this sandy strip, rare animals and birds of the Curonian Spit for grass are breeding, new paths are appearing. Fascinating, really?