The height of the fef is the Curonian Spit. Description of Ef Height
The Curonian Spit is a special pride of the Kaliningrad region, a nature reserve and a truly unique place. The spit is a hundred-kilometer-long sandy strip, which, under the influence of winds, creeps towards land for centuries. Wandering dunes and dense forests, villages and deserted swamps, wild boars and foxes, legends and sagas - all this is here, on the spit.
The Curonian Spit begins at Zelenogradsk itself and, divided in half by the border, stretches to the Lithuanian Klaipeda. Almost on the very edge of its Russian part is the highest dune - Orekhovaya, with a peak named after the forester Wilhelm Franz Ef. It is almost impossible to drive past: after forty kilometers of almost complete absence of civilization (with the exception of a couple of villages and small parking lots with toilets), you will be greeted by souvenir shops, stalls with smoked fish and a parking lot full of cars.
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In one direction, a boardwalk leads to the beach, along which an avandune stretches, created back in the 19th century. Despite its low height, it offers a view of the vast forests of the Curonian Spit. The beach is so wide that, probably, even in the heat there should be quite free.
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On the other side of the parking lot is a tourist route. The same wooden path leads to observation platforms (there are two of them) through a coniferous forest. This is a real corner of the Ural nature: pines, ferns, paths littered with yellow needles. The forest is very light, transparent, weightless, and in gratitude for its creation, people immortalized the name of Efa.
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And it was like that. Deforestation on the spit led to the fact that the dunes, blown away by the wind, moved towards the Curonian Lagoon, and the village of Morskoe (Pillkoppen) was in danger of being covered by the Walnut dune (Petsh dune). At that time, there were different ways to "fix" the dunes, but they all had an effect decades later. Efa, on the other hand, proposed a simple but effective way of planting trees (with a piece of soil), and five years later, work on the Nut Dune was completed. The village was saved. More than a hundred years have passed since then, and the dune has not moved. It does not change its height (61 m), it is on it that the same tourist route with observation platforms is laid, from which a view of the bare nomadic dunes opens.
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7. View from the first observation deck 
8. Path to the second observation deck 
9. View from the second observation deck to the Lithuanian Nida 
The Curonian Spit surprised me with its diversity: here you can just lie on the beach or walk through the forests, you can plunge into history or the subtleties of nature protection - there is a rest for every taste. There are cafes and recreation centers, old houses, lakes and completely unexpected surprises. For example, in winter we saw how people feed apples to wild boars on the road. However, this is a completely different story.
A story with a photo about one of the most picturesque tourist routes curonian spit — "At the height of Ef" laid on the slopes dunes walnut near Morskoye village.
Dune Walnut or Petsh(German: Petschberg) is part of the Great Dune Range, which begins at the 16th kilometer of the Curonian Spit. The western windward slopes of the Great Dune Range are long and gentle, while the eastern leeward slopes are short, steep and often fall into the Curonian Lagoon or the narrow plain located on its shores. The average height of the dunes of the ridge is 35 meters, and the Orekhovaya dune has a maximum height of 64 meters. Some visitors mistakenly refer to it as "Dune of Efa" after the name of the tourist route. In fact, only its highest point is named after Efa - in honor of the famous dune inspector Wilhelm Franz Efa, who was the first to come up with the idea of arranging foredunes in order to strengthen the Curonian Spit. In the past, at the top of the Nut Dune, there was a small monument to the one whose name the peak was named, but it has not survived to this day.
Before the start of large-scale strengthening works, the dunes of the Curonian Spit were mobile (at present, there are about a third of them) and seriously threatened the settlements of local residents. For example, Morskoye village(former Pilkoppen) is located literally a stone's throw from the Petsch dune hanging over it, and for this reason he had to change his place three times, fleeing from the sands advancing from the west. At the site of the very first location of the Morskoye village, there is now Dune Staroselskaya(Altdorferberg).
Curonian Spit, Morskoye village
Once upon a time there was a small Curonian village named Pilkupa on the current site of the settlement. In 1283, the Teutonic Knights, who were actively expanding into the lands of modern Poland, Russia and the Baltic states, captured the Curonian Spit and founded a castle on the site of the village Neuhaus("New House"), not far from which a German settlement arose Neustadt("New town" ). However, this name did not take root and in 1663 it was renamed Pillekop(or, in German, Pilkoppen). After the annexation of part of East Prussia to the USSR in 1945, Pilkoppen was renamed Maritime.
The shifting dune sands posed a constant threat to Pilkoppen, and Wilhelm Franz Efa worked all his adult life to eliminate it. In 1888, the sand almost covered the village again, but this time the long work to strengthen the dunes paid off and another sand disaster was prevented.
By the way, the sands did not always threaten the settlements of people - it began only after the inhabitants of the Curonian Spit destroyed the forests growing on it and turned the land into a sandy desert. Approximately 6-7 thousand years ago, the Baltic winds gradually brought sand and formed a narrow long strip of land, later called the Curonian Spit. It took nature a few more centuries for the seeds of plants to take root in the infertile sand and the dunes were covered with summer and shrubs. And in such a natural way - by the roots of plants - the dunes were very effectively held in place. But it took a man very little time to break the fragile balance that had been formed over the centuries with his thoughtless actions - the forests were cut down, and the dunes began their attack on his dwellings. And so, fleeing from the advancing sand, people had to restore what they themselves had destroyed: again plant plants on the slopes of the dunes that could hold the sand in place. And the already mentioned Wilhelm Franz Efa made a huge contribution to this work. A large-scale and expensive project to strengthen the dunes and save villages from sand meant the creation of a protective foredune along the entire 98-kilometer length of the Curonian Spit, designed to protect the spit from sea waves, wind and sand driven by it, as well as strengthening the moving ridge of large white dunes stretching along the coast Curonian Lagoon.
And, although a lot has been done since the start of dune-strengthening works for a century and a half, the sands are still moving - this can be seen from the half-filled wooden decks that pave the paths on the Efa Height tourist route. In addition, the movement of sand can be heard - sometimes the ear catches a barely audible rustle or a quiet whistle: these are grains of sand, moving, rubbing against each other.
So the work to strengthen the dunes of the Curonian Spit continues to this day. In the village of Morskoye, a sandy spit is clearly visible, which is the result of work to strengthen the coast, carried out in the second half of the 20th century: an artificially reclaimed spit and reed islands protect the coastline of the village from erosion.
Curonian Spit, Efa Height
In 2000, the artificially created landscape of the Curonian Spit was included in the UNESCO List of Natural and Cultural Heritage. At present, one of the most interesting tourist routes of the Curonian Spit, the Efa Height, has been laid along the slopes of the Orekhovaya dune.
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Bright impressions of the Curonian Spit and the height of Efa!
Your Roman Mironenko
Complete guide to the Curonian Spit 2019. The best routes and attractions of the reserve. Excursions to the Curonian Spit - group and individual.
An excursion to the Curonian Spit is the best thing that can happen to you in the Kaliningrad region. It's even cooler than Kaliningrad itself. It will especially appeal to those to whom the Baltic (cold sea, snow-white, as if sifted, sand, dunes) is a curiosity. The territory of the Curonian Spit is divided between Lithuania and. The border lies approximately in the middle, or to be more precise - 49 kilometers from Zelenogradsk (total length - about 98 km).
For more than 15 years, this natural landmark of the Baltic has been on the UNESCO lists. The reason for the reverent attitude to this piece of land is simple: the territory is an aesthetic value, similar to which is not found anywhere else in the world. The Curonian Spit, along with the Hel and Baltic Spit, forms a complex of dunes on the Baltic coast. Biodiversity and several types of landscapes make this area a treasure trove for research in the field of geology.
There are several unique habitats on the territory of the Curonian Spit. In them you can see rare and even endangered species of birds, plants and animals.
In spring and autumn, up to 20 million birds flock to the national park. Most are delayed to recuperate.
Favorable climatic conditions and picturesque landscapes make the Curonian Spit a popular place for a beach holiday. True, it is worth making allowances for the temperatures of the Baltic water and air - the "bathing season" sometimes lasts a couple of weeks. But the beaches are gorgeous: spacious, clean, snow-white. Most of them are practically not equipped.
Excursions to the Curonian Spit 2019
There are three options to get to the spit: on your own, with a guided tour and with an individual tour. The first method is mainly for those who have their own car, and even then with restrictions. The other two are in stable demand:
- The most popular option is a regular tour. The only thing that overshadows it: a large number of people in the group and a lack of free time - not just for lunch, at least to look at everything closer and take pictures. As always, gallop. But, despite the confusion of the organization, the tour guides were great. Prices from 1300 rubles. for a person.
- Upon returning, it turned out that there is a more comfortable option - a trip with an individual guide. On Tripster, which I now actively use, there is a choice of routes to the spit. The only downside to them is that they are not cheap. The cost is from 5500 rubles. for the tour, in a group of 1 to 4 people - according to the number of seats in the car. Some guides have cars with 7 seats.
The most popular route is (7.5 hours from Kaliningrad to the national park and back). If there are no free dates, look at others - they are no worse. For new excursions that have not yet received enough reviews, the guides make discounts. Often up to 50%.
Sights of the Curonian Spit
On the Russian part of the spit, you can visit the national park of the same name, the leading (!) in terms of attendance among the huge number of reserves in the country. To preserve the delicate ecosystem of the park and protect the spit from destruction, free access to this land area is limited. However, excursions to the Curonian Spit National Park are held: the entrance to the territory is paid, but it is superbly equipped for walking. For excursion groups, a route was developed that passes through picturesque places, but does not affect the most vulnerable areas.
1. Fringilla Station (Curonian Spit)
All the attractions of the national park are popular, and it is difficult to distinguish which of them is more and which is less in demand. But I will say for sure: the staff ornithological station "Fringilla" do not experience attention deficit. This station, which began its activity at the very beginning of the 20th century, today is the goal of the tourist route of the same name. The route to Fringilla is half a kilometer long and is located on the 23rd kilometer of the spit. The ornithological station was established to observe migratory birds, ring them and count the population.
Communication with ornithologists on the Curonian Spit allows you to learn more about the bird world, as well as get acquainted with more than a century of cooperation between European and Russian scientists. On the territory of Fringilla, the highest traps of all that can be seen at similar stations are installed.
"Fringilla" is catching and studying a huge number of birds. The process is proceeding very successfully, because the ancient bird migration route runs through the station, along which several million birds fly every year. At Fringill, such species of birds as willow warbler, robin, siskin, yellow-headed kinglet, brambling, great tit, song thrush, moskovka, blue tit and, of course, the chaffinch, whose Latin name (lat. Eringilla coelebs) and the name of the station.
Tourists are met by experienced guides with deep knowledge of ornithology. They tell interesting stories from the life of the research center and birds, along the way answering questions that have arisen. If tourist groups are lucky, you can see how the process of catching and ringing birds takes place.
2. "Royal Forest" (Curonian Spit)
Route "Royal Forest" on the Curonian Spit
Another popular forest route is called "Royal Forest" and runs along the initial section of the spit - 5-6 km from Zelenogradsk. This route, the distance of which is 2.8 kilometers, runs through the ancient forest, represented by coniferous trees, many of which are over a hundred years old. Picturesque forest landscapes and nearby water meadows were part of the royal reserve in the old days, where the best falcons in all of Prussia were caught and trained.
The forest growing here has never been cut down. Also an interesting fact is that not far from the forest there is one of the most popular tourist centers of the Curonian Spit - "Dunes".
3. "Dancing Forest" (Curonian Spit)
The Dancing Forest is a visiting card of the Curonian Spit
The Dancing Forest route, which is only 800 meters long, is notable for the fact that along its course you can see a unique section of a pine forest with picturesquely curved trees planted to strengthen the Kruglaya dune. This phenomenon is being studied by scientists, but popular rumor finds its explanation for it. Some are sure that somewhere here, in the Curonian Spit reserve, there was that same pagan Sacred Grove. Others talk about space-time distortions and other anomalies of this kind.
Be that as it may, the Dancing Forest is one of the most beautiful places on the Curonian Spit. And it attracts not only mystics and lovers of "devilry".
4. "Muller height" (Curonian Spit)
Tour impressions: 9 out of 10 points
The route, laid on the 32nd kilometer, is called the "Muller Height", has a length of 3.5 km. It passes through the territory of the most ancient part of the Curonian Spit - Rasite Island, which has a glacial origin and is the historical beginning of the sandy body of the spit. Like the height of Efa (more on that below), the route was named after a scientist who fought against the movement of sand. Along the route, you can get acquainted with the richness of local nature, see how work is being done to strengthen the dune, visit the village of Rybachy. And, of course, to explore the surroundings from the observation deck, located at a height of 44.5 meters.
5. "Height of Efa" (Curonian Spit)
Tour impressions: 10 out of 10 points
Observation deck "Height of Efa"
Another "high-altitude" route of the national park is named "Efa Height". Its length is 2.8 km, it passes on the 42nd kilometer of the spit, near the village of Morskoy. Efa Height is the highest point of the Petsch (Orekhovaya) dune, and it is named after the scientist and activist Franz Efa, who worked on the problem of fixing moving sands. The main part of the route passes along the southwestern slope, overgrown with forest, which is the same “safety belt” that prevents the dune from moving towards settlements.
Along the route, you can visit two observation platforms, each offering views of the village, the forest and the water surface of the Curonian Lagoon. The height of Efa is an excellent place for lovers of landscape photography.
6. Lake Swan (Curonian Spit)
Not included in the standard tour itinerary
Panorama of Lake Swan on the Curonian Spit
The "Lake Swan" route is the longest route on the Curonian Spit, its length is more than 4 km. It is located closest to Lithuania, on the 47th kilometer of the spit. This route allows you to get acquainted with the geological beauties of the spit and admire the surrounding landscapes from a height of 55 meters.
Of course, there are other attractions in the national park, because along its length there are many settlements with a rich history. But you will learn more about them from the guide who will accompany you throughout the tour of the Curonian Spit.
Before visiting it is important to know:
- Entrance (and at the same time entry) to the park is carried out by passes.
- You can walk on the spit only along the paths.
- Walking on the sand is fraught not only with a fine and expulsion from the park, but also with shedding a large amount of sand into the water of the bay.
How is the excursion to the Curonian Spit
Now you know everything about the routes of the reserve and even more. But keep in mind: the standard tour includes only a visit to the "Dancing Forest", "Ef Heights" and the Fringilla ornithological station. Sometimes a miracle happens, and tourists are led first to the “Efa Height”, and then to the “Muller Height”.
To see more and adjust the trip to your taste, you need an individual route. You also have a list.
By the way, having returned home, we figured that we would book an individual tour for 6000-8000 rubles. for four (and our company just consisted of four participants), profitable. This is 1500-2000 rubles. per person against 1300 rubles. for a group tour, where there were exactly 42 participants.
But now it's too late to think, I have to share my impressions about the trip on a big bus. By the way, we bought it on the spot, already in Kaliningrad itself.
A group trip has enough disadvantages: the pace of the guide is high, there is little time for photography, there are a lot of people. On the narrow and slippery platforms of the reserve, the frantic speed of walking turned into a problem. Looking into the lens, I realized that I was lagging behind and, trying to catch up with the group, unpleasantly sprained my leg.
The first stop on the way to the Curonian Spit is in the village of Morskoy. There is a fish shop where you can buy local products (the hit of the program is smoked eel). At each stop of the route you will also see shops with amber. If you have not yet purchased any of the products, you should know that the prices are lower than in Kaliningrad.
Well, then the Curonian Spit - solid vivid impressions. It is difficult to single out which is more picturesque: viewing platforms, the Dancing Forest or the ornithological station, where the first owl of the season was caught a couple of hours before our arrival.
Only a catastrophically small amount of free time at each object upsets. We ran at a gallop through the Dancing Forest, on the observation deck of Efa everyone was very nervous while 42 people were photographed, and we were given 35 minutes to rest and have lunch on the Baltic coast.
Not even so: either on vacation or for lunch, since it is unrealistic to manage both in such a period of time. We chose to rest: no one had seen the coast and snow-white sand before, and everyone watched the film “Long Road in the Dunes” in childhood. And I also love the detective series “Bay of Fear”, which was filmed in Morskoye and right in the middle of the Dancing Forest ... But if I start to tell, the article will be endless.
Tourists on the banks of the Curonian Spit
Thus, we managed to spend 15 minutes (given that you need to get from the bus and back) on the shores of the Baltic Sea - and this is a real buzz.
And in order not to exaggerate, in conclusion I will say: the rest of the tour was friendly and in some places very fun. We even became friends with guys from Yekaterinburg and a girl from Khabarovsk and then traveled together.
Route of the Curonian Spit on the map
Theoretically, you can walk the distance from Korolevskoy Bor to Lebed Lake in 12 hours. In practice, this is almost impossible. There are few places where you can walk around the national park with impunity, and moving around without a car is quite difficult.
Efa height or Dune of Efa is a walking route on the Curonian Spit.
Description of Ef Height
The dune is a large sandy ridge, which is called Walnut (Petsch). But most often it is called by the name of the height of Efa, the highest point on the dune, which rises 64 meters above sea level. The sand dune was formed in the 18th - 19th centuries due to the clearing of primary forests. The dune is named after the dune inspector - Franz Ef, who at one time supervised the restoration of forests on a dune to protect the village of Pillkoppen from the sands, which today is called the sea.
Along the entire length of the Orekhovaya dune, a 2.8-kilometer walking route has been laid, which is equipped with wooden footbridges. It is strictly forbidden to leave them.
There are two observation decks on the route with a view of the Baltic Sea, the Curonian Lagoon, the forest and the village of Morskoye. The entire route "Height of Efa" is covered in about 2 hours.
Where is the height of Efa?
Dune Efa is located on the 42nd kilometer of the spit, 2 km from the village of Morskoye.
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Perhaps the most memorable place in Great dune ridge where the famous Dune Walnut(Petsch) and Efa height.
Large dune ridge, Orekhovaya dune and Efa height
A large dune ridge begins at the 16th kilometer of the Curonian Spit. The average height of the dunes here is 30-40 m, the maximum height is over 60 m. Almost a third of the dunes here are mobile. At the 42nd kilometer of the spit, relatively close to the border with Lithuania, ecological route "Height of Efa", which is laid along the southwestern slope of the Orekhovaya dune.
Dune Orekhovaya, formerly called Petsh, is 62 m high, stretches 1.8 km long and 600 m wide. In the 80s of the XIX century, in order to prevent the movement of the dune to the side and the burial of settlements under a layer of sand, reforestation was carried out, headed by a German scientist and engineer Wilhelm Franz Efa (Wilhelm Franz Epha, 1828-1904). Thanks to effective measures, it was possible to stop the sands that threatened the village Pillkoppen(now - the village of Morskoye). The highest point of the Orekhovaya dune is named after Efa - the height of Efa (64 m).
Observation deck, Staroselskaya dune and Morskoye village
Wooden decks are laid along the entire length of the ecological route. Leaving them is strictly prohibited. This was done in order not to damage the thin layer of vegetation covering the sands. Alas, not all tourists are conscious.
Path in the park "Curonian Spit"
The road leads to an observation deck, which is located on one of the ridges of the dune, at an altitude of about 50 m. It offers a breathtaking view of the sea, the Big Dune Range, Staroselskaya Dune and the village of Morskoye. Special fortifications are visible everywhere - fascines in which plants are planted. Under the protection of fascines, sand stops moving and plants can take root.
Village Maritime (Pillkoppen) has a long history. A fortress once stood in its place. Pilkup, which was inhabited by the Krivinians. According to legend, in ancient times there was a pagan temple here, where the Curonians worshiped their gods. In 1283, the Teutonic Knights founded a castle here, which received the name Neuhaus- translated from German "New House". Soon a settlement arose near him - Neustadt("New town"). In 1663 it was renamed Pillekop(Pillkoppen).
The sands have repeatedly threatened the village, which forced the locals to move their homes. On the site of the first location of the village is now Dune Staroselskaya, or Staroderevenskaya (Altdorferberg).
In 1888, the sands again approached the outskirts of the village, and only thanks to the activities of the already mentioned Franz Ef, the danger was averted.
Work continues to this day. Near the village of Morskoye there is a small lagoon, separated by a sandy spit. The spit is the result of bank protection works carried out in the second half of the 20th century. An artificially reclaimed sand spit and reed islands protect the coast from erosion.
The sands are still moving. This can also be seen on the half-filled floorings. And, if you listen closely, you can notice a barely audible hiss: "shhhhhh" - the rustle of the smallest grains of sand in the air.
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