The port of Klaipeda, a fishing and manufacturing center 175 mi/280 km northwest of Vilnius, is Lithuania's oldest city, dating from the seventh century. Although much of its original architecture has been destroyed through the years, the city has a distinctly Germanic look from its 700 years of Prussian rule, when it was called Memel. In 1806, Memel even had a brief spell as the capital of Prussia.
Sights include the Picture Gallery's sculpture collection, the History Museum of Lithuania Minor, and the Protestant Church of St. George (on Market Square). Shoppers should visit Mantas Street, where the city's most fashionable boutiques are located, and have a meal on board the historic three-master Meridianas, which is moored at the Dankai close to the bridge leading to the city center.
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