10.20 kilometers. 51 minutes and 29 seconds. Average pace 5'03"/km. Calories: 625.
Those are the facts from a morning run in Palanga, a seaside town on Lithuania’s Baltic coast. The watch keeps the numbers; the trail keeps the memories.
From Amber to Adrenaline
I set off near the Amber Museum, letting the path pull me south. The forest smells like pine needles rinsed in salt water, and the run began as a quiet conversation between footsteps and the Baltic breeze.
Then a sign appeared. A wolf silhouette.
Maybe it’s just a warning for hikers, maybe it’s serious. Either way, I wasn’t planning to test it. The pace quickened on instinct. If the splits look sharp, thank the imaginary wolf pacing me from the trees.
Nemirseta and the Baltic Edge
The route eventually spilled out toward the dunes near Nemirseta, where the forest gives way to open sky. The Baltic stretched flat and silver, indifferent to my effort. For a moment running felt effortless, right up until the humidity reminded me otherwise.
History in the Pines
Somewhere in the pines I nearly missed the Treaty of Melno Monument—three stone slabs and a sword etched into granite, commemorating the 1422 agreement that settled the border between the Teutonic Order and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania for almost five centuries. It sits quietly in the woods like a relic from a fantasy story, as if knights might still be nearby polishing armor.
The Finish
The run looped me back into Palanga, legs heavy but head clear. Running here isn’t just exercise—it’s geography, history, and folklore rolled into a single sweaty adventure.
So if you ever find yourself in Palanga, lace up. Just keep an eye out for wolves.
