Klaipėda's Sculptures and Legends: An Old Town Treasure Hunt

Klaipėda does not keep its stories in museums only. They stand on street corners, sit on rooftops and climb out of the river: a bronze mouse no taller than your shoe, a dragon slithering down a wall, a ghost holding a lantern by the old castle moat. Locals rub them, whisper to them and leave buttons for them. This walk links sixteen of them into a loop that starts and ends at Bohema – part city tour, part treasure hunt, completely free.

The route

The loop heads north from the hotel to the Danė, follows the river past the Meridianas, winds back through the Old Town's narrow streets and ends by the castle moat. Tap a number to see a sculpture on the map; the times are on foot from Bohema.

Your treasure-hunt checklist

Tick each sculpture off as you find it – your progress stays saved in this browser, so you can come back to the list on your phone along the way.

• Neringa – the giantess of Curonian legend, holding two sailing ships. She is a talking sculpture: scan her code.
• The Wild Man – a leaf-crowned figure from the coat of arms of the old Friedrichsvorstadt suburb.
• The Muse – a theatre mask gazing at the sky, dedicated to the actor and director Bronius Gražys.
• The Dragon – 3.5 metres of steel sliding down a wall on Vežėjų Street. Find the footprint it drinks from.
• The Old Town Post – a postbox for wishes and ideas for the city. Write one and post it.
• The Chimney Sweep – look up at the roof, then find his big button on the wall and rub it for luck.
• The Pot of Money – coins from many countries spilling out at the door of the city's first savings bank.
• The Meridianas – the three-masted ship that became the symbol of Klaipėda.
• The Little Mermaid – rub the snake in her hands and count the litas coins on her tail.
• The Fisherman – lifted high on a wave on Danė Square since 1971. He talks, too.
• The Old Town Cat – a granite cat with a gentleman's face under an oak tree. He has run away twice.
• The Piano-Wave – a sea wave turning into a piano, the jazz festival's gift to the city.
• The Magic Mouse – at knee height on a corner. Whisper a good wish into its big ear.
• The Tower – four walls, four eras, and a dragon of time on the roof. Walk all the way around.
• Ännchen von Tharau – the barefoot girl on the fountain in Theatre Square, the city's best-loved statue.
• The Black Ghost – rising from the water by the swing bridge, lantern in hand. Scan his code for his warning.

Ännchen von Tharau: the statue that came back

In 1636 the poet Simon Dach, born in Klaipėda, wrote a love song for the wedding of Anna Neander, the pastor's daughter from Tharau. Set to music, “Ännchen von Tharau” became one of the best-known German folk songs. In 1912 the city raised money for a fountain in his honour in Theatre Square, crowned by a bronze figure of Ännchen.

On 23 March 1939 Hitler addressed the crowd from the balcony of the theatre behind the fountain. Around that time the statue was removed, and in the war it disappeared for good – a popular story says it was taken away because Ännchen stood with her back to the Führer. Fifty years later an association founded in Mainz raised the money for a copy, and the Berlin sculptor Harald Haacke recreated the figure from old photographs. The new Ännchen returned to her place on 18 November 1989.

The Black Ghost of 1595

On an evening in 1595, the old chronicles say, a castle guard named Hans von Heide met a figure in a long black robe on the bridge over the moat. The stranger asked whether the castle lacked anything. When the guard said no, the figure warned that the town would soon run short of grain and firewood – and vanished into the fog while the walls trembled.

Since 2010 the ghost has been back: a 2.4-metre bronze by Svajūnas Jurkus and Sergejus Plotnikovas, climbing out of the water beside the swing bridge. Come at dusk. The iron bridge itself dates from the 19th century and is still turned by hand – two people rotate it to let boats into the old castle harbour, and the tourist office calls it the only mechanism of its kind in Lithuania.

Five ways to make a wish in Klaipėda

• The Magic Mouse: lean down and whisper into its oversized ear – the artists made the ears big so it hears better. It only grants good wishes. Read the ring around it: “Turn your thoughts into words – the words will become miracles.”
• The Chimney Sweep's button: meeting a sweep has always meant luck. Rub the large button on the wall below him and make a secret wish – some people leave a button of their own.
• The Little Mermaid: the sculptor says your wish comes true if you rub the snake tangled in her hands.
• The Old Town Post: write your wish down and post it.
• The Tree of Love: next to the Mermaid, a forged tree whose leaves are padlocks left by couples. Bring your own.

Sculptures that talk

Eight of the city's sculptures have a QR code that plays a short story in Lithuanian, English or German: Ännchen von Tharau, the Black Ghost, the Fisherman, the Little Mermaid, Neringa, the Kiss, the philosopher Vydūnas and the boy “Klaipėdietis”. Five of them are on this route – you only need a phone with mobile data.

Bonus: north of the river

If you still have energy, cross the Biržos bridge to Mažvydo alėja. Its benches carry small sculptures: the bronze boy Klaipėdietis leaning on the city's coat of arms, a chess table, a puppy called Marsas whose ear you scratch, a sundial bench that shows true solar noon at 13:41, and the “Life Microchip” – find the tiny chip, touch it three times and whisper “I want to be happy”. A little further on, a bronze detective leans on a fence: rub the police badge on his lapel to keep pickpockets away. And the Sculpture Park in the old city cemetery holds 116 works by 67 Lithuanian artists, free and always open.

Tips for the hunt

• Go in the evening light and finish with the Black Ghost at dusk.
• With children, let them hold the phone and tick off the list – the mouse, the dragon and the mermaid are the favourites.
• Look down and up: the mouse is at knee height, the chimney sweep on a roof.
• Sculptures sometimes travel: now and then one is away for repair – the cat has “run away” twice already.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the wish-granting mouse in Klaipėda?

At knee height on the corner where Kepėjų, Kurpių and Mėsininkų streets meet in the Old Town – about an 8-minute walk from Bohema. It is only about 17 cm tall, so look carefully.

What is the legend of the Black Ghost?

In 1595, the legend goes, a castle guard named Hans von Heide met a black-robed figure on the moat bridge. It warned that the town would run short of grain and firewood, then vanished. The bronze ghost has stood by the swing bridge since 2010.

Is the Ännchen von Tharau statue the original?

No. The original of 1912 disappeared during the Second World War. Today's figure is a copy made by the Berlin sculptor Harald Haacke from old photographs and unveiled on 18 November 1989.

How long does the sculpture walk take?

The loop from the hotel is about 4.2 km, roughly an hour of walking. With photos, wishes and a coffee, allow two to two and a half hours.

Do I need tickets?

No. All the street sculptures are free and accessible at any time. Only the museums along the way charge admission.

What are Klaipėda's talking sculptures?

Sculptures with a QR code that plays a short story about them in Lithuanian, English or German. There are eight in the city, including Ännchen von Tharau, the Black Ghost, the Fisherman and the Little Mermaid.

Further reading

• Discover Klaipėda Old Town: a walking route
• Klaipėda museums: a practical guide
• Family fun in Klaipėda

Start from Bohema

The first sculpture on the route is a five-minute walk from our door, and the whole loop ends back at the hotel – handy for dropping off shopping or picking up a jacket for the evening. Bohema is an art hotel itself, with nine room types, each with its own character.

Sources: KlaipėdON – sculpture route, KlaipėdON – talking sculptures, KlaipėdON – swing bridge, Krašto gidas – Klaipėda County Public Library, Official map of Klaipėda sculptures, Wikipedia: Simon-Dach-Brunnen. Photos: Turaids (CC BY-SA 4.0), 1916 postcard (public domain), Wikimedia Commons.