The calm waves of the lagoon, the green pine forests and the Curonian Spit’s dunes steeped in legends… I am addressing you, Neringa, the much talked about, the enigmatic origin of which has been mentioned in many fairy tales, but has remained unexplained. Now, many centuries later, I’ll tell you about the origins of this magnificent landscape.

One fateful year, when the harvest grew indescribably bountiful, I was born – a red-cheeked girl. As fate would have it, my father, Karvaitis by name, was the ruler of the castle, which has stood for many centuries. The castle was not just any castle – it was a majestic and strong one, made of centuries-old oak trees, and dedicated to the goddess Laima. Perhaps this is the reason why people in the area say that I was born under the mark of our good goddess Laima, who determined people’s successes and failures.

Everything would have continued to go on with the flow of life, but here’s what happened… My parents decided to name me Neringa, and that’s when all the fun began – I was just a baby, and I started growing up not in years, but in days! At just nine months old, I was already a pretty girl and could not escape the attention of the boys. Soon my parents rushed to build me a grand palace where I could live in peace; I didn’t like to languish in the palace – I wanted to bring happiness to everyone I met, pulling those who were stuck in the sand and rescuing sinking ships from the clutches of the sea. Word soon spread that here, on a small island in the Baltic Sea, lives a virgin who brings the joy of life to all; And that the young men of the Pomerania hastened to ask for my hand! But I told them that I would marry only the one who could throw a stone across the lagoon to Ventė Castle;

The competition of the youngsters was long, but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how strong they were, none of them managed to carry the stone to Ventė castle. But one day, a young man of unprecedented charm arrives, who turns out to be the ruler of Vente Castle itself; As he approached, no words were needed – our hearts were intertwined as our confident gazes met. Even the air seemed to tremble as the ruler summoned all his strength and rolled the stone across the lagoon to his own castle in Ventė. The promise continued – I promised him my hand, my heart and my eternal humility.

Wrathful Bangpootie was very angry that I had not listened to him and thought of marrying him, causing a huge storm that lasted thirteen days and thirteen nights; The sea mixed with the sky, ships sank one by one, and people were trapped in their homes; It pained me beyond words to see people and nature suffering, so I grabbed an apron full of sand, waded into the raging sea and poured a sandy path separating the raging sea from the lagoon. The troubles were over in an instant – the whole coastal region calmed down, my beloved and I had a grand wedding, and the people of the area gave me the most precious wedding gift in gratitude – a strip of sand named after me.

I remain standing here, in the place where the Gate of the Barrows once stood, protecting the city from enemies and robbers. And now, I carry two sailing boats on my shoulders and give you the calm waves of the lagoon, the green pine forests and the Curonian Spit’s dunes, which are steeped in legends…