Cedar canoe tour in Klaipeda - ideal for Cruise Ship travelers.

Under the guidance of the engineer Charles Rose, the city was to be encircled in the manner of Holland-type fortifications, eastward from the former church of the St. John. Moulds and bastions measuring about 3.5 metres high were formed, and outer ditches (moats) were dug. Because of their size, the citie's fortifications are categorized as being amongst the great royal castles. The works were finished only in the late 17th century-early 18th century. Later, the moulds were reconstructed in the mid-18th century. The fortification system of Klaipėda at the time was complex. Because the city was surrounded by bastion fortifications in the East and South and secured by the Naujoji Danė River in the North, the only access was via three gates named after their main objects: Tiltas (Bridge), Kūlių (of Stones) and Malūnų (of the Mills). The latter two were built upon earthen ramparts.

During the wars in the 18th century, the maintenance of the fortress was neglected, the gateways were starting to be disassembled for their bricks, the ramparts were torn-up, the ditches were filled with soil; in the 20th century, only small fragments of the former complex fortification system remained.

Today, the former fortification system can be best observed at the end of Turgaus Street, from the bastions referred to in the historical records as the Geldern and Purmark. In front of the bastions, the water-area of the defensive ditch/moat, and the only surviving ravelin can be seen. The remains of these defensive fortifications were restored in 1994-1997 (author of project V. Šliogeris).

The educational vessel Meridian was built in 1948 in Finland in a Turku (Finland) shipyard as a contribution to the soviet union after the second world war, along with 48 other similar ships. Very few others remain. The ship that went to Estonia was perhaps the luckiest, as it is currently being displayed in Talin. Meridian, that went to the Klaipeda Navigation School, was the first vessel for many future postwar captains and helmsmen. Meridian as an educational vessel closed its doors in 1967 and opened up as a restaurant on the Dane river quay.

In Autumn 2012, the ship changed hands, and the new owners (Aidas Kaveckas and Aloyzas Kuzmarskis) had it repaired, restored and returned on November 9th, 2013.

The newly renovated Ship offers a marine exposition, in which you can learn about the history of Meridian, its journeys at sea, structure of the ship and various maritime gadgets.