Parnidis dune
 
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Parnidis Dune (Lithuania) |
The Parnidis-Düne (German also Hohe Düne , Parniddener Düne or Große Düne , Lithuanian Parnidžio kopa ) on the Curonian Spit near Nida ( Lithuania ) is one of the largest shifting dunes in Europe.
geography
The Parnidis Dune is located on the Curonian Spit about 1 km southwest of the Lithuanian town of Nida and about 1.5 km north of the border with Russia . Its eastern slopes drop directly into the Curonian Lagoon . Today the dune is about 52 meters above sea level. According to some sources, it is said to be over 60 meters high, whereas according to SRTM data it only comes to 44 meters above sea level at its highest point. This makes it one of the largest shifting dunes in Europe. It was the second highest after the Dune du Pilat in France and depending on the actual altitude today it may still be. The Parnidis dune lost about 15 meters in height between 1984 and 2004 due to the progress of erosion and human influences (unauthorized climbing on the steep slopes). Despite various measures, it continues to decrease in height every year.
tourism
The Parnidis Dune is a popular destination for tourists. It is located in the Curonian Spit National Park in Lithuania . At its highest point a viewing platform was built from which one can see both the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon. In 1995 a sundial with a 13.8 m high stone column was built. There are also several footpaths up and over the dune, as well as a narrow driveway that ends in a small parking lot about 250 m away from the highest point. Leaving the designated footpaths and climbing on slopes of the dune is prohibited under penalty. So one wants to reduce the progressive slipping of the sand. According to scientific calculations, every visitor who moves on the slopes away from paved paths should set several tons of sand in motion.
Surname
The German name Parnidis-Düne is the direct translation of the Lithuanian name Parnidžio kopa ( Parnidis is the nominative of Parnidžio (genitive)), whereby the first part of the name remains unchanged as a proper name . According to the local population, the name Parnidis is derived from the Lithuanian “ perėjusi per Nidą ” , in German “ Came through Nida ”. Because of the moving dunes, the village of Nida had to be abandoned several times over the centuries and rebuilt in a new place.
In German there are other names for the dune. The name Parniddener Düne is the Germanization of the Lithuanian name based on the German name Nidden for Lithuanian Nida . The term Hohe Düne is also frequently used . It is more rarely called the Great Dune .
Web links
- Information on Parnidis Dune from the State Tourism Department of the Lithuanian Ministry of Economy.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Information about the Parnidis Dune , State Tourism Department at the Lithuanian Ministry of Economy, accessed on May 21, 2017.
- ↑ a b Curonian Spit - Sand, Sand and Sky , Spiegel Online, September 3, 2004.
- ↑ Information board on the viewing platform on the Parnidis dune, May 14, 2017.
Coordinates: 55 ° 18 ' N , 21 ° 0' E