Where the Nemunas, Lithuania's largest river, spills into the Curonian lagoon, it splits into four distributaries: the Skirvytė, the Atmata, the Pakalnė and the Gilija. The result is a wetland delta of surpassing beauty, teeming with birds and bristling with rushes, lilies and small patches of forest. If you're in Nida, or Šilutė, or really anywhere nearby, and have the chance to visit this incredible place, take it. The park administration is on Rusnė, the delta's largest island.
The delta should have twitchers in spasms. Its 240 sq km are dotted with islands, marshes and flooded meadows, creating the perfect environment for the 294 different species of bird noted here. It's located on a migration route running from the Arctic, through Europe to Eastern Africa, so many birds stop here to breed.
