Klaipeda

The compact Memel-era heart of Klaipeda along Tiltu, Turgaus and Daru streets, with surviving half-timbered Hanseatic warehouses, John Square (Janturgaus aikste), Friedrich's passage and a distinctly Prussian-Lithuanian character. A 60 to 90 minute self-guided loop covers the highlights with leashed dogs welcome throughout the public streets.

The main cultural square of the Old Town, fronted by the Klaipeda Drama Theatre and centred on the famous Aennchen von Tharau bronze statue dedicated to East Prussian baroque poet Simon Dach. Outdoor space, leashed dogs welcome at all times, surrounding café terraces tolerate dogs in summer.

The remains of the 13th-century Memelburg castle, ringed by restored moats and bastion walks on the harbour side. The exterior grounds, ramparts and bastion paths are open to leashed dogs free of charge; the small Castle Museum inside the original poterns does not admit dogs.

A 12-hectare open-air gallery founded in 1977 on the site of a former cemetery, with 116 modern Lithuanian sculptures by 67 artists set among mature trees and gravel paths. Calm, central and shaded, one of the most pleasant central walks for a leashed dog in Klaipeda.

The free 5-minute pedestrian ferry from the Old Castle terminal across the lagoon to Smiltyne at the northern tip of the UNESCO Curonian Spit, with leashed dogs travelling free. Once across, soft sandy trails through pine and broadleaf forest lead to the dunes and Baltic beach.

A long wide white-sand beach just north of Klaipeda port, sheltered by tall dunes and divided into Melnrage 1 and 2. Leashed dogs welcome outside the central guarded bathing zone June to August; full access in shoulder season and winter.