The Parnidis Dune () is a drifting (semi-permanent) coastal sand

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

on the

Curonian Spit The Curonian Spit, sometimes called Courish Split (; ), is a long, thin, curved sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared by Lithuania and Russia. Its southern portion lies w ...

, southeast of

Nida, Lithuania Nida (, Kursenieki language, Kursenieki: ''Nīde'') is a resort town in Lithuania, the administrative centre of Neringa municipality. Located on the Curonian Spit between the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea, it is the westernmost point of Lit ...

, near the Lithuania-Russia border of the spit. It is almost entirely bare and reaches a height of above sea level.Ditmar Hauer
Sand, Sand und Himmel
''Spiegel Reise, September 3, 2009Parnidžio kraštovaizdžio draustinis
/ref>A new cognitive trail offers impressive panoramas of the Parnidis Landscape Reserve
/ref>Solar Clock, Kuršių Nerija National Park, Lithuania – Unravel Travel TV
/ref> Its height once reached a maximum of 60 metres, but decreased due to the dune's steady eastward movement and discharge of sand into the

Curonian lagoon The Curonian Lagoon (or Bay, Gulf; Prussian: ''Kursjanmari'', , ) is a freshwater lagoon separated from the Baltic Sea by the Curonian Spit. Its surface area is . The Neman River () supplies about 90% of its inflows; its watershed consists of ...

, prominently at the under the wind-induced saltation.

Ecology

Parnidis Landscape Reserve was created around the dune within the Curonian Spit National Park to preserve a unique natural dune landscape, including bare and forested land, as well as the coastal areas of the dunes at both the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

and the

Curonian Lagoon The Curonian Lagoon (or Bay, Gulf; Prussian: ''Kursjanmari'', , ) is a freshwater lagoon separated from the Baltic Sea by the Curonian Spit. Its surface area is . The Neman River () supplies about 90% of its inflows; its watershed consists of ...

. It is the only place with drifting dunes within the park. The Parnidis dune is almost bare, but there are many patches of vegetative habitats, which are subject to degradation due to natural and anthropogenic reasons. For example. the sand blown from the peaks of the dune slides down the slope and destroys the vegetation. The same effect occurs from rain washouts. Manmade sources of degradation include people climbing the dune in non-prescribed places, which disturbs the sand.Assessment of degradation of white and grey dune habitats in the Curonian Spit: A case study of Parnidis Dune (Nida environs, Lithuania)
''Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie'', Supplementary Issues,

Tourism

The Parnidis Dune is one of the main tourist attractions of the Curonian Spit National Park. A

scenic viewpoint A scenic viewpoint—also called an observation point, viewpoint, viewing point, vista point, scenic overlook,These terms are more commonly used in North America. etc.—is an elevated location where people can view scenery (often with binocu ...

, the Parnidis Dune Observation Deck, was constructed at the highest location on the dune, from which both the sea and the lagoon are visible.The Dune of Parnidis
/ref> Due to the fragility of the moving sand, paths were constructed for visitors to follow, and walking is prohibited in certain areas. , experts estimated the allowable recreational limit to be 25 dune visitors per square meter in half a day.

Sundial

Near the observation deck is a large granite

sundial A sundial is a horology, horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the position of the Sun, apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the ...

built in 1995 on the top of the dune. The sundial's

gnomon A gnomon (; ) is the part of a sundial that casts a shadow. The term is used for a variety of purposes in mathematics and other fields, typically to measure directions, position, or time. History A painted stick dating from 2300 BC that was ...

is a stone pillar high. It also includes small steps covered with granite slabs, carved with hour and half-hour notches, as well as one notch for each month, and four additional notches for

solstice A solstice is the time when the Sun reaches its most northerly or southerly sun path, excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. Two solstices occur annually, around 20–22 June and 20–22 December. In many countries ...

s and

equinox A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun appears directly above the equator, rather than to its north or south. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise directly east and set directly west. This occurs twice each year, arou ...

es. The sundial was rebuilt in 2011 following storm damage, which broke the gnomon. The place where the gnomon was broken is clearly seen after its reconstruction.

References

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External links

PARNIDŽIO KOPOS RELJEFO KAITOS TYRIMAS TAIKANT GIS TECHNOLOGIJAS
(Griksaite K. (2017) ''Parnidis Dune Terrain Change Study Using GIS Technology'', Measurement Engineering Professional Bachelor's thesis) Neringa Municipality Landforms of Lithuania Dunes of Europe Tourist attractions in Klaipėda County Sundials