In Palanga the sun sets into the sea all year round, and in the evening half the resort knows where to go: down J. Basanavičius Street to the pier, then 470 metres out over the sea on wooden boards. It is Palanga’s oldest ritual, and it costs nothing.
Below you will find today’s sunset time, the sea temperature at the pier, a map of other places to watch the sun go down and what is worth knowing before you go: where to stand in June and where in December, why nobody swims by the pier, and why you want a jacket even in July.
The sun today
In Palanga the sun sets at about 16.00 in mid-December and as late as 22.25 at the end of June. With JavaScript turned on, today’s times appear here.
How the pier came about
The pier was built in the 1880s by Count Juozapas Tiškevičius, the owner of the Palanga estate. It was meant to be a landing stage: the steamer Feniks carried bricks from the count’s brickworks to Liepāja and Klaipėda and brought holidaymakers back. Shipping never took off, as storms and sand kept silting it up, so from 1892 the pier became what it still is today: a place to walk.
Storms broke the wooden pier more than once. After the hurricane of 1967 only the piles were left, and the present pier, on reinforced-concrete piles, was built in 1997–1998. In June 2025 it got new lighting. The patterns on the lamps are inspired by the carvings of Palanga’s wooden villas, and it was switched on at exactly the minute of sunset, 22.23.
The pier through time
- 1880sA landing stageCount Juozapas Tiškevičius builds a wooden landing stage for bricks and passengers.
- 1892A pier for walkingShipping fails and the pier becomes a promenade.
- 1967–1968Hurricane and rebuildAn October hurricane leaves only the piles; the pier is rebuilt the following year.
- 1997–1998Today’s pierA new pier on reinforced-concrete piles, 470 m long.
- 1999Hurricane AnatolyWaves wash out the landward end, and the pier is extended by almost 20 m towards the shore.
- 2025New lightNew lighting on the pier and J. Basanavičius Street, switched on at the minute of sunset.
Where to stand: June and December
The coast here runs almost due north–south, so the sun sets over the open sea all year round, just in a different place. At the end of June it goes down far to the north-west, roughly beyond the end of the pier where it turns north. In December it sets in the south-west, towards Klaipėda.
- In summer, to photograph the pier’s silhouette against the sun, stand on the beach south of the pier, on the Birutė Park side.
- In winter it is the other way round: the pier and the sun fit in one frame best from the beach north of the pier.
- The very end of the pier has the widest horizon, but also the most people and the most wind.
Places to watch the sunset
- Palanga Pier, landward end Benches on the square at the start of the pier, the classic place to see the sun off.
- Palanga Pier, far end 470 m out to sea. The widest horizon, but also the most wind and the most people.
- Jūratė and Kastytis sculpture Nijolė Gaigalaitė’s sculpture (1961) and fountain just before the pier. Toilets and drinking-water taps nearby.
- Ferris wheel Over 40 m high, open 10.00–22.00 when the weather allows. In September and May the sunset comes before it stops for the night.visit-palanga.lt
- Beach by Birutė Park The nearest way to the sea from the hotel, through Birutė Park. A quieter sunset, with the pier on the horizon to the north.
- Birutė Hill A 21 m dune with an 1869 chapel. The pines hide part of the sea, so it is better before sunset than during it.
- Nemirseta dunes viewpoint A viewing platform over the dunes in the Seaside Regional Park. A wild beach, with the official dog-friendly beach nearby.
- Olando kepurė The highest cliff on the mainland coast, with a sunset over the open sea. The cliff is actively eroding, so stay behind the fences.
The sea at the pier now
The sea temperature at Palanga Pier is measured every hour by the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service: meteo.lt.
Before you go
- Do not swim by the pier. Invisible backwash currents form around the piles, the stones are slippery and the depth changes suddenly. Jumping off the pier is prohibited. On 15 August 2026 a young man drowned here just after the lifeguards had finished for the day.
- Lifeguards are on duty 9.00–20.00, and the summer sunset comes later. In the evening, swim only where you can see a post is still staffed. Emergency number 112.
- Bring a jacket. Even in July the end of the pier is noticeably cooler and windier than J. Basanavičius Street.
- Leave bikes at the bike parking by the start of the pier. Bicycles, scooters and velomobiles are banned on the pier and in Birutė Park all year round.
- Dogs are not allowed on the beach by the pier. The official dog-friendly beaches are at Nemirseta and in the southern part of Šventoji.
A sunset evening
In summer, arrive 30–45 minutes before sunset and you will still find a spot at the rail at the end of the pier. The best light starts about an hour before sunset and lasts until 40 minutes after it. Many locals are in no hurry to go home: they wait for the sky over the sea to turn violet and for the lamps on the pier to come on.
From early May to early August Palanga has no true night: the northern sky glows all night long. From late May to mid-July the sun sets after 22.00, so for families with small children May, late August or September are easier. From October to March the sunset comes before dinner, between 16.00 and 18.50.
There is no ice cream or coffee on the pier itself, so pick them up on J. Basanavičius Street on the way.
Events on the pier
- Palangos stinta, February: smelt anglers line the rails and fish for the Mayor’s Cup.
- Myliu Palangą, early June: the opening of the summer season, with events on the pier.
- 6 July: the national anthem is sung by the sea at 21.00.
- New Year’s Eve: fireworks by the pier. The pier is closed beforehand.
The whole year’s events are listed in our Palanga events calendar.
Worth knowing
Sources
Where this information comes from
- Palanga Tourism Information Centre: the pier
- The new pier lighting switched on, 2025
- Palanga municipality: the lighting project
- Žemaičių žemė: a history of the Palanga pier
- Wikipedia: Palanga Pier
- 15min: the accident at the pier and the swimming rules, 2026
- The ban on bikes and scooters, 2026
- Beaches for dogs, 2026
- The Palanga Ferris wheel
- Jūratė and Kastytis sculpture
- Olando kepurė: landslide warning, 2026
- Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service, open data
- Sunrise and sunset check
- Map and route: OpenStreetMap, OpenFreeMap
- Photos: Unsplash
Sunset times are calculated in your browser for Palanga’s coordinates and checked against sunrise-sunset.org. Sea temperature: LHMT, api.meteo.lt (CC BY-SA 4.0). Information checked on 21 October 2026.
