Palanga

a city under republic jurisdiction in the Lithuanian SSR. A climatic, balneologic seaside health resort, Palanga is situated on the Baltic Sea, on a highway 25 km north of Klaipeda and 12 km from the Kretinga railroad station on the Klai-peda-Siauliai line. Summers are moderately warm, with an average July temperature of approximately 17°C. Winters are mild, with an average January temperature of — 3°C. Precipitation amounts to approximately 640 mm per year. Treatments include climatotherapy; mineral water with the chemical composition

used for bathing; peat mud; and helioaerotherapy. Sea bathing is possible from mid-June until late August. Patients are treated for disorders of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, the respiratory organs (nontubercular), and the digestive tract. Palanga has a sandy beach, dunes, and a large pine forest. It has sanatoriums, balneotherapeutic and pelotherapeutic clinics, rest homes, and pensions.

Amber is worked in Palanga. The city has been known since the 13th century. Within the city are the eclectic palace of Tiŝ-keviĉ (now the Amber Museum; finished in 1898, architect F. Ŝvechen) with a landscaped park (1885, architect E. Andrê); rest homes, Bâltija (1970, architect A. Lieskas) and Gintaras (1972, architect R. Ŝilinskas); the restaurant Vasara (1964, architect A. Eigirdas); and a trade center (1972, A. Eigirdas). Palanga has two bronze sculptural groups— Eglé, Queen of the Grass Snakes (1960, sculptor R. Antinis; in the palace park) and Jaraté and Kastytis (1961, sculptor N. Gaigâlaitè). Residential and resort buildings are under construction in the city.