Thomas Mann spent the summers of 1930, 1931 and 1932 in this small wooden cottage on a low hill above the Curonian Lagoon. The view he came for — pines, blue water, sand dunes opposite — is much the same today. He fled Germany in 1933 and never returned. The cottage now houses a small museum with manuscripts, photographs, and reconstructions of the Mann family rooms.
The site is also a working cultural centre with literary readings and concerts in summer. The building is small and visits take only about half an hour, but the location alone justifies the walk up from the lagoon front. Modest entry fee.