Šilutė is a town in Lithuania Minor, near the border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad Oblast. It's a quiet market town with a population of 16,000 in 2021. The main reason to visit is to see wildlife in the Nemunas river delta and Curonian lagoon.

Rusnė is the only population center on Rusnė Island, with a population of 1,100 in 2021. The island is the largest in Lithuania, and is part of the Nemunas river delta, where the river splits partly into canals and wetlands before emptying into the Curonian Lagoon. This habitat is home to fauna and flora hard to find elsewhere in Lithuania.

It is still possible to see some German influence in the older buildings of the town, as well as traditional Lithuanian farmsteads in other parts of the island.

From the beach in Rusnė it is possible to look across the river Skirvytė (which forms the border of Lithuania with Russia) into the Kaliningrad Oblast. No border crossing is possible in Rusnė.

Traditionally, the main occupation of local residents is fish farming and fishing, there is a fish processing plant and river vessels are repaired. In Soviet times there was a workshop of the Silutsky butter and cheese factory. To protect against flooding, a system of polders, water-lifting stations and dams operates in the territory of Rusnė, and the banks of the Nemunas are reinforced with concrete slabs.

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Map of Šilutė

Šilutė is 40 km south of Klaipėda, by road follow Highway 141.

Four trains a day take one hour from Klaipėda and terminate here. For times and tickets see LTG Link.

55.347121.48391 Šilutė railway station is 1 km east of town centre.

Two Kautra buses a day take one hour from Klaipėda via Priekulė, Vilkyčiai and Saugos. They meander on through the back lanes via Jurbarkas and Šakiai to Kaunas, taking another 3 hr 45 min. For times and tickets see Autobusu Biletai.

Klaipėda City Bus 115 also runs here twice a day, and continues to Rusnė village.

Buses make multiple stops through town. The bus station is 100 m south of the railway station.

You need your own wheels, the area is easy cycling country.

Rusnė island, 9 km southwest of town, is reached by Highway 206 bridge.

Gluosniu Taxi is on +370 642 79827.

• 55.3425721.46691 Evangelical Lutheran Church (Šilutės evangelikų liuteronų bažnyčia) marks town centre, at Lietuvininkų g 21. It was completed in 1926.
• 55.340821.46012 Šilutė Museum, Lietuvininku g 4, ☏ +370 441 62207. Tu-F 10:00-18:00, Sa 10:0-16:00. This was the manor house of Hugo Šojus or Scheu (1845-1937), a local landowner and great collector of Lithuanian culture. The manor was wrecked by the occupying Red Army in 1947 but restored in 2005 and the museum re-located here. Adult €6. (updated May 2025)
• 55.29763921.3758333 Evangelical Lutheran Church (Rusnės evangelikų liuteronų bažnyčia). built in 1809.  
• Ethnographic Museum
• Monument to Hermann Kallenbach and Mahatma Gandhi
• The post house and the remains of the old bridge

• 55.34428721.2914534 Ostadvaris lighthouse (Uostadvario švoturys) (on the island of Rusnes, on the left bank of the Atmata river, 5 km northwest of Rusnes). Construction began in 1876. The lighthouse consists of a 13-m-high octagonal red brick wall, which is connected to the lighthouse keeper's house. (updated Sep 2024)
• Residential development of the 19th century

Rusnė town and Rusnė island are very popular places for angling, as the Nemunas delta is rich in various kinds of fish, and local tourism infrastructure has been built up.

It is also a popular place for birdwatching.

• Maxima supermarket is 300 m north of the railway station at Cintjoniskiu 24, open daily 08:00-22:00.
• Iki is north side of town at Dariaus i Gireno g 11, open daily 08:00-22:00.

• Deims Hotel is a budget place at Lietuvininku g 70.
• 55.342321.47371 Gilija Hotel, Vytauto g 17, Šilutė, ☏ +370 441 61641. Comfy clean hotel with restaurant. Double (room only) €70. (updated May 2025)
• Liepa guesthouse is 200 m east of Šilutė museum at Liepu g 10.
• Apartamentai Muzika is available for short rentals. It's at Atgimimo al 5 off Taikos g.

As of May 2025, Šilutė and its approach roads have 4G from Tele2, and you might even get 5G from Bite. Telia coverage is patchy, and Rusnė has a poor signal from all carriers.

• Klaipėda the regional capital has an old castle and museum.
• Palanga further north is Lithuania's main beach resort, and has the regional airport.
• Curonian Spit is a 99-km bootlace of sand dunes and pine woods, reached by ferry from Klaipėda.
• The nearest border crossing into Kaliningrad Oblast is 40 km east on A12 at Panemunė / Sovetsk.