History

The ferry terminal was founded on May 20th, 1945 as a division of the River Navy, which had to perform a strategic task, i.e. to guarantee communication between the two shores.
Step by step, as the civil population returned and the industries recovered, a strong river transport enterprise got established at the place of the Old Ferry Terminal; the designated purpose of the new enterprise was much wider: to carry food products on barges from Kaunas, to float timber with tugboats along the Nemunas to the timber processing enterprises located on the banks of the Dane River, and to carry passengers by river transport. In winter part of the fleet stayed in Kaunas, therefore it was there that the Nemunas River Shipping Company was founded. The company owned a river shipbuilding yard, a port and repair facilities.
Later on the importance of river transport diminished, and the transport river fleet was transferred the Nemunas River Shipping Company, whereas the Old Ferry Terminal acquired the status of an independent economic unit; little by little the Ferry Terminal returned to its initial and principal function, i.e. ensuring communication across the Curonian Lagoon. At that time, in the 1960s and 70s, the company bought 4 river ferries; one of them are still sailing.
The industries developed, and tourism was growing rapidly. In Lithuania, and especially on the Curonian Spit, new rest homes were built, and construction in general was thriving. Therefore it was natural that those processes resulted in much higher quantities and numbers of vehicles, cargoes and passengers that had to be carried across the lagoon. The Old Ferry Terminal could not cope with the job. Therefore in 1986 the New Ferry Terminal was put into operation designed for transport of vehicles and cargoes. The New Terminal had for new-type spacious ferries, and two of them are still running.
When Lithuania regained its independence, Joint-stock company "Smiltynes perkela" as a total independent enterprise was registered in May 30th, 1991.
Thus, "Smiltynes perkela" is the only Lithuanian enterprise that can boast of experience in the area of passenger transport by internal waterways for over half a century.