Калининград

Guide to Kaliningrad and the cities of the Kaliningrad region.

In this application you can make an initial acquaintance with Kaliningrad, Zelenogradsk and Svetlogorsk. Choose a place to travel by looking at the sights and video reviews. The application also contains information about tour agencies and hotels offering their services in the selected city.

Kaliningrad is called a city with a European spirit and Russian soul. The city is located in the westernmost part of Russia and is separated from the rest of the country by the territory of Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. Before the Great Victory in 1945, it belonged to Prussia and was called Königsberg. Kaliningrad attracts tourists with its ancient German architecture, green parks, modern museums and funny sculptures.

The complex of buildings in the old German style, built in 2005 on the embankment of the Pregolya River, is called “little Europe”. The best postcard views in Kaliningrad open here.

The 14th century Gothic church is one of the main symbols of Kaliningrad. In pre-war times it had the status of the main cathedral of East Prussia. The temple was badly damaged during the bombing of World War II, but was restored. Currently, services are not held here; the cathedral operates as a museum and concert complex. The building houses the Kant Museum, a concert hall, Catholic and Orthodox chapels. Near the wall of the cathedral is the grave of the great German thinker, professor at the University of Königsberg, Immanuel Kant.

The country's only amber museum is located in the Don Tower of the Königsberg Fort. The exhibition consists of several parts and is located on three floors. The natural science department has collected various amber samples - pieces of fossilized resin with insects and plants aged 45-50 million years. Among them is the largest sun stone in Russia and the second largest in the world, weighing 4 kg 280 g. It was found in the village of Yantarny, where the Kaliningrad Amber Factory is located.

Another exhibition presents products made from Baltic gemstones: sculptures, interior items, icons, portraits, boxes, cups, jewelry. Notable is the Faberge cigarette case made of amber, made in 1913. Some exhibits are elaborate copies of original masterpieces, for example, fragments of the lost Amber Room. Among them is the world’s largest mosaic painting made of amber - the decorative panel “Rus”. On the ground floor of the tower there is an exhibition of amber products by contemporary authors.

The Amalienau district was built at the beginning of the 20th century according to the design of the famous architect Friedrich Heitmann. The development was based on the “garden city” concept, invented by the English sociologist Ebenezer Howard. The new residential area offered city dwellers all the delights of rural life: privacy, harmony with nature, comfort. Art Nouveau houses were built at a distance from each other, no higher than 2 floors, with cozy green courtyards. The facades were decorated with original bas-reliefs and sculptures. Wealthy Germans could afford villas in the private sector.

The Curonian Spit is a sandy piece of land 98 km long between the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon, of which 48 km belongs to Russia and the rest to Lithuania. The territory is distinguished by an extraordinary landscape (from dunes to forests and swamps) and a variety of flora and fauna. The reserve is home to more than 290 species of animals and 889 species of plants, including rare ones.

There are ecological trails in the reserve. In the Curonian Spit app, all routes are marked on the map, and there is an audio guide for each. Visit the "Height of Efa" - the highest point of the southern part of the spit. There are stunning views of the picturesque dunes here. On the soft white sand beach you can relax and admire the sea. Another popular route is the “Dancing Forest”: the tree trunks are bizarrely curved, and no one really knows why. At the Fringilla ornithological station, tourists are shown how birds are ringed to track their migration. It’s also nice to take a walk along the Royal Forest among centuries-old coniferous trees.