Destinations > North-West

Kaliningrad

The only region in Russia, that is not joined with Russian motherland, it`s surrounded by the sea and foreign countries

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Let`s Explore it

Paradox Region

Kaliningrad (ex-Königsberg) is an extraordinary city with a very interesting history. The main paradox of the Kaliningrad Region is that after the collapse of the USSR it`s not joined with Russian motherland, it`s located separately, surrounded by Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, and Baltic Sea.

In medieval times Königsberg was the important port of Prussia. Until the Second World War, the province was a part of Germany; but after the German`s surrender in war, Königsberg was joined to USSR, renamed into Kaliningrad, and repopulated with Russians.

short city information

LOCAL TIME	UTC+2
CLIMATE	Temperate with mild winter
POPULATION	More than 450 000 people
HOW TO GET	2 hours by plane from Moscow
SPECIAL POINT OF ENTRY	Sea port
HIGHLIGHT	Curonian Spit, Amber, Kant Island

types of tourism

Religious

Excursion

Nature

Wellness

Touches Everyone`s Feelings

From Amber to Mighty Dunes

Thanks to this confusing history and cultural peculiarities nowadays Kaliningrad Region is a fascinating place to visit. Kaliningrad city attracts tourists with interesting sights and surprisingly diverse architectural constructions. Shining Yantarny is famous for the largest amber-mining quarry in the world and considered to be world’s amber capital. Seaside towns Zelenogradsk and Svetlogorsk amaze with their old-world beauty. Mighty dunes, forests and quiet villages of Curonian Spit will touch everyone`s feelings.

So Shining!

Amber Capital

Kaliningrad is famous all over the world for its amber. Yantarny village is the largest amber-mining quarry in the world. The largest quantity of amber, which was mined there in a year, was 500-600 tons, which is very impressive! Tourists will see an enormous quarry where 90% of amber of the world is extracted and manufacture where pieces of amber are transformed into jewellery. They can also buy their amber jewellery products at a favourable price.

German Heritage

Kant Island and Riverside

Among the most popular touristic objects of Kaliningrad are Kant Island (famous for the Kaliningrad Cathedral) and Riverside. A part of the Riverside (also called Fish Village) is interesting for the 31-meter-high lighthouse with a breath-taking view, cute shops, restaurants, and hotels. Here you will also find an interesting former Stock Exchange. The Kaliningrad Cathedral is considered to be a symbol of the city. There are a lot of tombstones inside and outside of the Cathedral from different ages. In 1804 the great philosopher Immanuel Kant was buried there. The Cathedral is one of the oldest monuments of architecture. It has great art-architectural and historic meaning.

Buildings in German historical style on the embankment, a lighthouse.

View from the ground of a gothic-style red brick cathedral with a clock tower

A mausoleum in a neo-Gothic chapel adjoining the corner of the cathedral

Dive into the Ocean

World Ocean Museum

Kaliningrad is also famous for its World Ocean Museum. This Museum presents mighty expositions of historical Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet, navy, and fishing fleet, for example, the largest in the world scientific-research vessel; the only vessel of space communication in the world, etc.

Cabins and laboratory equipment are well preserved on ships. The coastal museum complex holds the exposition “The World of the Ocean. A Touch…” with its amazing aquariums, collections of sea mollusk shells, live fish and corals, nautical charts, geological and paleontological samples.

Pristine Nature

Mysterious Dunes

Curonian Spit (in Russian – Kurshksaya Kosa) is a unique sight of Kaliningrad Region. It`s almost 100 km long, thin sand-dune part of the land, which divides the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in two countries; Russia & Lithuania.

Tourists will see the mysterious dancing forest, the oldest in Europe ornithological station and famous dune Efa. Every year the Curonian Spit attracts travellers from all over the world thanks to the unique preservation of its amazing natural landscapes, which leave nobody indifferent. Those, who visited it once, are ready to come back here again and again.

The Sea is calling

Famous Spa Town

Svetlogorsk (known by its German name Rauchen) is another beautiful old town of Kaliningrad Region, founded in the 13th century. It is rightly regarded as a coastal resort town with a very long white sand beach, about 3 km. It is a small and very attractive town situated on the Baltic Sea coast. In medieval times, when this town was a part of Germany, it was popular among German vacationers, therefore it was transformed into a spa town. After the Nazis` surrender in World War II name, “Rauchen” was changed into “Svetlogorsk”, and this town became a part of the Kaliningrad Region. Nowadays it remains a popular summer resort town thanks to its beautiful beaches, spas, fresh air, pine forests, clubs, and beautiful architectural constructions.