Kaliningrad might not be on top of the list of sightseeing spots for most tourists, but it surely has value in being a little off the beaten track and not too well known. While little tourist information is available and languages other than Russian are rarely found, that gives the place some charm that Moscow and St Petersburg are beginning to lack, plus it’s closer to many travel itineraries than far off Russia.
Where and What is Kaliningrad
Check a map of Eastern Europe and you will find the small region of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea coast, south of Lithuania and north of Poland. Since the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the early 1990s, Kaliningrad has found itself as a somewhat isolated outpost of Russia.
While the main city was formerly named Königsberg, now both the city and the province use the name Kaliningrad. 80% of its inhabitants are Russian, with Belarusians,Ukrainians and Lithuanians making up most of the rest. Since 2004 when its neighbors all joined the European Union, Kaliningrad has realised that tourists are inevitable and has started to renovate and renew itself.
Tourist Sights in Kaliningrad City
Kaliningrad, formerly known as Königsberg, has a long, complicated history, with occupation by various nations over the centuries, including Germany, Russia, Sweden, and even Napoloen for a short time in 1807. This background has left a legacy of interesting architecture and a number of museums, although all suffered some disrepair during the Soviet times.
Buildings worth seeing and photographing in Kaliningrad include the cathedral, which has already been renovated and refurbished completely, the former Stock Exchange building constructedin a renaissance style, and the unfinished Soviet office block often referred to as “the monster”, built on the site of a famous thirteenth century German castle.
Museums in Kaliningrad include the Oceanography Museum, with a submarine and a sperm whale skeleton, the Bunker Museum from German times, and the History and Art Museum which covers the background of the city extensively and well. You can also stroll around the developing Old Town and down to the Pregel River.
Sightseeing in Regional Kaliningrad
Outside of the main city, the best place to visit is the Russian end of the Curonian Spit. Called the Kurshkaya Kosa National Park, it features the same dramatic landscape of sand dunes, pine forests and beaches as its Lithuanian counterpart. It’s also famous for it’s bird station and one of the world’s largest bird-trapping nets can be found there – don’t worry, the birds are tagged for research purposes and released, and it’s interesting to see.
As with any travel to Russia, you still need a visa to travel to Kaliningrad, usually with pre-booked accommodation – organise this early to avoid extra costs.
