100 things to do in Kaliningrad and the Kaliningrad region

The history of the Kaliningrad region begins in July 1946. After the defeat of the fascist troops, the region became part of the RSFSR under this name. As a result of bombing by British aircraft and bloody battles for the capture of Königsberg (the former name of the capital of Prussia) in April 1945, the city was in ruins. Despite this, it was possible to restore many monuments to the centuries-old history of the westernmost region of Russia.

Museums in the region contain artifacts indicating the presence of Prussian tribes in this territory back in the 5th century. Order castles are scattered throughout the region. The Duchy of Prussia left a great historical legacy. There was a period in the history of this place when East Prussia was part of the Russian Empire - 1758-1762.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Koenigsberg became a cultural, scientific and commercial center. The world famous philosopher I. Kant taught at the University of Königsberg. The Koenigsberg Sea Shipping Canal was opened, and the trading exchange operated. Königsberg became the capital of East Prussia.

Today, guests of the Kaliningrad region have the opportunity to visit Europe without leaving Russia. The architecture and history of the region is radically different from the rest of the country.

A great guide to all the resorts in the Kaliningrad region: where you should go on vacation, and where there isn’t even a beach anymore

For ease of route planning, we have marked all mentioned cities and attractions on the map of the region:

Museums and attractions of Kaliningrad, Königsberg and East Prussia

Take a walk around the Amalienau district (aka Oktyabrsky). Find about a hundred former German and modern villas of different architecture in Jugendstil and Bauhaus.
Spend 1-2 days in all branches and events of the World Ocean Museum with unique ships and exhibits.
Visit one of the best ethnographic exhibitions in Russia by Hubert Matishek “People of the Sea” by philanthropist Vladimir Ivanovich Shcherbakov in Svetlogorsk.
Visit the Amber Museum, and then thoughtfully visit the branded amber stores in the area and buy amber products, bright and elegant beads or amber rosaries.
Castles of the Teutonic Order. Drive through 20 abandoned castles of Prussia and the Teutonic Order in the Kaliningrad region. Waldau (Nizovye), Georgenburg (Mayovka, near Chernyakhovsk), Insterburg (Chernyakhovsk), Labiau (Polessk), Neuhausen (Gurievsk), Preussisch-Eylau (Bagrationovsk), Tapiau (Gvardeysk), Taplaken (Talpaki), Schaaken (Nekrasovo) , Lauken (Saranskoye), Balga (about 5 kilometers from Znamenka Novaya station between Ladushkin and Mamonovo), Brandenburg (Ushakovo), Gerdauen (Zheleznodorozhny), Gross-Wonsdorf (Kurortnoye), Saalau (Kamenskoye), Kaimen (Zarechye), Kreuzburg (Slavskoe), Ragnit (Neman), Tilsit (Sovetsk), Fischhausen (Primorsk), Friedland (Pravdinsk)
Visit for the whole day Baltiysk (Former Pillau), the westernmost city of Russia, visited by Peter 1.
Take a sightseeing tour of regional cities connected by the Deima and Pregolya rivers: Polessk, Gvardeysk, Znamensk (Labiau, Tapiau, Velau in East Prussia)
Forts of Koenigsberg. Make a sightseeing tour of all 15 forts of Konigsberg.
Separately visit forts 5 and 11 with a tour - Denhoff, King Friedrich Wilhelm III
Visit the main cathedrals and churches of Königsberg, especially pay attention to the St. Nicholas Convent - Kirchu Judchen.
Walk the route in memory of the great philosopher Immanuel Kant.
Visit the Bagrationovsky district, driving along the picturesque Kaliningrad-Mamonovo road, and through the forests and lakes in the Bagrationovsk district.
Half a day to walk around the Hufen district of Königsberg (the area between Mira Avenue and Borzova Street) and solve riddles along Luisenallee Street (Komsomolskaya Street).
Spend the whole day walking around Svetlogorsk, Prussian-Kaliningrad Switzerland.
Drive to the vintage, dilapidated, but still well-preserved post-World War II village of Zheleznodorozhny (formerly Gerdauen).
Look through books or photos about old Koenigsberg. Then, walking around the city, remember these photographs and compare them with what has survived and been restored and reconstructed.
You can try to combine a visit to 3 large cities in the east of the region - Nesterov, Gusev, Chernyakhovsk and places close to them (for example, Tokarevka Bridge) with the reconstruction of the Battle of Gumbinnen.
Visit the Cathedral and the Kant Museum, and walk around the island of Kneiphof, imagining what this city was like before, studying old photographs and maps and taking pictures in the sculpture park.
Visit the Blindage Museum - one of the real bunkers of the Second World War in the center of Kaliningrad
Take a daytime stroll through the proletarian industrial quarter of Ponart Königsberg (Baltiysky district of Kaliningrad)
Go to the House of Soviets, one of the most avant-garde buildings under the USSR in Kaliningrad. Take a photo next to him. They will rise to the top whenever possible.
Take a tour of the Yantarny plant in the village of Yantarny, take a walk in Becker Park and the wide Baltic sandy shore.
Visit the new castle, restaurant, Nesselbeck brewery in Orlovka, study the instruments of punishment in the museum of torture.
Get acquainted with the history of the city of Königsberg on one of the best sites on the history of East Prussia, watch documentaries and videos.
Read Tsarist Russia's pre-war guide to Königsberg from 1912 in Russian.
Sign up for one of the excursions from a national guide and immerse yourself in the history of one of the districts of Kaliningrad-Konigsberg
Look at German-Prussian life in the Friedland Gate museum
Go for the whole day to Sovetsk-Tilsit, on the border with Lithuania, in the Prussian region of Skalovia.
Visit the Kaliningrad Zoo, one of the oldest zoos in Europe. In total there are more than three and a half thousand animals: giraffes, elephants, monkeys, lions, tigers, birds, reptiles, swimming and others.
Inspect the externally surviving and restored Prussian buildings of old Koenigsberg in Kaliningrad: Wrangel Tower, Kronpritz Tower, Gates (Royal, Rossgarten, Bradenburg, Friedland), Stock Exchange building, South Station, barracks of the Wrangel Cuirassier Regiment, bastions (Grolman, Preigel, Observatory, Astronomical ), Amber Manufactory, walk along the Lithuanian Wall, Ponart Brewery in Baltraion.
Go around and take pictures with all the iconic historical and not so significant monuments and sculptures of Kaliningrad, and there are more than 100 of them in Kaliningrad and the region.
Take an excursion to one of the three castles of the Teutonic Order with 8 centuries of history: Waldau Castle, Schaaken Castle or Balga Castle.
Visit the Kaliningrad Historical and Art Museum and become immersed in the history of Prussia and post-war Kaliningrad.
Drive through the places where Napoleon Bonaparte stayed in East Prussia. Visit 6 regional cities and towns where he stayed from 1807 to 1812, houses and attractions associated with him.

Historical places

House of Kant

Address: st. Zelenaya, 23, Veselovka village Telephone: Coordinates: 54.590282, 22.032166 How to get from Kaliningrad: 105 km to Veselovka village in the direction of Chernyakhovsk

The philosopher I. Kant lived and worked as a teacher in this house in the 18th century. The house contains exhibits telling about the life and works of the philosopher.

The restorers managed to recreate the interior of the living quarters and the smokehouse.

Castle Saken (Schaaken)

Address: st. Central, Nekrasovo village Telephone: Opening hours: 10.00-18.00 Coordinates: 54.590282, 22.032166 Ticket price: from 150 rubles Website: https://www.schaaken.ru/ How to get there: 40 km by car or bus to Nekrasovo village

The castle is located 40 km from Kaliningrad. It was first mentioned in the Order Chronicles in the 13th century. After the expulsion of the owner, the Order garrison was stationed there. Its goal was to defend the coast of the Curonian Lagoon.

A craft town gradually grew around the castle, and a church was built. Today the names of 21 order knights are known, who ruled the castle at different times. Peter I stayed here several times with Catherine.

By the beginning of the 20th century. Shaaken was partially destroyed. Today, on its territory, tourists participate in knightly competitions, watch fire shows, ride horses, etc.

Insterburg Castle

Address: Chernyakhovsk Opening hours: 10.00-20.00, closed on Monday Telephone: Coordinates: 54.640296, 21.806149 How to get there: 90 km by car or bus to Chernyakhovsk

Knight's castle 14th century. named after the city of Insterburg (Chernyakhovsk), in which it is located. It was built by the Master of the Teutonic Order as a defensive structure on the route of the Lithuanian troops and the bastion. The building is made of natural stone and medieval baked brick. Defensive walls with watchtowers extend from the central part of the castle.

The castle is badly damaged. Tourists come here to see visiting museum compositions and take part in art festivals.

Brandenburg Castle

Address: Ushakovo village, st. Pobeda, 1a Phone: 8-950-67-67-355 Ticket price: from 50 rubles Coordinates: 54.614766, 20.248678 How to get there: 25 km by car or by bus to Ushakovo

Currently, the castle is the ruins of once powerful walls with ceilings. The castle was built as a defensive structure during the time of the Teutonic Order in the town of Brandenburg (Ushakovo village) on the shore of the bay. In the 15th-17th centuries. in this place there was a large settlement, numbering several dozen households, and taverns.

The castle was badly damaged during the Second World War. In summer, theatrical performances are held on site.

Ragnit Castle

Address: Neman, st. Pobedy, 47 Coordinates: 55.039365, 22.030005 How to get there: 130 km by car or bus to Neman

The ruins of the Ragnit castle are located in the city of Neman (until 1947 Ragnit). This is the largest and one of the oldest castles in the region - 13th century.

It served as an outpost in the north of the Teutonic Order. Over the several centuries of its history, the castle burned several times and experienced numerous sieges. At different times it served as a citadel, a court, and a prison.

The castle needs restoration.

Gross-Wonsdorf

Address: Kurortnoye village Coordinates: 54.468387, 21.123463 How to get there: 65 km from Kaliningrad in the direction of Pravdinsk, then 3 km in the direction of Lugovoe village

The settlement was first mentioned in historical documents in 1256. Until 1928, the village was called Gross-Wonsdorf, and until 1950 - Wonsdorf. Now it is called Kurortnoe village.

The castle was founded by the order in the 14th century. for defense. A dam was erected next to it and a mill was built.

From the 18th century until 1945, the castle belonged to the von Schrötter family. Members of the respected family held the positions of ministers and chancellors of the Kingdom of Prussia. I. Kant was a great friend of the family; he often visited the castle.

Today, the ruins of the gate tower, small fragments of walls and the remains of the fortress rampart have been preserved. The park on the site of the forburg is neglected, the entire area is overgrown with trees and bushes. The stable building of the von Schrötter estate is the best preserved building. The castle needs restoration.

Shopping and shops in Kaliningrad and the Kaliningrad region

Arrange periodic long shopping trips in the main shopping centers and streets of Kaliningrad.
Regularly complete your grocery basket in the three main grocery chains of Kaliningrad, Victoria, Semya and Spar, Vester, and in farmer’s meat, fish, dairy and bakery shops and city fairs.
Buy ceramic souvenirs, colorful brooches, panels, Prussian houses, magnets from local ceramics artists.
On the weekend, visit the local small flea market, which is located behind the central market in the area of \u200b\u200bthe street. Telman
Buy yourself something old Prussian as a souvenir, a beer mug, a bottle, a porcelain figurine, a doll in a couple of antique shops in Kaliningrad.
Buy souvenirs from the Max Price manufactory or books about Konigsberg and Kaliningrad from the Kaliningrad publishing house Zhivem.

Tickets and transport

There are 3 ways to get to the Kaliningrad region:

Airplane . To fly to Kaliningrad you only need a Russian passport: a foreigner and a visa are not required. I buy air tickets at Aviasales. Look at the low price calendar: Pobeda, SmartAvia and other airlines often have sales on this route. In October 2022, we flew to Kaliningrad from St. Petersburg for only 5 thousand rubles for two.
Automobile . You will have to travel through Lithuania or Poland, you need a foreign passport. And in 2022, transit through the EU is possible only with special passes.
Trains and buses . In the first case, to travel to the Kaliningrad region you need a foreign passport, and instead of a visa you can apply for a simplified travel document through Russian Railways. A foreigner with a visa is required for the bus (traffic is limited from March 2022). Travel rules to Kaliningrad in 2022 are constantly changing, so read the information not on the Internet, but on the official website of Russian Railways.

I advise you to choose a plane. In this case, you will fly to Khrabrovo airport. There is no requirement to take a COVID-19 test. It is convenient to get to the city by taxi. Three services have the best prices:

Yandex Go;
Maxim;
Uber.

If you do not rent a car, you can travel between cities of the Kaliningrad region by buses or trains. I recommend driving Lastochkas. They are new, fast, and the price is almost the same as buses. Buy tickets at the box office or through the Russian Railways mobile application.

Food, restaurants, cafes and food in Kaliningrad

A week-long trip to 7 main breweries in Kaliningrad.
Eat 7 different delicious buns, desserts and pastries in small and large Kaliningrad confectionery shops and coffee shops.
Take a walk around the Central (Zakharovsky, Baltic, Selma) market and buy various local and imported delicacies and delicacies.
Try the cuisine of at least three different local gastronomic enthusiasts and chefs at street food festivals and picnics in Kaliningrad and Svetlogorsk.
Visit the best restaurants in Kaliningrad for every taste and budget, from the establishments of the Residence of the Kings complex to the Britannica pub.
Try 7 different types of fish from the Baltic Sea, the bay and numerous lakes and rivers to choose from: bream, pike perch, cod, eel, herring, perch, flounder, smelt, burbot, catfish.
Drink delicious coffee in coffee shops – Bus Station, Laundry, GS coffeeshop

Swan Lake

The picturesque Swan Lake, surrounded by an alder forest, is located on the Curonian Spit at the foot of the Olenya dune and is its decoration. A narrow strip of sand separates the lake from the Curonian Lagoon.

The lake is home to swans, ducks, and herons.

Active recreation in Kaliningrad and the Kaliningrad region

Drive the full route along the Curonian Spit using the official app from the national park.
Visit the wild Baltic Spit. Walk 10 kilometers forward along the road and back along the beach and vice versa.
Collect crumbs of amber on the Baltic coast after a storm, see how the locals do it.
Make a descent along the Angrapa River from Ozersk (8-28 km).
Spend the whole day in the Rominten Forest (Red Forest) - a large and beautiful forest on the border with Poland and Lithuania, where the Prussian royal families loved to relax and the grandmasters of the Teutonic Order hunted.
Join the Kaliningrad cycling movement - ride 30-50 km along all roads of Kaliningrad during the day.
Admire the wind turbines near the beach in Kulikovo.
Feel the special atmosphere of a quiet province during an evening or morning walk through one of the 14 historical districts of Königsberg - Kaliningrad (Altstadt, Amalienau, Sackheim, Kalthof, Kneiphof, Lavsken, Löbenicht, Maraunenhof, Ponart, Ratshof, Neuendorf, Haberberg, Hufen, Juditten).
Go to the edge of the Kaliningrad region to Lake Vishtynetskoye, spend the whole day there, sailing on the lake on a boat.
Pick mushrooms and berries in the autumn in the numerous forests of the Kaliningrad region. Key mushroom places: Lublinsky, Baltiysky, Gvardeysky, Znamensky, Svetlogorsk, Red forests, forests in the direction of Mamonovo, Bagrationovsk
Fish by boat in the bays or on the Baltic Sea near Cape Taran in Primorye, on various lakes, reservoirs and rivers of the Kaliningrad region.
Jump on trampolines and climb on the climbing wall at the Amplitude center
Ride horses, go on a horse excursion to stud farms in Kaliningrad and the region.
Spend a day in the safari park-farm Mushkino in the village of Mushkino, Bagrationovsky district, see the zoo of wild animals in their natural habitat, deer, roe deer, foxes, wild boars, beavers, go hunting, fishing, take a steam bath, play golf.
Take an eco-route in the Polesie region. Explore many different dams, canals, dams and pumping stations.
Go kitesurfing in Kitebeach
Go skiing, snowboarding, and ATVs in the winter at the “Malye Bobry” center in the village of Novo-Gurievskoye
Take a car ride along the secondary roads of the region leading to various farms and small villages; you will see beautiful hills, lakes, forests, small and large farms and villages.
Visit the cemetery of sea ships and vessels near Baltiysk.
Play paintball in the paintball clubs Western Front, Sturm, Liquidation.
Follow the ecological trail to the singing Big Moss Swamp in the Slavsky region, the largest in the Kaliningrad region.
Follow one of the large or small scenic trekking routes around the region (5-15 km) along the Baltic coast or through the wide and dense forests of the region.
Go ice skating at the Ice Arena and Lapland in Central Park and roller skating in City Park.
Visit one of the physical education and health centers in Kaliningrad: swim in the pools, work out a muscle, do yoga or fitness.
Kayaking in the Polesie region along the Zayachya and Matrosovka rivers and out into the Curonian Lagoon
Spend an hour behind a racing car at the Leader karting club on the weekend.
Go and see the Masurian Canal and the locks in the Gvardeysk area, which connected the Pregel River and the Masurian Lakes.

Churches, cathedrals and temples

Kircha Arnau

Address: Rodniki village Telephone: Coordinates: 54.700764, 20.667582

One of the oldest Gothic-style buildings in the region is located 15 km from Kaliningrad. The church was built in the 14th century. Its uniqueness lies in the presence of frescoes from the 14th century, which were discovered during restoration. Initially the church was Catholic, then belonged to the Lutherans.

Today Orthodox services are held there.

There are still legends about the former wealth of the church and its employee, who hid the treasure during Napoleon's invasion. The clergyman died, and with him the secret about the location of the cache went away.

Resort holidays, walks and relaxation in Kaliningrad and the Kaliningrad region

Visit in 1 day 4 main resorts of the Kaliningrad region in the resort towns of Zelenogradsk, Svetlogorsk, Yantarnoye, Pionersky.
Walk the Upper and Lower Ponds of Kaliningrad along the entire route in a circle.
Sail on a tourist boat through the center of Kaliningrad along Pregolya to the port and back, or on a yacht along the entire bay.
Visit the picturesque Baltic coast with steep cliffs in the area of the villages of Otradnoye, Lesnoye and Primorye, Donskoye.
Take a walk in the numerous and picturesque squares and parks of Kaliningrad, read a book or Instagram in the shade of centuries-old trees, feed the birds, have a plein air and paint a landscape.
Visit the Kaliningrad botanical garden and a small arboretum in the city center in spring.
Take a walk along the embankments along Portovaya Street, look at the Seaport, German railway drawbridges, various vessels and ships.
Visit one of the local sanatoriums and undergo a series of therapeutic procedures: mud therapy, hydrotherapy.
In the evening, go to the Baltic Sea coast and watch the sunset. Repeat many times from different places.
Spend the whole day lying and swimming on the beach in Yantarny or on the Curonian Spit.
Take a walk around the Fishing Village complex, climb the lighthouse, walk along the Jubilee Bridge, eat and drink coffee and beer in one of the cafe-restaurants of the complex.
Look at the city from the highest observation points and observation platforms in Kaliningrad.
Walk around Lake Poplavok, also known as Khlebnoe, also known as Gemini, 10-20-30 times, in good weather, talking with friends and family or listening to music or an audiobook.
Spend the whole day in folk Zelenogradsk (aka Zelik or Kranz) on the beach, or walking along the coast, park and city.

Baltic Spit

The Baltic Spit (German name Frische-Nerung) is a unique natural object created from sand by the sea and wind. The length of the spit is 65 km, 35 km is Russian, the other part belongs to Poland. The spit is separated from the mainland and the nearest town of Baltiysk by the Baltic Strait; you can get to it by ferry.

Fort Western

Here you can admire the dilapidated German fort “Western” (1869-1871), which is gradually being swallowed up by the sea. And see the abandoned Neutief airfield, built by Nazi Germany for the Luftwaffe. The uniqueness of the airfield is that it was built on sand, was electrified and was considered one of the best in Germany. There are artillery bunkers among the sand dunes

Neutief Airfield

The spit has beautiful beaches with white, soft sand; in the warm season you can swim in the Baltic Sea or the fresh Kaliningrad Bay.

The Baltic Spit does not have the status of a national reserve, like the Curonian Spit, and is not protected by the state. The beaches here are wild, non-tourist places, residents of the villages of Kosa and Rybachy live on the spit, but there is no police or hospital. Black diggers who want to drive cars and lovers of wild recreation come here: with tents and a picnic and lighting a fire.

Currently, the Baltic Spit is one of the most beautiful places in the Kaliningrad region, underestimated for tourism. If the regional authorities make it a national park, begin to remove garbage, strengthen the shores from sea erosion, and build comfortable recreation areas, then the spit will have a great tourism future.

Culture and entertainment in Kaliningrad and the Kaliningrad region

Take part in folk festivities at Herring Day in April and City Day in June, buy something at the fair, have a drink and snack at the food court, listen to a concert of local folk groups and orchestras.
Look at local works at regularly held fairs of Kaliningrad folk art and handmade artists.
Visit the main music festival of the city of Kaliningrad City Jazz, which has been held for the 11th time.
Go to the best performances of leading Russian theaters as part of the Baltic Seasons theater festival.
Watch the autumn fireworks festival in Zelenogradsk on a weekend in the fall.
Participate as an apprentice knight of the Teutonic Order at the Kaup Viking Festival in July in the village of Romanovo.
Go to the IMAX cinema Cinemapark for a blockbuster movie in the Europe Center.
Listen to a good concert in one of the three main acoustic halls of the Kaliningrad region - the Kaliningrad Philharmonic, the Amber Hall in Svetlogorsk, an organ concert in the Cathedral.
Enjoy live sound and voice for the weekend at a jazz concert-party at the Kaliningrad City Jazz club in a London pub.
Watch films from various film festivals at the iconic Zarya cinema.
Visit some wonderful theater performances in each of the 3 main Kaliningrad theaters during the spring or autumn seasons.
Dance at a local party on Fridays and Saturdays, at least in one of the main nightclubs in Kaliningrad, and at the maximum in each: Vagonka, Platinum, Universal, Rafinad, Nisha, Amsterdam, California bar, Skybar, and so on.
Spend the evening at a lecture, exhibition, chatting with friends, playing in one of the cozy cafe-bars-exhibitions in Kaliningrad: Soulful Kitchen, Art-Apartment, Art-Gate, Altes-House, Sukhomyatka, Sackheim Gate.
Get acquainted with the work of local Kaliningrad artists at exhibitions in the Kaliningrad Art Gallery and the House of Artists
Play with a group of people in one of the Kaliningrad quests (for example, The Barber and the Bunker).
Sing the entire repertoire from the film The Best Day in one of the karaoke bars in Kaliningrad (for example, in Euphoria)
Attend one of the many master classes in painting, modeling, theater, handicrafts, doll making, embroidery, music, vocals, and cooking, which are regularly conducted by Kaliningrad experts and professionals.
Listen to the songs of bards at the Wuhan Bard Song Festival in Baltiysk in the last week of July.
Take a ride on tram number 5 along the only remaining scenic tram route in Kaliningrad.

Sovetsk

120 km from Kaliningrad is Sovetsk, the former Prussian city of Tilsit. It was here that in 1807 the Russians, Germans and French concluded the famous Peace of Tilsit. In the homeland of Tilsiter cheese, you will see pre-war residential buildings and the ancient stone Queen Louise Bridge, which today connects Russia and Lithuania. On the restored pedestrian street there are interesting monuments to a tram, a moose and a museum of the history of the city.

Regular buses travel from Kaliningrad to Sovetsk in 2.5 hours. You can go with a guide, it is much more comfortable. For example, in the east of the Kaliningrad region there is an individual excursion Sovetsk - Neman.

Queen Louise Bridge in Sovetsk. Photo: Edward YS / wikimedia.org / CC BY-SA 4.0.