Saturday 23 September 2017

RUSSIA: Visit Kaliningrad, Traffic Police Stop Foreigners And Expect A Bribe, But It Is The "Russian Hong Kong"

Kaliningrad is the capital city of Kaliningrad Oblast a Russian exclave. It has about 450,000 inhabitants.

Kaliningrad is the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea.

In the Middle Ages, it was the site of Old Prussian settlement Twangste. In 1255, during the Northern Crusades, a new fortress was built by the Teutonic Knights. The city became the capital of the Duchy of Prussia and East Prussia,part of Germany.

It was heavily damaged during World War II and its population fled or was removed by force when it became a Russian city. According to the 2010 Census, its population was 431,902.

Kaliningrad, also occasionally known by its prior German name of Konigsberg is called Karaliaucius in Lithuanian. Lithuanians, cousins to the Old Prussians, used to live here. Along with the Polish name Krolewiec it is sometimes known as the City of the Four Ks,
Kaliningrad,Konigsberg,Krolewiec,Karaliaucius. Following WWII it was briefly known as Kyonigsberg, the Russified form of the original German name.

Kaliningrad is at the mouth of the navigable Pregolya River, which empties into the Vistula Lagoon, an inlet of the Baltic Sea.

Sea vessels can access Gdansk Bay/Bay of Danzig and the Baltic Sea by way of the Vistula Lagoon and the Strait of Baltiysk.

Until around 1900, ships drawing more than 2 meters (6 ft 7 in) of water could not pass the bar and come into town; larger vessels had to anchor at Pillau now Baltiysk, where cargo was transferred to smaller vessels.

In 1901, a ship canal between Konigsberg and Pillau, completed at a cost of 13 million German marks, enabled vessels of a 6.5 meters (21 ft) draught to moor alongside the town.

The economy is currently booming due to favoured access to the EU for both its inhabitants and goods.

In 1996, Kaliningrad was designated a Special Economic Zone, referred to as FEZ Yantar.

Manufacturers based there get tax and customs duty breaks on the goods they send to other parts of Russia. Although corruption was an early deterrent, that policy means the region is now a manufacturing hub.

One in three televisions in Russia is made in Kaliningrad including Ericsson brand by Telebalt Ltd. and Polar by an eponymous firm located in the city of Chernyakhovsk and it is home to Cadillac, Hummer and BMW related car plants a produced by Avtotor.

Currently, Kaliningrad's major industries are manufacturing, shipping, fishing and amber products. In 2006, Moscow declared it would turn the region into the Russian Hong Kong.

The European Commission provides funds for business projects under its special programme for Kaliningrad. With an average GDP growth of more than 10% per year for three years to 2007, Kaliningrad grew faster than any other region in Russia, even outstripping the success of its EU neighbours.

By early 2015,the region's trade with the countries of the EU was increasing, with improved economic growth and industrial output.

The situation was bad in 2016, the Special Economic Zone expired.

The best time to visit is in summer between June and August, when the temperature is around 20-25°C. Temperatures in autumn range from 10-15°C and the season lasts from September to November.

The Kaliningrad winter, which is from December to February, is a much milder winter than Russia, with temperatures typically ranging from 5°C to -11°C.

Take along an umbrella, because the weather is unpredictable and windy. The weather is quite humid too, thanks to its proximity to the Baltic sea. The Baltic sun is mild

As Kaliningrad is an exclave of the Russian Federation, almost all visitors require a Russian visa to enter. If you plan to travel overland between Kaliningrad and other parts of Russia, you will need at least a double-entry visa in order to exit and re-enter Russia.

Travelling by air on domestic flights between Kaliningrad and Moscow or St. Petersburg can be done if you hold a single-entry visa. For more information about Russian visas, see the visa section on the Russia page.

Special Kaliningrad visa: If you are only visiting Kaliningrad and not the rest of Russia, you may be able to obtain a special Kaliningrad visa if you fulfil all of the following conditions:

- Your stay in Kaliningrad is a maximum of 3 days

- You are a citizen of a Schengen member state, the UK or Japan

- You enter Kaliningrad from the border check points of Bagrationovsk, Mamonovo or Khrabrovo Airport. You can leave Kaliningrad through any border crossing.

For more information on how to obtain the special Kaliningrad visa. Since January 1, 2017, it is no longer possible to get a 72 hours visa for visiting Kaliningrad and proper Russian visa are needed for entering the oblast.

Kaliningrad Hrabrovo Airport (KGD) is located 16km from Kaliningrad. A regular bus (144) runs every hour from the terminal to various stops in the city centre for RUB33.

A minibus ticket (line #244-Э) costs RUB80 plus RUB20 baggage fee, cards are accepted, trip duration is approx. 45 min.

Taxi services are also available; two airport-approved companies offer a fixed price of RUB550-600 depending on the exact place you need to go within city limits, March 2015, that you pay at the desk at the airport.

This is a far better choice than any of the people who may approach you at the airport, especially any with a name tag saying Official Taxi in English.

If you can read Russian and know the exact address, ordering a cab via a mobile app called Taxi Maxim which, by the way, works in a number of Russian regional centers can save you roughly 10% in comparison with prices of airport cab services.

Airlines and destinations include:

- Aeroflot (Moscow-Sheremetyevo, St. Petersburg)

- airBaltic (Copenhagen, Riga)

- Air Berlin (Berlin)

- Belavia (Minsk)

- S7 (Moscow-Domodedovo)

- UTair Aviation (Moscow-Vnukovo)

First of all, be aware that trains leaving from Kaliningrad runs on Moscow time an hour ahead of the local time. Thus a train advertised as leaving at 18:30 actually leaves at 17:30 local time.

Comedian Yakov Smirnoff might have said, In Russia, trains leave on time but you get to the station late. Clocks at stations use Moscow time.

Train connections with central European countries are scarce and regular over-night trains from Berlin and Warsaw have been drastically reduced. However, there will be a nightly train from Berlin taking 17 hours during May-October 2011.

Long-distance trains are however still running if travelling from the east. Departures are daily from Moscow (22h) via Minsk (11h) and every two days from Saint Petersburg (26h).

More irregular services are available from Kiev (26h), Kharkiv (30h), the northern city of Murmansk (61h) and Chelyabinsk (69h) in the Urals.

While trains from Black Sea resorts such as Sochi (61h) and Sevastopol (41h) are intended mostly for tourists getting home, it is still possible to book regular tickets on them, except 1-2 trains a week during summer.

In summer season regional trains PKP depart from Gdynia via Sopot and Gdansk.

The road system is extensive in the Kaliningrad region; however, they are not always well-maintained, and sometimes it is hard to get around because of absence of signage indicating directions/destinations especially in the city. On large roads, signs are displayed in Cyrillic and Roman letters.

Driving rules are generally the same as in most European countries, but many do not follow the rules, especially during rush hour in the city. Beware of the traffic police because they like to stop foreigners and often expect bribes.

There are two ways to get to Kaliningrad by car - from Poland and from Lithuania, but you should expect delays on the borders sometimes it can take a couple of hours, and expect up to 5 hours or more on exit, which is why most inhabitants of Kaliningrad prefer the bus which uses a special corridor at the border. The green card for insurance has been valid since beginning of 2009.

Bus timetables for international and regional buses, in English.

Eurolines bus from Tallinn via Riga

Bus to/from Gdansk to Kaliningrad, with two companies.

- Zelenogradsk-Trans, price is PLN50 (RUB500) from Kaliningrad to Gdansk. You can buy tickets until 18:00 at the underground level of the bus station, located behind Gdansk's train station, or directly with the driver, if you are more adventurous.

The bus leaves Gdansk at 06:00, 15:00 and 17:00. Small coaches a Turkish-made Otokar. Leaving from Platform 11 in Gdansk, arriving at Autobus Vokzal in Kaliningrad.

- KenigAuto, departures from Gdansk at 15:30 and 21:00, from Kaliningrad to Gdansk at 06:30 and 16:30. Price is also RUB500. In summer 2014 there was a special offer at RUB350, this price is currently offered from Kaliningrad for early morning outbound bus.

Comfortable coaches with TV in Russian and free coffee, or a 16 seater Mercedes Vario. When the bus is full, however, border transit times are longer because of the number of passengers. Schedules are subject to change, it is advised to consult the company's website.

It leaves from another bus stop in Gdansk, further on the right when you are looking at the bus station from the street where city buses stop, in Gdansk, and leaves from Moskovskiy Prospekt, 184 where the company is located or from the Train Station, not far from the entrance.

It's better buy your ticket in advance unlike their competitor, KenigAuto sells tickets online, seats are numbered.

Please note that the schedule on the bus websites, that appear via a Google search, are not actual:

Bus to/from Vilnius - leaves Vilnius at 13:15

A night bus also runs from Kaliningrad to Warsaw. However,this bus departs not from the main bus station, but from a bus station east of the city centre. To get to this bus station, take Moskovskiy Prospekt east from the main Leninsky bridge over the river and walk for about a mile.

The bus station is clearly visible on the right hand side of the road.

During summer there is a boat service between Kaliningrad, and Frombork, Krynica Morska and Elblag, Poland - more info at Zegluga Gdanska

City has bus, minibus, trolleybus, and tram networks. The best way to explore the city is by bus. The public transportation system is very good.

Half of the population live in the city, hence it is very well-connected. Fares are kept low, at a flat rate of RUB18 (USD0.29 as of 2016) on the bus and the waiting time is short.

Tickets on the buses are handed out by the conductors who walk around and take your money, don't try to find them they will find you.

Taxis within the city may have meters, but most prefer to negotiate fares in advance. Minimum charge within the city is at least RUB100, even for short distances.

Kaliningrad has many museums. A few examples are the Immanuel Kant museum on the Kneiphof island, the Regional Museum of History and Arts, which has parts of Konigsberg Castle's Prussia Museum of local archaeological findings, and the Kaliningrad Amber Museum, which is situated in the Dohna Tower near the Rossgarten Gate.

The city is also home to the Kaliningrad State Art Gallery, established in 1988, that is developing as a contemporary art museum.The Museum of the World's Oceans is located on the former research vessel Wityaz on the shore of the Pregel river.

The museum displays the newest technologies on sea research and also shows the diversity of the flora and fauna of the world's oceans. An anchored Foxtrot-class submarine next to the museum, the B-413, hosts an exhibit about the Russian submarine fleet.

The Kaliningrad Philharmonic Orchestra is accommodated in the former Catholic Church of the Holy Family of Konigsberg, built in 1907.

The church escaped major damage in World War II and was refurbished afterwards. The building, which has noted acoustics, functions as an organ hall since re-opening in 1980.

The Kaliningrad Regional Drama Theater is located in the former Konigsberg Neues Schauspielhaus, which was opened in 1910. The building was rebuilt after the war using earlier plans for the theater and opened in 1960.

The colonnade in front of the entrance was modeled after the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.

The regionally notable Kaliningrad Puppet Theater has had its seat since 1975 in the Queen Louise Remembrance Church. This neo-romantic church, designed by architect Fritz Heitmann, was built in 1901.

The pre-war city center Altstadt and Kneiphof currently consists of parks, broad avenues, a square on the site of the former Konigsberg Castle, and two buildings: the House of Soviets or Dom Sovyetov, roughly on the site of the former castle, and the restored Konigsberg Cathedral on the Kneiphof island now Kant island.

Immanuel Kant's grave is situated next to the cathedral. Many German-era buildings in the historic city center have been preserved and even rebuilt, including the reconstruction of the Konigsberg Synagogue.

The new city center is concentrated around Victory Square. The Cathedral of Christ the Savior, consecrated in 2005, is located on that square.

The oldest building in Kaliningrad is the Juditten Church built before 1288. Also worth seeing are the former Stock Exchange, the surviving churches, and the remaining city gates.

In counter-clockwise order these gates are: the Sackheim Gate, King's Gate, Rossgarten Gate, Attack Gate German: Ausfallstor, or Sally Port, Railway Gate or Eisenbahntor, Brandenburg Gate, and Friedland Gate or Friedlander Tor (Kaliningrad).

Apart from the already mentioned Dohna Tower, which houses the Amber Museum, the Wrangel Tower also remains as a reminder of the former Konigsberg city walls. Only the gate of the former Fort Friedrichsburg remains.

Notable monuments include the statue of Immanuel Kant in front of the Immanuel Kant State University of Russia. The statue was made by notable sculptor Christian Daniel Rauch and unveiled in 1864.

The statue was destroyed in 1945, but was remoulded in 1992 on the initiative of Marion Donhoff, a native East Prussian who became prominent in the West.

Also worth seeing is the Cosmonaut monument, which honours the Kaliningrad cosmonauts Alexei Leonov, Yuri Romanenko and Aleksandr Viktorenko.

Other statues and monuments include the statue for Duke Albert, the statue for Friedrich Schiller, the statue for Tsar Peter the Great, Vladimir Vysotsky, the Mother Russia monument, and the Monument for the 1200 Guardsmen, remembering the Battle of Konigsberg.

Kaliningrad is a very green city with a large number of parks and areas with lots of trees and lawns. Parks range from tiny city squares to massive parks.

Youth Recreation Park is a well known and popular parks in the city. The park was established in 20th-30th in the English style. It reopened its doors post war and was popular among citizens in 80th-90th with its beautiful boat house and tennis courts, as well as merry-go-rounds.

The park had a massive reconstruction in 2004 adding to the park a cafe, carting, and various modern entertainments. It is located in the quiet area of the city, in Leningradsky area, and is connected to the Lower Pond.

Youth Recreation Park provides entertainment for all age groups. There is also Interpersonal Communications Development Central located in the park. Its beautiful building became a popular backdrop for wedding pictures.

The Kaliningrad Zoo was opened as the Konigsberg Zoo in 1896. The collection, which extends over 16.5 ha, comprises 315 species with a total of 2,264 individual animals (as of 2005). The Kaliningrad Zoo is also an arboretum.

Centrally located in the city is Lower Pond, an artificial lake. Lower Pond is surrounded by a promenade and is an area for recreation especially in summer. North of the Lower Pond is the larger Upper Pond in northern Kaliningrad.

Leonhard Euler's 1736 paper on the puzzle of the Seven Bridges of Königsberg was a seminal work in the fields of graph theory and topology. Only two of the structures from his era survive.

An important education centre in Kaliningrad is the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University. It is the successor to the Albertina, which was the old university of Konigsberg founded in 1544, and whose faculty included noted scholars as Abraomas Kulvietis, Stanislovas Rapalionis, Immanuel Kant, and Jan Mikulicz-Radecki.

The modern city of Kaliningrad is home to the Kaliningrad Regional Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestra, the Lik male chamber choir and the Garmonika Russian music ensemble, as well as the Kaliningrad Chamber Orchestra.
Konigsberger Klopse are a Prussian specialty of meatballs in a white sauce with capers.
Kaliningrad has its own vodka and beer brands, Stari Konigsberg and Ostmark respectively. Since the early 1990s many new restaurants have opened in the city. These restaurants offer culinary specialities of former East Prussia, like Konigsberger Klopse, but also many fish and salad dishes, Italian pizza and sushi, which is as popular in Kaliningrad as in the rest of Russia.

Königsberger Fleck, a bovine tripe soup and yet another culinary specialty from former Konigsberg, no longer belongs to the culinary culture of Kaliningrad.

The people of Kaliningrad generally imported their respective culinary traditions to the region when they settled in the area after 1945. Borshch and okroshka may be served as in the rest of Russia.

Many Italian and Asian restaurants or fusions of both traditions are in operation all over the city. Pizza and sushi are among the most popular dishes today.

Fast food is widely available from various chains, including those of foreign origin: McDonald's and Subway began operations in Kaliningrad in 2011. Shawarma is also gaining considerable prominence.

Konigsberg Cathedral, ulitsa Kanta (Kant's street), 1 Easily approachable by foot either from the direction of the Kaliningrad Hotel,take the left side of the Leninsky Prospekt auto bridge south, and descend the stairs when the cathedral appears on your left or from the direction of the Fish Village.

Originally built in 1333-1380 and largely reconstructed after World War II, the cathedral on Kneiphof Island along the Pregolya River is a sight to see. The cathedral links Kaliningrad to its German past, where the Prussian kings were once crowned.

There are two rooms in the Cathedral Museum devoted to the life of Kant, whose tomb lies beside the cathedral walls. Up the stairs to the left of the main door is a three-story museum dedicated to the life and work of Immanuel Kant - a separate ticket needed.

Kant's grave can be viewed outside the cathedral, on the northeast corner of the building. RUB270.

The House of Soviets. Known to locals as The Monster, this is sort of an anti-attraction, but useful for orientation in the city centre. It was constructed on the ruins of the Konigsberg Castle, but was deemed structurally unsound and therefore never occupied.

Rumour has it that a mysterious owner prevents it from being demolished. An archaeological dig is active on the grounds, which is not open to tourists, but specialists may be able to arrange for a visit of the remains of the castle.

The old fortifications. Includes 15 town gates - Sackheim, King's, Rossgarten, Attack, Railway, Brandenburg, Friedland, Friedrich Wilhelm III. One of the towers is home to the Amber Museum.

Amber Museum, Marshal Vasilevsky Square 1,In the Dohna Tower of the city wall. Houses a large number of amber ornaments and jewellery from Yantarny in the wider Kaliningrad region. Adult RUB170, school kid RUB80.

Bunker Museum - The Blindage Museum, Universitetskaya St 2a,Enter the first courtyard to the right behind the Kaliningrad Hotel. This is a branch of Тhe Kaliningrad Regional Museum of History and Art.

A bit hard to find,one must weave through three or four courtyards and children's playgrounds before finding it, which is barely marked except by two black upright triangular canopies over the bunker doors, it was the headquarters of the local German command during the 1945 battle.

A museum of the city's German past which lasted 689 years and Soviet liberation of the city, including several interesting dioramas of events during the days of the battle. RUB100, school kid RUB30.

Museum of the World Ocean, Nab. Petra Velikovo 1. includes two museum ships and one submarine.

Victory Square. The central area where the administrative buildings, banks and shops are.

Fishing Village. Red-roofed buildings and colourful exteriors illustrate the charm of old Koenigsberg, what Kaliningrad used to be known as.

Events And Activities

Annual Jazz Festival 'Kaliningrad City Jazz'. Takes place in August

Fish at the Baltic sea. Takes place all year round

Trek in the forests, Two-hour drive from the city. Soak up nature in the untouched forests

Kaliningrad's annual two-day City Day. Commemorates its founding since 1255. It is celebrated in July. The city comes out in full force to party under the dazzling fireworks, concerts, performances, sports, arts and car-related events.

Escape Rooms Kaliningrad, Korabelnaya str. 6/2. Escape rooms – is an interactive games, brought to life from computer games experience. You will be trapped in a room and to get out you’ll have to solve puzzles, explore items, use tips and finally find keys to freedom. You will have one hour only to escape the room.

Shopping

Europa shopping mall, Ploshad Pobedy, 2A Victory Square (Train to Severnyy vokzal). 66,000 m2 of high-end boutiques, cinemas, food and beverage outlets ranging from fine-dining restaurants, cosy cafes to cheap food kiosks.

Amber jewellery and art and craft is the local specialty:

Kaliningrad Amber Factory, Ul. Chernyakhovskovo 62,also other locations in the city. Factory store offering a wide variety of jewelry and objets d'art for almost any budget.

Amber pavillion, A few blocks up Leninsky Prospekt from the Kaliningrad Hotel. opens at 10am. Several stores grouped together with a variety of amber items at competitive prices.

Yantarny, Information tourist center «Gorod Vdohnoveniya», Masterov Square, Yantarny settlement (Located an hour's drive from the city). Yantarny has the biggest amber mine in the world and accounts for more than 90 per cent of the world's output. This settlement has a wide variety of amber products.

Amber Museum's gift shop, 236016 1, Marshal Vasilevsky square. You can buy a piece of amber from 240 rubles.

Polotskaya wholesale shopping base, Polotskaya street, 45 Bus to Yuzhnyi vokzal. Locals like this place for cheap prices for food and beverages, cloths and so on. You'll find there cheap clothes and shoes, best place if your budget is limited

Wine & Dine

Papasha Beppe Pizzaria, Leninsky Pr. 20/26 and Baltiiskaya Ul. 12 (Central location on Leninsky Prospekt is within walking distance of the Plazma Center). 11am to 11pm. Many locals consider this to be the best thin crust and thick crust pizza in town, and Papasha Beppe also offers a wide variety of reasonably-priced salads, pastas, risottos, and desserts. 200-600 Rubles per pizza.

Zarya, Prospekt Mira 41/43 Just up the street from the Moscow Hotel. A trendy, upscale restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, wide selection on the menu, excellent desserts. In the same building as a movie theater.

Karamel, Leninsky Prospekt 30 On the top floor of the Plaza Center; note the separate elevator to the right of the main entrance to the shopping mall. Some of the best views from the city from this cafe. Excellent food and fairly broad range of European cuisine, approximately 500 rubles per entree.

Kropotkin, Teatralnaya ulitsa 30 Next to the big McDonalds near Victory Square. Self-made beer (100 RUB 0,5l), probably the best in town. Try the unfiltered one. Acceptable food, cosy beerhall atmosphere and business lunch. 400 RUB.

Razgulyai, Ploshad' Pobedy 1. Cafeteria-style restaurant with rustic decor. Good for children.

Twelve Chairs (Dvenadstat' Stulyev). A very chic bohemian style cafe with a decent food menu

In the Shadows of the Castle V Teni Zamka, In the strip mall across from the Kaliningrad Hotel, on the same block as the Monster. opens at 11am. One of Kaliningrad's longest-lasting cafes.

Viktoriya Supermarket, Leninsky Prospekt 30 Ground floor of the Plaza Center. A 24-hour supermarket, useful for self-caterers. Other locations throughout the city, too.

Solyanka Cafe, 24 Prospect Mira. Try the solyanka, a a thick, piquant soup that is either meat-based, fish-based or vegetable-based. It is cooked with preserved cucumbers, olives, capers and tomato puree that give a strong sour-salty taste to the the soup. Solyanka is perhaps one of the most popular soups besides borscht (beetroot soup) in Russia, but remains unknown beyond the national boundaries. 500 rubles.

Hmel Restaurant and Brewery, Pobedi Square, 10, 'Klover' Shopping Centre, 2nd Floor Situated next to the Victory Square. Savour traditional Russian and Siberian cuisine. 700 rubles.

Gelateria Italiana (Rosso Arancio), Kaliningrad, ul. Theatre 30, Europa Centre, 2nd Floor Main entrance opposite Victory Square at top of escalators. Ice cream restaurant located in Europa Centre. 150-1200RUB.

Yamato, Leninskiy prospekt, 63. 11-00, Fri-Sat 11-01, Sun 11-23. Conveniently located sushi bar next to Pregolya embankment, near the former exchange building. Lunch menu on weekdays, '2 for the price of 1' promo on Saturday for selected Japanese dishes. Free wi-fi. 600-700RUB.

Hmel Restaurant and Brewery, Pobedi Square, 10, 'Klover' Shopping Centre, 2nd Floor (Situated at the Victory Square). Live music starts at 9pm every night. A gigantic brewery on the second floor churns out home-made beer. 95 rubles/glass.

Local Beer. Local beer brands that are available in stores include Ostmark and Königsberg.

Gelateria Italiana (Rosso Arancio), Kaliningrad, ul. Theatre 30, Europa Centre, 2nd Floor,Europa Centre, opposite Victory Square. Ice cream restaurant located in Europa centre. Top of escalators near the entrance opposite to Victory Square. 150-1200 RUB.

Accomodation

Kaliningrad Hotel,Very center of the city. checkin: 14:00; checkout: 12:00. A landmark hotel in the city center, clean and well renovated, within walking distance to most sights. Breakfast buffet is 350 Rubles extra. 3850-4750 Rubles per night; extra bed in a room 1000 Rub.

Moscow Hotel, Mira Ave 19/21 (Мира проспект, 19/21) (centre, south of Zoo). checkin: 14:00; checkout: 12:00. Affiliated with the Kaliningrad Hotel, and quite similar although a little bit up the road, but still near the city center. Breakfast for extra 270 Rubles. From 2300 Rubles per night.

Skipper Hotel, Oktyabrskaya St 4A centre, the Fishermen's Village east of both Cathedral and Immanuel Kant's tomb, on a bank of Pregolya river. A boutique hotel in a fachwerk building, within walking distance of the cathedral and the circus. Breakfast buffet is 300 Rubles extra. 3300-3500 Rubles per night.

The Art Hotel - Pushkin Hall, Dostoevskogo St 19 north of centre, east of botanical garden. checkin: 14:00; checkout: 12:00. It is a family hotel where you can feel like at home or at your close friends’. 1800-3800 Rubles.

Amigos Hostel, Yablonevaya Alleya 34. checkin: 12; checkout: 11.00. Hostel is a two-story house with a fenced free parking. Kitchen combined with a spacious dining room. Bathroom on the second floor and shower room on the first floor. English speaking staff, free WiFi. 30-40 minute walk to the centre. 500-600 RUB.

Radisson Hotel Kaliningrad, 10 Pobedy Square 236010 Kaliningrad. Located in the historic main square of Kaliningrad. The hotel contains 178 rooms and suites created by Swedish designer Christian Lundveld

Albertina, Demyana Bednogo, 13a. Hotel in a quiet northern neighborhood. Clean, well-equipped rooms, polite staff, free WiFi. 1100RUB.

Hostel Utro, Frunze 87, apartment 5. checkin: 12; checkout: 12. Hostel is new. Great atmosphere and location in historic building. Rooms are bright clean and very spacious, staff is friendly and speak well English 400RUB.

Curonian Spit A nearly 50-km-long spit stretching between Zelenogradsk and the Lithuanian border, separating the Baltic Sea from the Curonian Bay, it includes pine forest, hiking paths,beware of encephalitis-bearing ticks, and beaches.

The average height of the sand dunes is 35m, with some reaching to 70m high. Entry fees are 30 rubles per person, plus 200 rubles per car.



Tourism Observer

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