Kaliningrad: Secret holiday destination - Expat in Kaliningrad, Russia

A City of Contrasts

Preamble

Before going anywhere today, the first thing we do is consult the internet. If you undertake ~ or have already undertaken ~ an internet search of ‘Kaliningrad’ chances are that you will turn up, or have already turned up, a disproportionate amount of negativity. This is especially true of UK media articles, that is articles disseminated by the mainstream UK press, particularly articles written prior to and up to 2018, when Kaliningrad hosted the World Cup tournament in which England played against Belgium.

In the months leading up to the World Cup the concerted vitriol reached its apotheosis, which was rather unfortunate for the British press as, almost without exception, the majority of British fans who were not dissuaded from coming to Kaliningrad agreed that they had enjoyed themselves in Russia and in Kaliningrad in particular. So, it was a warm welcome for the British footer fans and a red face for the British media.

Since 2018, there has been a noticeable change in tone, with some, though not all, journalists adopting a more honest appraisal of Kaliningrad’s status as a tourist destination. Leading travel guides for English-language readers blaze the trail, using such words to describe Kaliningrad as ‘exciting, vibrant, a city and region of contrasts, fascinating, quirky and historically unique’.

Indeed, our late friend Victor Rybinin, artist and historian, defined its unique character as the combination of two cultures, first German and then Russian, and it is somewhere between this polarity that its fascination resides.

Königsberg: a city that refuses to die

Kaliningrad’s duality really begins at the close of WWII. Until that time it had been the capital of East Prussia, an imposing and noble city, boasting an architectural composition of Romanesque, Baroque and Gothic designs. Originally known as Königsberg, the city changed names when it changed people and country in 1946, the historical city of Königsberg having been all but extirpated from aerial bombing in 1944 and the Soviet siege and battle of 1945. From 1946 onwards, Königsberg, now renamed Kaliningrad, and the territory surrounding it, was absorbed by the Soviet Union.

Home to the Baltic Fleet, and of strategic geo-political importance, the area became a closed domain and remained this way until the collapse of the Soviet Union. The dissolution of the satellite Baltic states in the 1990s and their subsequent harvesting by the European Union created a physical and psychological barrier ~ physical in that the Kaliningrad region is separated by countries unallied to Russia, psychological in the sense that this little piece of land, the westernmost outpost of the Russian Federation, has become a political/military bogeyman for the West to rattle its sabres at ~ little wonder, therefore, that it is ringed with NATO bases! Never mind, it does not worry the locals, so it need not worry you.

History is Kaliningrad’s speciality

For the history buff, especially those interested in WWI, WWII and the Cold War, Königsberg-Kaliningrad has plenty to offer. The city contains a number of wartime monuments and museums and so many underground shelters that I have often amused myself whilst travelling from one side of the city to the next by taking part in my own spot the bunker competition. One of the bunkers, the aptly named Museum Bunker, is open to the public. It is very Nazispheric and replete with military history exhibits.

Kaliningrad: Secret holiday destination — Spot the German bunker competition

The most obvious examples of Königsberg’s military history predate the conflicts of the 20^th century, although, like every building in the beleaguered city of 1945, they played a not inconsiderable defensive role in the final battle for Königsberg.

Königsberg was a fortress city, which, by the middle and the late 19^th century, was heavily defended by two continuous rings of red-brick forts joined by an elaborate network of slit walls, bastions, gates, ramparts and crenelated towers. A prodigious proportion of both defensive rings is extant today, thanks to their solid construction, the determination of local history groups to conserve them and considerable restoration investment. Some of the forts now house museums; others are work in progress.

Königsberg fort — One of Königsberg’s inner circle of forts

Moat surrounding one of Königsberg's forts. Kaliningrad: Secret holiday destination — Moat surrounding one of *Königsberg’s* forts in the outer ring

Smaller relics both of Königsberg and from its military past can be found in any one of the city’s antique shops and ~ joy of all joys ~ at the city’s central street market. This haven for collectors has evolved into a boot fair/flea market hybrid, selling all manner of WWII and Soviet relics along with remnants of Königsberg itself.

One of the most atmospheric, or should that be claustrophobic, reminders of the Cold War is the Soviet submarine which is moored at the side of the Pregolya (German: Pregel) River on a bankside development mainly devoted to other marine vessels, museums and education centres under the auspices of the World Ocean Museum.

Soviet Submarine. Kaliningrad: Secret holiday destination — Soviet submarine, Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad’s Amber Museum is possibly the most well-known museum in the city and its territory. It was established in 1972 and occupies one of the inner-circle forts on the bank of one of Kaliningrad’s lakes (the correct terminology for which, I am told, is ‘pond’ ~ which makes it a very big one!) This, incidentally, is the same tower depicted in various YouTube videos, on which victorious Russian troops hoist the Soviet flag high across the war-torn landscape which, in 1945, is all that remained of Königsberg ~ at least in its physical form.

Kaliningrad amber

The Amber Museum, Kaliningrad — Amber Museum, Kaliningrad, Russia

Established in the richest amber-producing area in the world, the Amber Museum holds impressive and ornate examples of artisan craftsmanship, and both the city and coastal resorts are dotted with specialist amber shops, supplemented by market stalls specialising in every conceivable manifestation of amber-work imaginable and in all its various hues ~ jewellery, souvenirs, framed pictures, clocks, statues, household goods … the list is seemingly endless.

Exotic amber jewellery, Kaliningrad, Russia

Coastal resorts of the Kaliningrad region

The largest coastal resorts, Svetlogorsk and Zelenogradsk, are respectively a mere thirty and forty-five minutes away from Kaliningrad city centre by car, train, taxi or bus. As both towns are extensively populated with shops and stalls selling amber, and as the amount and range of goods for sale is little short of amazing, amber hunters visiting these resorts can combine their shopping expedition with a relaxing day by the sea.

Svetlogorsk (German: Rauschen) is a traditional coastal spa resort nestled on an undulating headland, sprinkled with fir and beech woods, in which quaint German houses of Hoffmanesque character peep out from within small enclaves of trees.

High Gothic. Kaliningrad Holiday Destination — High Gothic, Svetlogorsk, Russia

In recent years, renovation and large-scale investment has, like Kaliningrad, made this a place of contrasts and with it evoked controversy. Lavish and extravagant villas, high-rise buildings, even an entire street reconstructed in retrospective styles, have inevitably been precipitated by its growing popularity as a well-appointed, attractive coastal retreat.

Half-timbered reconstruction, Svetlogorsk, Russia

The, in my opinion, outsized multicomplex theatre and shopping centre, constructed in Svetlogorsk in 2015, seems to have been accepted, but there is decidedly less tolerance for what many see as a disproportionate extension to the seafront promenade, an enormous elevated walkway that has robbed Svetlogorsk of some of its little sandy beach and is destined to serve as the frontage for a parade of grand hotels and exclusive sea-view apartments. This notwithstanding, the older parts of Svetlogorsk are resolutely anchored by firm historical roots which, at the time of writing, continue to nurture the fairy tale.

Entertainment centre, Svetlogorsk, Russia

Zelenogradsk (German: Cranz) is by far the better option if sandy beaches are your thing. In German times, Cranz was considered to be the first resort and Rauschen the second, a position reversed in Soviet times and persisting to this day, but my prejudice is gradually moving in favour of Zelenogradsk. With its broad, golden swathe of beach, wide service-filled promenade, interesting beach-side cafes and restaurants offering unobstructed views of the sea, and its calm and easy serpentine high street containing many fine old buildings, some tastefully renovated others honestly gnarled and time-weathered, and not forgetting its awe-inspiring sunsets, a heavenly fusion of the sublime and surreal, Zelenogradsk for me is the perfect seaside retreat.

As stated previously, Svetlogorsk and Zelenogradsk are the two main regional coastal resorts, but they are not the only ones along this stretch of the Baltic coastline. Smaller and more secluded places await the intrepid traveller!

Secret Holiday Destination ~ Kaliningrad — Sandy beaches hidden away on Kaliningrad’s Baltic coatline

For nature lovers, and lovers of the great outdoors, the Kaliningrad region’s jewel in the crown is indubitably Korski Spit (the Curonian Spit) ~ a long (98km) narrow sand dune that arcs from the Kaliningrad region into south-west Lithuania, with the Curonian Lagoon on one side and the Baltic Sea coast the other. Carpeted with pine forest, and intricately laced with white sandy dips and hollows, this Unesco World Heritage Site is a phenomenal natural landscape and a natural habitat for a multitude of bird, animal and plant species. Wooden pathways constructed by volunteers permit the traveller to enjoy the natural beauty of the Curonian Spit whilst preserving the fragile ecosystem. It is along one of these that you are invited to walk to the Dancing Forest ~ so named because of the coiled and twisted nature of its trees. Visitors to the Spit will find viewing platforms from which to appreciate the beauty of both land and seascape, level cycle trails, and cafes tucked away in quiet little woodland glades. As for guest houses in this protected part of the Kaliningrad region, such are not prolific, although you may be lucky and find one in one of the two small secluded settlements hidden away on the Spit.

Meanwhile, back in Kaliningrad, no reference to its historic past would be complete without acknowledging the enduring presence of Königsberg Cathedral. A mere husk after the war, sterling work, much effort, considerable investment and skill has seen this fine specimen of 14^th century Gothic architecture restored to an unbelievable standard. In the daytime its unmistakable profile hints at the glory of what once was; in the twilight its silhouette is an eerie reminder of total war and the obliteration that still haunts this city.

Kaliningrad: ‘City of Contrasts’

Victory Square Kaliningrad Russia — Kaliningrad: Victory Square

The label a ‘city of contrasts’ is as good as one as any to try to hang on a place which is as enigmatic as it is ambiguous. Modern-day Kaliningrad is vibrant and bustling ~ new apartment blocks, expensive reconstructions cast in the mould of its Königsberg predecessors, an eclectic array of bars, cafes, restaurants and clubs, brand-spanking international hotel complexes rub shoulders with down-at-heel swathes of Soviet-era concrete flats, all sharing the same physical and spiritual space as the monuments to and memories of the ruins from which they have grown ~ Königsberg.

Original Königsberg building, Kaliningrad, Tourist Destination — Original Königsberg building, Kaliningrad

Epilogue

When I began writing this article, I had envisaged a succinct work of some 500 to 600 words. The fact that I have greatly exceeded that is testament to the great variety of things to see and do here, within Kaliningrad itself and its outlying region, and whilst I have deliberately focused on some of the more prominent, more defining features unique to this special place, those that I have not mentioned ~ of which there are many ~ less known, perhaps, but equally deserving, are urging me to write about them and, more importantly, for you to come and discover them for yourself.