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Kaliningrad Region

Kaliningrad Region

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Kaliningrad Region

Why Go? ...... 284 Bordered by , and 148km of Baltic coast- Svetlogorsk ...... 293 line, ’s smallest territory, the Kaliningrad Region Yantarny ...... 295 (Калининградская Область), is both isolated from and inti- ...... 296 mately attached to the motherland. All the traditions of the big parent can be found here, alongside plenty of fi ne hotels Kurshskaya Kosa ...... 297 and restaurants, welcoming locals, beautiful countryside, ...... 297 splendid beaches and fascinating historical sights. The Teutonic Knights ruled the Baltic in the Middle Ages from Königsberg (now the region’s capital, Kaliningrad), in Best Places to Eat a land once known as . After WWII, Stalin ethnically cleansed the region of , but centuries of Germanic » Dolce Vita (p 290 ) culture and architecture were not as easily removed. From » Little Buddha (p 290 ) the pine forests and Sahara-style dunes of Kurshskaya Kosa » Zarya (p291 ) National Park to charming seaside resorts such as Svetl- ogorsk, this ‘Little Russia’ is easy to get around and off ers » Korvet (p 295 ) a youthful outlook. Best Places to Stay W h e n t o G o » Chaika (p 289 ) » Pushkin Hall (p 289 ) Kaliningrad °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm » Lumier Art Hotel (p 294 ) 30/86 6/150 » Hotel Bekker (p 295 ) 20/68 10/50 4/100 » Loger Haus (p 296 ) 0/32 -10/14 -20/-4 2/50 -30/-22 -40/-40 -50/-58 0 J FDNOSAJJMAM

Jul R u s s i a n N a v y Aug D o n C h e n t o Sep Chernya- Day – a chance Jazz Festival in khovsk hosts to visit , Kaliningrad. an international usually off limits horse show- to tourists. jumping event. 283 History casualties on both sides and Königsberg was The region has been famous since Roman left in ruins. times for its deposits. Ruled by Teu- In 1946 the region was renamed Kalin- tonic Knights since the 13th century, in 1525 ingrad in honour of , one of the area became the , Eu- Stalin’s more vicious henchmen. In a highly rope’s fi rst Protestant state, with Königsberg eff ective ethnic-cleansing campaign the sur- as its capital. The city’s liberal atmosphere viving German population was relocated attracted scholars, artists and entrepreneurs to far-fl ung corners of the , from across ; in 1697 deported or killed. The Russian Baltic fl eet visited as part of Russia’s Grand Embassy was headquartered in Baltiysk, making the and the 18th-century philosopher Immanuel region a closed one to foreigners for over 40 Kant lived all his life there. years. For four years of the Seven Years’ War Like much of Russia, Kaliningrad strug- (1756–63), became part of the gled through extreme economic diffi culties and, later, during the Napo- in the early 1990s. The discovery of oil off leonic Wars, Russia and Prussia were allies. the coast and the granting of special eco- After WWI, East Prussia was separated from nomic zone status has helped it turn the the rest of when Poland regained corner. One of the venues for the 2018 FIFA statehood. The three-month campaign by World Cup, Kaliningrad is also among a which the took it in 1945 was one handful of Russian regions permitted to de- of the fi ercest of WWII; there were massive velop a casino; the proposed location is near

0 40 km To Klaip›da 0 20 miles (40km) To Šiauliai Nida Rusn› Taurag› (90km)

t Morskoe Nem To a n (70km) Rybachy LITHUANIA Sovetsk Jurbarkas Kurshskaya Kosa (Nemunas) Curonian Spi Lesnoy Curonian (Kurshskaya Kosa) Lagoon Sheshupe Otradnoe Pionersky Zelenogradsk Khrabrovo Zalivino Krasnoznamensk Svetlogorsk Kudirkos- KALININGRAD REGION Yantarny KALININGRAD REGION Mordovskoe RUSSIA Naumiestis Gurievsk (KALININGRAD Primorsk Kaliningrad REGION) Baltiysk Svetly Kybartai Chernyakhovsk Kaliningrad Baltiyskaya Lagoon To Marijampol› Kosa Znamensk Gusev (30km) Ozersk To Elbl÷g (50km) Zheleznodorozhny To (50km) POLAND Goldap

Kaliningrad Highlights 1 Pay your respects at 3 Soak up the natural 5 Stroll along shady forest the grave of philosopher beauty of Kurshskaya Kosa lanes in the relaxing resort , then listen National Park (p297 ), where of Svetlogorsk (p293 ), to an organ concert in the forest dances and the discovering old German Kaliningrad Cathedral dunes roll on as far as the villas and the statues of (p284 ) eye can see Herman Brachert 2 Learn about Russian 4 Splash in the Baltic 6 Explore ruined castles maritime history on former from the beautiful beach at and saddle up at the expedition vessels and a Yantarny (p295 ), then visit Georgenburg Stud Farm in submarine at Kaliningrad’s the local amber mine Chernyakhovsk (p297 ) fascinating Museum of the World Ocean (p 284)

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