Kaliningrad tourist information
Konigsberg was founded as a Teutonic Order fort in 1255. In 1340 the fort joined the Hanseatic League. Since 1457 to 1618 Konigsberg was the residence of the grand masters of the Teutonic Order and later on their successors, the dukes of Prussia. The first king of Prussia was crowned here in 1701. During the Second World War the city center was flattened by British air raids. In April 1945, the Red Army assaulted the city on their way to Berlin. The city was renamed on 4 July 1946 after Mikhail Kalinin, one of Lenin’s henchmen. The city was totally rebuilt but a number of old German monuments were preserved and reconstructed. So today Kaliningrad is a fascinating mixture of historical legacies.
One of the first things to see in Kaliningrad is the outstanding German remnant, the red- brick Gothic Dome (Cathedral), founded in 1333, severely damaged during the war and, since 1992 under reconstruction. On the outer north side of the Cathedral you may find the tomb of Immanuel Kant, the 18th century philosopher who was born in, studied in and taught in Konigsberg. A small Kant Museum is on the top floor of the Dome. Another German remnant is the justly popular Bunker Museum, the German command post in 1945.
Bradenburg Gate, named after General Friedrich Graf zu Dohne, and now housing the Amber Museum, depicts the German heroes of the war against Napoleon.
The History Museum has a collection of objects devoted to the pre-war Konigsberg and Soviet Kaliningrad. It also tells about flora and fauna of the Kaliningrad region. It also has exhibits telling about life in the ancient East Prussia.
In the Museum of the World Ocean you can see a scientific ship "Vityaz" and a real military submarine. The best place for a quiet walk in Kaliningrad is the Botanical Garden opened in 1806. The Fifth fort was a part of the third circle of the old city fortifications. You can see here the Russian Katyusha missile launchers, various tanks and other weapons of war. Near the Cathedral you can see the Memorial to the Sailor Heroes, which is the real torpedo boat.
by Russia-IC
Kaliningrad aerial map
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