Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad (Russian: Калинингра́д kuh-leen-een-GRAHD), also known by its original German name, Königsberg, is the capital city of Kaliningrad Oblast in Russia. It has about 475,000 inhabitants (2018). It is also called 'Karaliaucius' in Lithuanian, as Lithuanians (cousins to the 'Old Prussians') used to live there. So it is truly the 'City of the Four Ks': Kaliningrad, Königsberg, Krolewiec, and Karalaucius. Following the Second World War, it was briefly known as Kyonigsberg (Кёнигсберг), the Russified form of the original German name. It is part of the Silver Ring of cultural and historical centers of Northwestern Russia.

History
Kaliningrad's history dates back to the 13th century, when it was under the rule of the Teutonic knights, an order of German knights, priests and laymen who sought to expand Christianity through missions and conquests. Known by its German name of Königsberg then, the city was the capital of Prussia.

Kaliningrad was a hub for science and culture whizzes from Germany, Poland and Lithuania. The famous mathematical Königsberg bridge problem is based in the city. Kaliningrad was also home to renowned philosopher Immanuel Kant and prominent German writer Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann. Kant is said to have had such pride in his hometown that he barely left the place in his lifetime, declaring that he did not need to venture abroad because ships came and brought people to tell him stories.

Destroyed in World War II and annexed by the USSR in 1946, the region was stripped of its German identity after the German population had been expelled, and was named after Mikhail Kalinin, a Russian communist leader. The overwhelming majority of its residents are Russians and those from other Soviet republics who came to the area in the immediate aftermath of World War II. A highly militarised zone during the Soviet era, the area only opened to visitors about 20 years ago. Unsurprisingly, there is very little visible trace of its Prussian past, save for a small number of refurbished buildings such as the Cathedral.

Climate
The best time to visit is in summer between June and August, when the temperature is around 20 to 25 °C. Temperatures in the autumn range from 10 to 15 °C and the season lasts from September to November. The Kaliningrad winter, which is from December to February, is much milder winter than Russia, with temperatures from 5 °C to minus 11 °C.

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

Visa
As Kaliningrad is an exclave of the Russian Federation, almost all visitors require a Russian visa to enter, except citizens of those countries that have signed bilateral agreements for visa-free entries, e.g. Israel, South Korea, South Africa, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Latin American countries. 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, St. Petersburg or other Russian regional centres can be done even with a single-entry visa. For more information about Russian visas, see the visa section on the Russia page.

Nationals of 53 countries including almost all EU countries, Japan, China and a few other Asian countries can get an eVisa free of charge for visits of up to 8 days. You can apply for an eVisa at Russia's MFA website. You should print off the eVisa confirmation (which comes as a pdf) for sake of ease. Border guards might want to see your visa on exit, so it's best to keep a copy on you, though having the pdf on your phone is perfectly acceptable. Note that the eVisa is not valid at some of the smaller border crossings.

Canadian, UK & US nationals must still apply for a regular visa.

By plane
Khrabrovo Airport serves the city. You may also want to consider flying to Gdansk, Kaunas or with fewer flights: Palanga and Olsztyn-Mazury. Somewhat further away are the airports of Warsaw, Vilnius and Riga. All these cities have bus connections to Kaliningrad.

Airlines and destinations include:


 * Aeroflot (Moscow-Sheremetyevo)
 * Air Baltic (Riga)
 * Azimut (Kaluga, Rostov-on-Don)
 * Pobeda (Moscow-Vnukovo, Saint Petersburg)
 * Belavia (Brest, Gomel, Minsk)
 * LOT (Warsaw)
 * Rossiya (Saint Petersburg)
 * RusLine (Belgorod, Lipetsk, Voronezh)
 * S7 (Moscow-Domodedovo)
 * Severstal (Cherepovets)
 * Smartavia (Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, Moscow-Domodedovo, Sochi)
 * Ural Airlines (Moscow-Domodedovo, Yekaterinburg, Saint Petersburg)
 * UTair Aviation (Moscow-Vnukovo)
 * UVT Aero (Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Volgograd)
 * Uzbekistan Airways (Tashkent)

By train


Eastbound (towards Vilnius in Lithuania) long-distance trains still run regularly. Departures are daily from Moscow (22 hr) via Minsk (11 hr) and every two days from Saint Petersburg (26 hr, also via Minsk). Some services are available from Chelyabinsk (69 hr) in the Urals and Homel (via Minsk). There are also trains from the Black Sea resorts, such as Sochi (61 hr), expect 1-2 trains a week during summer.

All cross-border services across the Polish border were cancelled in 2010, although there were approaches to restore the link and even some occasional rides. Also, a weekend connection to Klaipeda in Lithuania, with a change in Sovetsk, was cancelled.

Regional trains make it possible to arrive in the city from many towns in the oblast but, with the exception of coastal and suburban towns, the schedule is rather rare, often with one train per day. If you're after an adventure, you can try hitchhiking across the border at Mamonovo and taking a train from there to Kaliningrad (timetables can be found here).



By car
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 the absence of sign indicating directions/destinations (especially in the city). 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) The green card for insurance is valid.

By bus
Direct bus lines connect Kaliningrad with a number of cities in Belarus, Poland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine. Bus time tables for international and regional buses (in English), see the site of Kaliningrad's central bus station (ulitsa Zheleznodorozhnaya, 7 - next to the South train station), which, besides that, also serves a number of regional lines.

Bus from Tallinn via Riga, see: here

Bus from Gdańsk (Zloty 28, from Kaliningrad to Gdańsk ₽700) - leaves Gdańsk at 06:00, 06:30, 15:00, 15:30. See: here. Bus from Warsaw - leaves Warszawa Zachodnia bus station M W Th-Sa at 08:00, tickets ₽1520. This bus also stops in Olsztyn (700 руб). On Tu and Sa there is another bus that leaves Warszawa Zachodnia at 13:00, the ticket costs ₽1200.

Bus from Vilnius - leaves Vilnius at 13:15.

By boat
During summer there is a boat service between Kaliningrad, and Frombork, Krynica Morska and Elblag, Poland. Further info is available at Zegluga Gdanska.

By bicycle
It is possible to cross the borders by bicycle, though not on foot. As of May 2019, there are reports of bicyclists being able to skip the queue of cars and present passports at the booth of Morskoye crossing. Border guards tend to speak very little English so they'll be happy to let you through without too many questions.

Get around
The city has bus, minibus, trolleybus, tram and commuter railway networks.

By bus
The best way to explore the city is by bus. The public transportation system is relatively good. Half of the population live in the city, hence it is very well-connected. Fares are kept low, at a flat rate of ₽24 on the bus (₽26 on marshrutka, a shared taxi or minibus) and the waiting time is short.

Journeys can be planned using Google Maps. Keep an eye out for the last departure. Some buses lines already stop running around 22:00-23:00.

Tickets on the buses are handed out by the conductors. Marshrutkas are paid to the driver when exiting the vehicle and can also be paid with contactless cards.

The transport card is called Volna Baltiki (Baltic Wave).

By taxi
Taxis within the city may have meters, but most prefer to negotiate fares in advance. Minimum charge within the city is at least ₽100, even for short distances. 33 33 33 is a switch board covering several companies under one number. If you call from a foreign mobile, you should call +7 401 2 33 33 33. Russian app Yandex.taxi works in Kaliningrad.

See






Buy


Amber jewellery and art and craft is the local speciality:



Drink
Local beer brands that are available in stores.



Consulates

 * 🇦🇲 Armenia
 * 🇭🇷 Croatia
 * 🇩🇰 Denmark
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * 🇱🇻 Latvia
 * 🇱🇹 Lithuania
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * 🇳🇴 Norway
 * 🇵🇱 Poland

Visa centres

 * 🇪🇪 Estonia
 * 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇸🇮 Slovenia
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden

Go next

 * 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 35 m, with some reaching 70 m. Entry fees are ₽30 per person, plus ₽200 per car. The entire spit, including the Lithuanian part, is a world heritage site.