The ABC of excursions in the Kaliningrad region

Free day. 

On request, for an additional fee, an excursion "Amber Coast", 8-9 hours – 2000 rubles /person.

09:00 Boarding from the Tourist Hotel (53 A. Nevsky str.).

09:20 Landing Fish village (Oktyabrskaya, 4).

09:30 Boarding from the Kaliningrad Hotel (81 Leninsky ave.).

Route: village Yantarny – Svetlogorsk.

The village of Yantarny got its name for a reason: according to geologists, the largest amber deposit in the world is located here. And this is the only place in Russia where industrial extraction of sunstone is carried out. 

Amber is a business card of the Kaliningrad region. We will tell you all about amber. The program includes a visit to the enterprise, where you will be told about the extraction, processing of amber and the manufacture of jewelry with amber. 

You will also learn about the beneficial, healing properties of this stone. Amber is used in pharmaceuticals and in the production of medicinal amber cosmetics. 

In your free time, you can visit the quarry of the Kaliningrad Amber Combine, where amber mining is carried out in an open way, and where the path of stone from the earth to man begins. 

A visit to the quarry is offered on request, payment for tickets at the company's ticket office independently from 1300 rubles.

As part of the tour, there is time for purchases of amber products and souvenirs, because here in Yantarny is the main specialization of activity: stone mining and the manufacture of everything from amber! We will also take a walk around Yantarny and get acquainted with its history. 

Previously, Amber was called Palmniken. The decoration of the place is the ancient Lutheran church of 1892 and the building of the Schloss Hotel in 1881, built as the home of the owner of the mining enterprise Moritz Becker, as well as an arboretum with century-old trees – a place where you can hide from the summer heat. 

Transfer to Svetlogorsk. 

Next, we will get acquainted with the sights of Svetlogorsk-Raushen. You will be fascinated by the ancient architecture of the resort of the late XIX- early XX centuries: private villas, boarding houses, hotels. Organ hall, larch park, water tower, Kurhaus, variety theater "Amber Hall". 

The symbols of Svetlogorsk are the beautiful works of the German sculptor G. Brachert – "Water Carrier" and "Nymph". You will be led to the sea by terraced slopes, where a promenade was built near the water for the convenience of vacationers. 

Shopping, amber shops. 

18:00-18:30 End in Kaliningrad.

Excursion to the Curonian Spit and Zelenogradsk National Park, 8 o'clock.

09:20 Boarding from the Kaliningrad Hotel (81 Leninsky ave.).

09:30 Fish village (Oktyabrskaya str., 4). 

09:50 Boarding from the Tourist Hotel (53 A. Nevsky str.). 

Route: NP Curonian Spit – Zelenogradsk. 

The Curonian Spit is an amazing place where the sandy desert, the greenery of the forest and the expanses of water are side by side – the sea and the bay hugging this very narrow strip of land! The Curonian Spit is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

A trip to the national park will give nature lovers the pleasure of walking through the dancing pine forest with amazing trees and the seashore, contemplating the dune landscape and the Curonian Lagoon from the observation deck of Efa Height – the highest dune of the peninsula, as well as pleasant fatigue in the legs, oxygen saturation in the lungs and soothing peace in the soul. 

Free time for lunch and the sea. 

You will have the opportunity to purchase smoked fish, which are caught here in the bay or the sea. 

Zelenogradsk. You will get acquainted with the oldest and most famous resort in East Prussia – Krantz (now the city of Zelenogradsk). 

During a walking tour of Zelenograd, you will see the unique ancient architecture of Krantz: boarding houses, hotels and private villas at the turn of the late XIX-XX centuries; St. Adalbert Lutheran Church, Queen Louise Square and the house where she stayed in 1807, and much more. 

A walk along the promenade will allow you to enjoy a wonderful view of the sea. 

18:00-18:30 The end of the excursion in Kaliningrad.

Excursion Insterburg – Chernyakhovsk, 8 o'clock.

09:00 Boarding from the Tourist Hotel (53 A. Nevsky str.). 

09:20 Boarding from the Kaliningrad Hotel (81 Leninsky ave.). 

09:30 Landing Fish village (Oktyabrskaya, 4). 

Route: Chernyakhovsk. 

You will travel to a city of historical significance, rich in sights from different eras: the ruins of the medieval castle-fortress of Insterburg of the XIV century; the magnificent building of the Reformed church of 1883 (now the Orthodox St. Michael's Cathedral of the Chernyakhovo–Slavsky diocese); the Catholic church of St. Bruno, built in the Neo-Gothic style in 1902; charming the old architecture of the city of Insterburg, which was very similar to pre-war Berlin. 

Tsar Peter I personally visited Insterburg, as well as the Great Embassy of 1697. In reminder of the era of the Napoleonic Wars, there is a monument to the hero of the Russian Empire, Field Marshal M.B. Barclay de Tolly and a monument to a Russian soldier, the work of the famous Russian sculptor V.Surovtseva; the house where Napoleon stayed in 1812. 

During the First World War, the troops of the 1st Russian Imperial Army were stationed in the city.

 And, of course, a monument to General I.D. Chernyakhovsky, commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front, whose name the city proudly bears. The Normandy-Niemen squadron with French pilots was based in the city at the end of World War II. 

Lunch for an additional fee.

Free day. 

On request, for an additional fee, an excursion "The history of medieval cities: Friedland-Gerdauen" (Pravdinsk-Zheleznodorozhny), 7-8 hours – 2000 rubles /person.

10:40 Boarding from the Tourist Hotel (53 A. Nevsky str.). 

11:00 Boarding from the Kaliningrad Hotel (81 Leninsky ave.). 

11:10 Landing Fish village (Oktyabrskaya, 4). 

Route: Pravdinsk, Zheleznodorozhny. 

The history of the founding of cities by the Teutonic Order, the traditional layout and the main buildings. 

Pravdinsk. The small town of Friedland entered the European history of the Napoleonic Wars as the site of a major battle between the Russian and French armies in 1807. Numerous sights remind you of this. 

The majestic Gothic Friedland Church, now St. George's Church, part of the medieval city fortifications in Pravdinsk. 

Railway station in the past, the city of Gerdowen. 

Historical residential buildings of the city in the half-timbered style, old paving stones, red tiled roofs. All this creates a unique atmosphere of a German ancient city. The ruins of a medieval city church. 

Lunch is optional for an additional fee.

Free day. 

Rooms are available until 12:00. 

On request, for an additional fee, an excursion "Schaaken Castle and Schaakendorf Cheese Factory", 4 hours – 2500 rubles /person. 

Route: ruins of Schaaken Castle, Schaakendorf cheese factory, Nesselbeck Castle. 

10:40 Boarding from the Tourist Hotel (53 A. Nevsky str.). 

11:00 Boarding from the Kaliningrad Hotel (81 Leninsky Ave.). 

11:10 Landing Fish village (Oktyabrskaya, 4). 

It is impossible to visit the Kaliningrad region without photographing the mysterious castles. 

According to the program, we will visit the ruins of Shaaken Castle in the village of Nekrasovo. Its distinctive feature is an unusual oval shape, the Teutonic Order never built similar castles again. A tour of the castle grounds will take you back to the Middle Ages. 

The impressions will be complemented by the museum of the Inquisition in the cellars of the castle. 

A delicious and interesting addition will be a visit to the Schaakendorf cheese factory with a story about the production of cheeses and chocolate and a tasting with a glass of wine. Here you can also buy cheeses and chocolates in the manufacturer's branded store. 

Photo pause at the modern Nesselbeck Castle in the village.Orlovka, where the famous brewery restaurant is located. 

If desired, you can stay here for lunch and then return to Kaliningrad on your own. Nesselbek Castle is located close to Khrabrovo Airport. 

15:00-15:30 End in Kaliningrad. 

On request, transfer to the airport for an additional fee.