Only several decades ago the city of Kaliningrad was called Konigsberg. It was there that the nationality of Prussia (and then Germany), so all its historical sites are related to German culture and history.
Teutonic knights founded Konigsberg in 1255. Originally, on the site there was only a powerful castle serving the stronghold of knights in their fight with the natives, but very soon German settlers began to come there, and the city quickly developed.
One of the most important events for the city was when the Teutonic knights asked Albrecht Hohenzollern (1490-1568) to take the position of the Great Master of the Order. They invited him to fight with Poland, but association with Martin Luther urged Albrecht to take quite a dif-ferent decision. In 1525 Albrecht abolished the Teutonic Order and became the first duke of Prussia. Consequently, it was the Hohenzollern who united the separate princedoms into the single German Empire under the auspices of Prussia.
During World War II Konigsberg was as much damaged as Berlin. After the war by the conditions of Potsdam Agreement a third of the territory of East Prussia with the city of Konigsberg was annexed to Russia, then the USSR. Since that time it was called Kaliningrad.
Some historical sights of Kaliningrad have now been restored, except for the Royal Castle. The main attraction of the city is the Dom Cathedral, located on the island of Kneiphof (now it is called Kant Island). Konigsberg was founded here.
Before the war the island was very compactly built up with medieval buildings, but all of them were destroyed, so now in the historical island there is nothing but the Cathedral of Kaliningrad and the Park of Sculptures. On the southern side of the cathedral one can see the tomb of Immanuel Kant, the most famous German philosopher, who was born and lived all his life in Konigsberg.
Opposite the cathedral there was reconstructed the so-called Fishing village. It is a complex of high-rise half-timbered houses, and an old light-house. There is a beautiful embankment, which became a favorite walking place of the citizens and tourists.
After visiting the cathedral and fishing village one can have a stroll towards the north to the House of the Soviets (very doubtful sight of the Soviet period), as well as Upper and Lower ponds.
In the Victory Square the City Hall of Kaliningrad is located, as well as the Temple of the Christ the Savior and several beautiful buildings constructed in the Soviet time. When on the coast of the Baltic Sea, one should visit the Amber Museum, which is located on the southern shore of the Upper Pond. Also, it will be very interesting to look at the remaining bastions and defense works, as well as gates (Brandenburg, Royal, Sackheimer, Friedland, Fredericksburg and so on).
If you want to see the resort districts of Kaliningrad Region, then the best variant will be a trip to Pionersky (it has a developed infrastructure and well-planned embankment), and Svetlogorsk (its buildings are in the forest). Kranz was the most famous resort in Eastern Prussia, now it is at the very beginning of Curonian Spit and is called Zelenogradsk.
