A boat trip along the Pregolya River in the historical center of Kaliningrad is one of the favorite attractions for tourists. During this tour, tourists will see the ships of the Museum of the World Ocean, as well as the Kaliningrad port. The historical buildings around Kant Island are being restored, and the urban architecture is once again acquiring German features.
The Pregolya River (the Germans called it Pregel) in Kaliningrad flows through two channels: The Old Pregolya and the New Pregolya. At the confluence they form a small island. Now it is called Kant Island, and before it was called Kneiphof. The Prussian city of Konigsberg was founded on this island. It is impossible to compare the two channels of the Pregolya River with the Canals of St. Petersburg or Amsterdam, but this is quite enough for water excursions.
Boats that take tourists along the Pregolya River are moored near the Fishing Village or near the Museum of the World Ocean. There are quite a lot of them in the summer season, so it will not be difficult to get on a boat or a ship. The route of excursions along the river is the same.
If you board a boat near the Museum of the World Ocean, then first you will see the Port of Kaliningrad. The elevators built in 1924 have been preserved there. In those years, these were the largest grain elevators in Europe. Here begins the Sea Channel, which connects Kaliningrad with the Baltic Sea and allows large-displacement ships to enter the riverbed.
After visiting the port, the boat goes along the southern coast of Kant Island. Here tourists can see the building of the Burse, which houses the Museum of Fine Arts of Kaliningrad. The Konigsberg Burse was built in 1875 in the Italian Renaissance style. This is the only building in the city center that was restored after the bombing of 1945.
Near the Fishing Village, the boat turns to the riverbed of the Old Pregolya and goes under three bridges. The Jubilee Bridge has been preserved since the time of the old Konigsberg. In 1905, the Imperial Bridge was built on this site, but it was destroyed during the bombing of 1945. In 2005, it was restored on the piles of the old bridge. Next, the boat sails under the automobile bridges: Oktyabrsky and the Second Estakadny. Behind these bridges, the buildings of the Branch of the Tretyakov Gallery and the Branch of the Bolshoi Theater are being built. After that, the boat turns back.
