The village of Svetlogorsk is the largest resort on the Baltic sea coast in the Kaliningrad region. In East Prussian times, it was called Rauschen. The historic center of Rauschen is preserved, and walking among the German houses of the 19th century is a pleasure.
The Prussian village of fishermen called Rusemoter (Land of Cellars) was founded on this site in 1228, when the Teutonic knights came here. The main occupation for centuries remained fishing, as well as milling. On the Bank of Mill lake (now Quiet lake) was located the largest mill in this region.
Resort infrastructure began to form in Rauschen in the early 19th century, simultaneously with the neighboring Cranz, as part of the Prussian program for the development of resorts on the Baltic sea. Cranz received the status of a Royal resort in 1816, and Rauschen in 1820. A significant incentive for the development of the resort received after the holiday here of the Emperor Frederick William IV in 1840. Here began to carry out landscaping, equip and strengthen the slopes to the sea.
At the beginning of the World War I, a military sanatorium was opened in Rauschen. The German military liked to relax here, and during the Third Reich, the popularity of Rauschen increased even more, as the highest ranks of the state rested here. At this period Rauschen, as a resort, acquired a larger scale than the neighboring Cranz. In Soviet times, nothing changed, The military sanatorium was transferred to the Soviet Army, and Svetlogorsk became a place of rest for the Soviet military elite.
Today, the historical part of the city is very well preserved, since the city was not destroyed at all during the World War II. Many of the houses located on Lenin street and in the Larch Park area have been preserved from the time of East Prussia or have been restored in the German style.
The main attraction of the city is the Water tower, built in 1907 in the style of German romanticism. The Kurhaus building has been preserved, as well as many hotels, including wooden ones built before the World War II. Along the sea, at the foot of a high slope (40-60 meters) for 2 kilometers stretches the Embankment of Svetlogorsk. It is called the Promenade.
