Located on the Baltic Sea between Poland and Lithuania,
Kaliningrad Oblast is the northern part of what was once East
Prussia. Disputed for centuries, the territory is now home to a
mostly Russian-speaking population, but many traces of German
culture are still evident in the cities and ruins of Prussian
castles scattered across the landscape, making it an interesting
travel destination in Russia.
The largest town in Kaliningrad Oblast is the capital,
Kaliningrad, formerly the famous German city of Königsberg. World
War II and Soviet city planning saw the city heavily damaged, but
many neighbourhoods are vibrant and friendly, with ongoing
construction projects going a long way toward rebuilding.
Kaliningrad is also home to many museums, theatres, monuments and
pleasant parks that will interest visitors.
Kaliningrad Oblast produces roughly 90 percent of the world's
amber, and the gemstone makes a popular souvenir from Kaliningrad
Oblast: tourists should take a trip to the Kaliningrad Amber Museum
and Factory.
Kaliningrad Oblast is home to the Curonian Spit: a UNESCO World
Heritage Site shared by Russia and Lithuania. It is an elongated
sand dune peninsula dotted with lighthouses and historic fishing
settlements. Several towns on the Curonian Spit were popular health
resorts in the 19th and early 20th centuries, including Nida, on
the border of the Russian and Lithuanian sections of the
peninsula.