Things to see and do Kaliningrad Oblast

A little higher than the Museum of Art and History, in the Dona Tower. It is undoubtedly the number one attraction in Kaliningrad! Created in 1979, it exhibits more than 6,000 pieces: jewellery, decorative objects and copies of parts of the mythical "Amber Room" in the palace of Catherine the Great in St. Petersburg, the "8th wonder of the world", the original of which has been missing since the end of the Second World War. A rare opportunity to imagine, in life size, what it was like!

With a depth of 65 m, it is the main interest of Yantarny. While only 1,000 tons of amber were extracted during the Soviet period, today the mine has reached a production of 300,000 tons per year. 25 % of the extracted amber is used in the manufacture of jewellery. The rest is processed for use in welding, painting and medicine. More than 300 colours characterise Baltic amber and 1 ^{m3 of} amber can exceed one million dollars.

The museum, absolutely striking, retraces the episodes of the Soviet victory over the German army in 1945. Built 7 m deep, 42 m long and 15 m wide, the bunker in which it is located was the German headquarters between March and April 1945. On April 9, 1945, the surrender of the German army was signed here.

Opposite it stands the statue of Immanuel Kant, next to a bookshop dedicated to his works.

Located on the island of Kneiphof, this Gothic red brick cathedral, dating from 1333, was the coronation place of the Prussian kings. Destroyed largely during the bombing of World War II, it was restored and recovered its clock and four bells in 1995, after more than fifty years of silence. In 1989, the cathedral was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. No information in English, only German speakers will find documentation. A visit to the museum inside the cathedral is of little interest, except for the 1613 plan of Königsberg. The cathedral at night, beautifully lit, is sublime.

On the northern outside of the cathedral, one can meditate for a moment on the tomb of the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who was born and lived in Königsberg. It is possible to take a half-hour boat trip around the island. Of course the tour is in Russian, but the advantage is the discovery of the port and the state of the Russian fleet.

Even today, the shadow of the philosopher still hangs over the city: he is one of the main factors of Kaliningrad's influence, but his figure is widely decried by nationalists. For them, highlighting him and thus the city's Germanic heritage amounts to "russophobia": it has to be either one or the other. Fortunately, the majority of Russian citizens in Kaliningrad have a strong appreciation of the German history of their city.

Let his little train walk through the aisles of what was once one of the most beautiful zoos in Europe. The zoo, in the heart of the city, is very popular with locals who enjoy walking in every season. Built in 1896, the zoo now counts 300 species and 2 000 animals, such as: giraffes, hippos, tapirs and leopards. A winter garden identifies some varieties of exotic plants.

Built in 1900-1908, this 25 m high tower is the city's visiting card. In 1978, a solar dial was added. Adjacent to this one, a new art nouveau style public bath (city symbols, these two buildings were even represented on Soviet stamps).

A chapel opened in 1994 in honour of the children who were victims of the crash of a Soviet military aircraft in 1972.