Kaliningrad Oblast (Polish: Krolewiec, German: Ostpreussen) is one of the numerous Russian oblasts (admininstrative subdivisions). Kaliningrad Oblast is interesting in that being situated between Poland and Lithuania it's physically separated from the rest of Russia.

Many towns in Kaliningrad Oblast are on the Baltic Sea coast, and have beautiful beaches.

Understand

From 1871 to Germany's defeat in WWII the area of Kaliningrad Oblast formed, with some territories now in Poland, the German province of East Prussia. The population of Kaliningrad Oblast consists mostly of Russians now, but there are still a lot of traces of old German culture which, along with the presence of modern Russian culture, makes it an interesting destination for travellers.

Kaliningrad Oblast produces 90% of the world's amber supply.

Subdivisions

• Districts
  • Bagrationovsk District
  • Gvardeysk District
  • Guryevsk District
  • Gusev District
  • Zelenogradsk District
  • Krasnoznamensk District
  • Neman District
  • Nesterov District
  • Ozyorsk District
  • Polessk District
  • Pravdinsk District
  • Slavsk District
  • Chernyakhovsk District
• City/Town subjected territories
  • Sovyetsk Territory
  • Neman Territory
  • Svetlogorsk Territory
  • Pionerskiy Territory
  • Svetliy Territory
  • Kaliningrad Territory
  • Baltiysk Territory
  • Chernyakhovsk Territiry
  • Gusev Territory

Cities

• Bagrationovsk
• Chernyakhovsk
• Guryevsk
• Gusev
• Kaliningrad -- the capital (formerly known as Königsberg (German) and Królewiec (Polish))
• Krasnoznamensk
• Ladushkin
• Mamonovo
• Neman
• Nesterov
• Ozyorsk
• Pionerskiy
• Polessk
• Pravdinsk
• Primorsk
• Rybachiy
• Slavsk
• Sovyetsk
• Svetlij
• Svetlogorsk -- Soviet seaside resort
• Zelenogradsk
• Zheleznodorozhniy
• Znamensk

Other destinations

• Curonian Spit
• Vyshtynetskoye Lake

Talk

Russian language is spoken by more than 95% of Kaliningrad Oblast population. There is a small Lithuanian-speaking minority in the north-east. English in understood by many people under 25. Many people understand some German and Polish.

Get in

By car

There are several border crossing points. From the Polish direction: Mamonovo, Bagrationovsk and Gusev. From the Lihuanian direction: Sovyetsk and Morskoye (on the Curonian Spit). You will need Russian visa.

By plane

Kaliningrad Oblast does not have a real international airport, so you will need to fly into Lithuania (Vilnius), Poland (Gdansk or Szczytno) or Finland and take a bus or ferry to Kaliningrad.