In the 13th century, a state formed by the knights of the Teutonic Order was located on the territory of modern Kaliningrad and the region . The warlike crusader knights recaptured its lands from Prussia along with a network of medieval castles and continued to build their own fortifications. The constant contention with neighboring Lithuania and Poland led to such a number of defensive fortifications and as many stone castles as there was not in any other European medieval state.
In total, the castles of the Kaliningrad region totaled about 40 buildings, at present some of them have been preserved and transformed into museums and sightseeing objects, some have been given for the needs of various organizations (for example, a college and even a prison), some have been destroyed, but there are some that have not been preserved at all.
Balga
Balga Castle in the Kaliningrad Region owes its origin to the Prussians, who back in the 5th century built a fortress in a strategically important place - on the shores of the Baltic Gulf. The wooden fortress of the Prussian king Videvut allowed a good view of the entire bay. It was this characteristic of her that attracted the Teutons. In the 13th century, they fought long enough with the owners for this important building. 10 years after the conquest, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order ordered to build a new stone building on the site of a wooden, more than once burning fortress.
It was not just a fortress. The first building was the monumental building of the Convention, built of brick and wild stone.
However, even such large-scale buildings did not spare time. Balga was passed from hand to hand to various owners, and in the 16th century the castle began to gradually collapse. The Swedish war also contributed to this, during which the castle was used as a military base. Subsequently, the castle served as a tavern, and even the role of a lighthouse. The final point in his history was set by King Frederick the First at the very beginning of the 18th century. He started the construction of the Pilau castle, the stone for the construction of which he ordered to take from the walls of Balga.
A small attempt to revive former greatness was made by enthusiasts in the first half of the 20th century. Tourists in the castles of the Kaliningrad region, including Balgua, were attracted by the exposition of the local history museum about the history of the Teutonic knights, however, the next war finally turned the castle into ruins. The bombing of the 45th literally left no stone unturned.
Despite this, Balga still attracts tourists, though not so much with its ruins as with the wealth that has settled in the lands around it. These places are literally teeming with shells and debris from the Second World War, which attracts lovers to search for a treasure here. In fine sunny weather it is very beautiful here - the ruins, lost among centuries-old pine trees, and the view of the Baltic Gulf make this place very picturesque.
Those who want to admire the fragments of the moat and the foundation of Balga need to go to the Novaya Znamenka station, which is located between the settlements of Mamonovo and Ladushkino. True, from the station to the castle as much as 5 kilometers, so it is better to go there by car.
Georgenburg Castle
The Kaliningrad region has only three well-preserved castles. One of them is Georgenburg. It is located on the territory of modern Chernikhovsk and attracts tourists not only for its excursions, but also for the horse factory of the same name, famous throughout the world.
The castle was built in the 13th century, more precisely, the first fortifications were erected during this period. A century later, they were rebuilt into the first wooden castle, and later into a stone one. Over the years, Georgenburg has been repeatedly besieged and destroyed by Lithuanians, Tatars, and Swedes. In modern times, they tried to restore it, but the crisis of 1997 did not allow to continue work and for a long time the castle was in decline. Today it is owned by the Russian Orthodox Church and is slowly being restored.
Brandenburg
Brandenburg Castle in the Kaliningrad Region, or rather, its ruins can be seen in the village of Ushakovo (which before the Great Patriotic War had the same name with the castle). Brandenburg was built in the middle of the 13th century in a special strategic location - on a navigable river, the port of which opened the gate deep into the Prussian lands. Brandenburg has become one of the most important nodes in the network of Teutonic castles, connecting Balgu and Koenigsberg. Here they kept the greatest shrine of the order - part of the cross on which Jesus was crucified.
World War II destroyed Brandenburg, like many other castles of the Kaliningrad region. After its completion, a dormitory for immigrants from the USSR was organized in the surviving outbuilding, but soon the castle fell into decay and until 2013 was on the verge of extinction. At the moment, restoration work is finally being carried out in it and volunteers are actively involved in it.
Waldau
The castles of the Kaliningrad region are mostly in ruins, but the Waldau castle is one of the best-preserved Prussian structures in the Kaliningrad region. The castle is located in the village of Nizovye near Kaliningrad, you can get to it by bus.
The name of the castle comes from the Slavic “valdati”, that is, “own”, and the first owners in the middle of the 13th century were Prussian princes, who were given the castle by the Teutons in gratitude for serving the order. More precisely, only a land plot was transferred, where the fortress was built. She often served as a haven for knights and priests of the order who traveled through these lands.
In the 15th century, the fortress was rebuilt into a castle, and its status increased. Waldau became the summer residence of the Master of the Order. The castle is also famous for hosting Peter the Great in 1697.
In the 18th century, the Prussian government did not need the fortress, and it was leased to the Agricultural Academy. This institution occupied the walls of the castle until 2007. In modern history, the outbuilding also served as a hostel for the academy, which, after 2.5 centuries, was transformed into a school. Perestroika for different needs, on the one hand, made it possible to preserve the castle from destruction, on the other hand, almost hid the appearance of the order castle, however, its noble ancient past is visible through perestroika and restoration. It is also interesting that in Waldau genuine medieval cellars were preserved, which did not preserve other similar castles of the Kaliningrad region.
Photos allow you to appreciate the antiquity and beauty of the building, but it is better to see it live, especially since in addition to the school, there is a museum in the walls of Waldau. For the 750th anniversary of the castle (which was celebrated on a grand scale in 2014), the museum prepared a gift for tourists and lovers of antiquity - previously abandoned rooms were cleaned and opened for viewing, and a medieval well was also cleared.
Permanent exhibitions allow you to get acquainted with archaeological finds on the territory of the castle, with the history of Prussia, the Teutonic Order and the castle itself. The museum also talks about how the construction was affected by world and Napoleonic wars.
Königsberg
In Kaliningrad, on Shevchenko street, house 2, are the ruins of one of the most interesting castles not only in Russia, but throughout Europe. This is Koenigsberg Castle, which gave the name and life to modern Kaliningrad. Initially, the village of the same name around the castle grew to a small town, and later turned into a large city. And the ruins of the castle attract tourists not only for its antiquity and interesting museum exhibits, but also for its halo of secrecy, because, according to archaeologists and historians, the mysterious Amber Room is buried somewhere here.
The Konigsberg castle was built by the Teutons in the middle of the 13th century, later it passed into the possession of Prussia, was rebuilt for the king, then it was owned by German authorities. The long history allowed the castle to survive a lot of important historical events. So, the Prussian rulers were crowned in it, they received Peter the Great and the Russian emperors, as well as Napoleon. Other festive events, festivals, exhibitions and fairs were also held in the castle.
The Second World War completely destroyed the castle, and until 1993 the ruins were abandoned. Only during this period, the Russian Academy of Sciences, with partial financial support from Germany, carried out excavations in Koenigsberg in order to search for the Amber Room. One version of its disappearance is the burial under the ruins of a collapsed castle. Excavations continued until 2007, but did not finish them, temporarily freezing the project. The amber room was never found, but they dug up a large number of other historical values. This includes household items from different eras, starting with the construction of the castle in the 14th century, and the architectural elements of the castle itself (many are now on display at the Kenigsberg Museum), and even such interesting finds as underground secret tunnels.
Today Koenigsberg is a museum that is called the “observation deck” for its unique open-air exhibition. Fairs are regularly held here, where they organize reconstruction of knightly fights. Tourists can try to master medieval weapons, buy souvenirs of artisans and taste special treats.
Nesselbek
This castle is called the only one operating in the Kaliningrad region. In fact, Nesselbek is not an authentic castle, it is a hotel and a restaurant of modern construction, which, however, quite accurately recreates the appearance of an authentic Teutonic castle. The hotel has a museum telling the history of the order, as well as having an exposition dedicated to medieval torture. Thus, Nesselbek can be an excellent option for a tourist trip to Kaliningrad - a visit to genuine castles will logically continue with the skillfully restored atmosphere of the Middle Ages. The hotel is located in the village of Orlovka (Kaliningrad region). The castle offers accommodation services, and also invites you to a restaurant, brewery and spa.