Zelenogradsk is a classic resort town on the Baltic Sea: with an embankment, beaches, a walking street, endless souvenir shops and so many restaurants that you can come here on a separate gastronomic trip. What to do in the kotolitsa of the Kaliningrad region, if you have not a whole vacation in stock, but only one day?
Content
- How to get there
- Where to stay
- What to see and do
- Where to eat
- What to bring
How to get there
There are also buses No. 140 and No. 114, and in season also No. 593, which runs to the Curonian Spit. A bus ticket to Zelenogradsk costs around 120 rubles. The most expensive option is a taxi: you will have to pay about 1,500 rubles for a car from the center of Kaliningrad to the center of Zelenogradsk.
Zelenogradsk is 33 km from Kaliningrad, so it is easy to get here by car in about half an hour. Photo: Parilov/Shutterstock.com
Where to stay
There is simply a huge selection of housing in Zelenogradsk: about everything that can be rented here, especially during the high tourist season. You can rent an apartment, an apartment or even a house. There are no problems with classic hotels either. Here are five decent options on the Island.
Mr.Just’s Hotel.
Elisa Bonaparte Apart-hotel.
What to see
Zelenogradsk is an ideal city for walking, so if you come here for a day, you can just wander around the center and the embankment. And there are several museums in the city where you can look out of curiosity or if, for example, the weather has deteriorated.
Kurortny Prospekt
The heart of the city and the main walking artery with the atmosphere of the early twentieth century. The avenue is pedestrian, and on both sides there are cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops and shops. They are beautifully decorated for each season: for example, in autumn they are decorated with bright pumpkins and flowers, and in winter with fir compositions and garlands.
There is a steady aroma of coffee and mulled wine in the air, and bright graffiti with images of cats on the walls. Live purrs are also found at every turn: some are happy to let themselves be stroked. Kotofeiny Square is located on Kurortny Prospekt, where a whole residential mini-quarter was built for the seals. Another point of attraction is a monument to a tourist: a bronze girl in a short dress and heels is carrying a suitcase. Usually, much more practically dressed tourists are actively photographed next to her.
The heart of the city and the main walking artery with the atmosphere of the early twentieth century. Photo: bellena/Shutterstock.com
Boardwalk and pier
Even if you come to Zelenogradsk when the bathing season has already ended, it is still worth a walk along its well-groomed embankment, known as the promenade. Its length is 2.5 km, and a pier goes 150 m into the sea for those who want to take beautiful photos. Especially spectacular pictures are taken in the evening.
There are many cafes on the promenade, plus playgrounds, swings and the Ferris wheel “Eye of the Baltic”, which offers a beautiful view of the sea and the city. You can make a circle for 500 rubles. There is also a drinking pump room “Queen Louise” on the embankment, where you can taste local mineral water. Only a bottle or a mug will have to be brought with you: disposable cups are not provided even for money. The pump room is closed during the winter months.
There are many cafes on the promenade, plus playgrounds, swings and the Ferris wheel “Eye of the Baltic”, which offers a beautiful view of the sea and the city. Photo: Evannovostro/Shutterstock.com
Cat Museum
There is a 40-meter water tower in Zelenogradsk, and in it there is the Murarium Cat Museum. There are seals of all types and sizes: plush, ceramic, painted on dishes and embroidered with a cross. Adult visitors will appreciate the funny quotes that decorate the walls. If you love cats or travel with children, do not miss this place. The ticket will cost 400 rubles. A bonus will be the city panorama from the top of the tower. You can also have coffee there.
The House of Angels Museum
There is another chamber museum next to the Murarium, but instead of cats, there is a whole variety of angels: dolls, figurines, drawings, crafts, decorative items. The museum is really very kind: the one placed under the ceiling is especially memorableA guardian angel with a string bag of tangerines. It is worth picking up the phone, which can be used to get through to the heavenly office, as he delivers a heartfelt and very philosophical speech.
The entrance ticket is 300 rubles. By the way, both museums — cats and angels — were founded by the city’s PARADOX project. They have two more offspring: the FiloSovia Museum of owls and owls, as well as the museum of skulls and skeletons.
The museum is really very kind: the guardian angel placed under the ceiling with a string bag of tangerines is especially memorable. Photo: Sergei Afanasev/Shutterstock.com
Museum of Resort Fashion
This museum was opened by historian Alexander Vasiliev. He collected men’s and women’s clothing in it, as well as accessories related to a vacation at the resort in one way or another. The collection includes exhibits from the last three centuries: hats, glasses, playful dresses, umbrellas and tennis rackets. The entrance is 400 ₽.
Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral
The building, which was once the tallest in Zelenogradsk, is interesting for its architecture. Previously, the Catholic church of St. Adalbert was located here, which was consecrated in 1897. The interior is modern: the historical one has not been preserved to this day. Women who want to look into the cathedral should not worry about the lack of a headdress: they are allowed into this temple without it.
The building, which was once the tallest in Zelenogradsk, is interesting for its architecture. Photo: delobol/Shutterstock.com
What else to see nearby
Not far from Zelenogradsk is the Curonian Spit, a miracle of nature, stretching for 98 kilometers, with one half of this sandy strip located in Russia and the other in Latvia.
Where to eat
You definitely won’t be able to get around all the restaurants in Zelenogradsk in one day, but here are some recommendations.
Balt
- Kurortny ave., 16.
“Telegraph”
- Kurortny ave., 29.
Another restaurant with local specialties. Here you can taste the legendary Baltic eel, stroganina, catfish, pike cutlets and much more. By the way, the institution is located in the building of the former German post office in 1896, and you can still send a postcard from here today.
“Telegraph”. Photo: Alex Alexeev & Dmitry M./Yandex.Maps
“Fish Agon”
- ul. Pugacheva, 1B.
A democratic cafe near the embankment. There are a lot of grilled fish on the menu at very affordable prices (Baltic smelt — 495 ₽). Restaurant service is not worth waiting for: This is a place for a quick snack. But inexpensive and high-quality.
“Am! Bar”
- ul. Volodarsky, 30.
A large and very popular restaurant with a terrace almost on the beach. The food tends towards European classics, the portions are good, there are always a lot of people, so it’s quite noisy. If you are suddenly not hungry, but decided to relax, try their sweets with prunes. In the next house there is a very similar restaurant “Dacha” both in meaning and in interior: choose by the call of your heart or by tossing a coin.
“Am! The bar.” Photo: August/Yandex.Maps
What to bring
Zelenogradsk has enough souvenirs for every taste: from trinkets to jewelry — it all depends on the wishes and budget of the tourist. Here are some ideas:
Smoked eel. The easiest way to find it is in grocery stores (for example, at the Smokehouse restaurant).
Amber. A souvenir symbol of the Kaliningrad region: jewelry, dishes, figurines and even cosmetics are made from it.
Marzipan. This delicacy has been prepared in the region for the last 300 years, so they know a lot about it. The packages are beautiful, the selection is huge — a great souvenir for familiar sweet tooth.
Cat-themed souvenirs. Of course, you can find all kinds of striped moustaches in the cat room: if one of your friends collects a collection, you will definitely have something to please the recipient.
Amber is a souvenir symbol of the Kaliningrad region. Photo: Tsuguliev/Shutterstock.com
Zelenogradsk is good at any time of the year. In summer, people come here for the beach and the resort atmosphere, in autumn for leisurely walks, and in winter for the feeling of a Christmas tale. This is a very pleasant, clean and well-maintained city that you want to explore at a leisurely pace. And the Island will always help you find the perfect hotel or apartment to make your trip experience even better!
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Cover photo: Alexandra Lovtsova/Shutterstock.com
