Castles of the Kaliningrad Region: description

In the 13th century in the territory of modern Kaliningrad and the region was located the state formed by the Knights of the Teutonic Order. The military knights-crusaders recaptured from Prussia its land along with a network of medieval castles and continued to build their own fortifications. The constant strife with neighboring Lithuania and Poland caused such a number of defensive fortifications and as many stone castles as there was in no other European medieval state.

Altogether, the castles of the Kaliningrad region numbered about 40 buildings, at present some of them have been preserved and converted into museums and sightseeing facilities, some are given for the needs of different organizations (for example, college and even prison), some are destroyed, and others that are not preserved At all.

Balga

Balga Castle in the Kaliningrad Region is due to its origin to the Prussians, who built a fortress in the strategically important place in the 5th century on the shores of the Baltic Gulf. The wooden fortress of the Prussian King Videwuta made it possible to view the entire bay well. It was this characteristic that attracted the Teutons. In the 13th century, they fought long enough with the owners for this important building. Ten years after the conquest, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order ordered the construction of a new stone building on the site of a wooden fortress, not once burnt.

It was not just a fortress. The first building was the monumental building of the Convention, built of brick and field stone.

However, even such large-scale buildings spared no time. Balgu was handed over from hand to hand to various owners, and in the 16th century the castle began to gradually deteriorate. Contributed to this and the Swedish war, during which the castle was used as a military base. In the future, the castle served as the tavern, and even the role of the lighthouse. The final point in its history was set by King Frederick the First in the very beginning of the 18th century. He started the construction of the castle of Pilau, the stone for the erection of which he ordered to take from the walls of Balga.

A small attempt to revive the former greatness was made by enthusiasts in the first half of the 20th century. Tourists in the castles of the Kaliningrad region, including Balgu, were attracted by an exhibition of the local history museum about the history of the Teutonic knights, but another 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 by its ruins, as by the riches that have settled in the lands around it. These places literally swarm with shells and fragments of the Second World War, which attracts fans to look for treasure. In good sunny weather here is very beautiful - the ruins, lost among the age-old pine trees, and the view of the Baltic bay make this place very picturesque.

Those wishing to admire the fragments of the ditch and the foundation of Balga need to go to 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's better to go there by car.

The Castle of Georgenburg

The Kaliningrad region has only three well-preserved castles. One of them is Georgenburg. It is located in the territory of modern Chernihiv and attracts tourists not only with their excursions, but also with the same stud farm, famous throughout the world.

The castle was built in the 13th century, more precisely, during this period the first fortifications were erected. A century later they were rebuilt in the first wooden castle, and later in stone. Over the years of existence, Georgenburg has been repeatedly siege and destroyed by Lithuanians, Tatars, Swedes. In modern times, they tried to restore it, but the crisis of 1997 did not allow the work to continue and for a long time the castle was in decline. Today it is in the possession of the ROC and is slowly recovering.

Brandenburg

Castle Brandenburg in the Kaliningrad region, or rather, its ruins can be inspected in the village of Ushakovo (which before the Great Patriotic War had one name with the castle). Brandenburg built in the middle of the 13th century in a special strategic location - on the navigable river, whose port opened the gates into the depths of the Prussian lands. Brandenburg became one of the most important knots in the network of Teutonic castles, linking Balgu and Koenigsberg. Here they kept the greatest sacred object of the order - part of the cross on which Jesus was crucified.

The Second World War destroyed Brandenburg, like many other castles in the Kaliningrad region. After its completion, a hostel for immigrants from the USSR was organized in the surviving annex, but soon the castle fell into decay and until 2013 was on the verge of extinction. At the moment, it is finally doing restoration work and attracting volunteers to them.

Waldau

The castles of the Kaliningrad Region are mostly in ruin, but the Waldau Castle is one of the best preserved Prussian structures on the territory of the Kaliningrad Region. The castle is located in the village of Nizovye near Kaliningrad, you can reach it by bus.

The name of the castle comes from the Slavic "Valdati", that is, "own", and the first owners of it in the middle of the 13th century were Prussian princes, whom the castle handed over to the Teutons in gratitude for the service of the order. More precisely, only the land plot was transferred, where the fortress was built. It often served as a haven for the 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. Valdau became the summer residence of the Master of the Order. The castle is also famous for accepting Peter the Great in 1697.

In the 18th century the fortress was not needed by the Prussian government, and it was leased to the agricultural academy. This institution occupied the castle walls until 2007. In modern history, the wing 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, allowed to keep the castle from destruction, on the other, almost concealed the image of the Order Castle, but its noble ancient past glimpses through perestroika and restoration. It is also interesting that Valdau preserved original medieval cellars that did not preserve other similar castles in the Kaliningrad region.

Photos allow you to evaluate the old and beautiful buildings, but it is better to see it live, especially since besides the school there is a museum in the walls of Waldau. By the 750th anniversary of the castle (which was celebrated in 2014) the museum prepared a gift for tourists and lovers of antiquity - previously abandoned premises were cleaned and opened for viewing, and a medieval well was cleared.

Permanent exhibitions allow you to get acquainted with archaeological finds on the castle grounds, with the history of Prussia, the Teutonic Order and the castle itself. The museum also tells how the world and Napoleonic wars affected the construction.

Koenigsberg

In Kaliningrad itself, on Shevchenko Street, house 2, there are the ruins of one of the most interesting castles not only in Russia, but throughout Europe. It is the castle of Koenigsberg, 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 it turned into a major city. And the ruins of the castle attract tourists not only with its antiquities and interesting museum exhibits, but also with a halo of secrecy, because, according to archaeologists and historians, the mysterious Amber Room is buried somewhere here.

Koenigsberg Castle was built by the Teutons in the middle of the 13th century, later it became the property of Prussia, it was rebuilt for the King, then it was owned by the German authorities. A long history allowed the castle to survive a lot of important historical events. Thus, it crowned the Prussian rulers, received Peter the First and the Russian emperors, as well as Napoleon. Held in the castle and other festive events, folk festivals, exhibitions and fairs.

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, conducted excavations in the territory of Koenigsberg in order to search for the Amber Room. One of the versions of her 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 is the everyday objects from different eras, starting with the castle itself in the 14th century, and the architectural elements of the castle itself (many are now on display in the open exposition of the Koenigsberg Museum), and even such interesting finds as underground secret tunnels.

Today, Konigsberg is a museum, which is called the "viewing platform" for a unique exposition in the open air. Regularly, fairs are held here, on which the reconstruction of knight fights is organized. 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 modern restaurant, which, however, quite accurately recreates the appearance of a genuine Teutonic castle. The hotel has a museum that tells the history of the Order, as well as an exposition dedicated to medieval tortures. Thus, Nesselbek can be an excellent option for a tourist trip to Kaliningrad - an examination of authentic castles will logically continue with the skillfully restored atmosphere of the Middle Ages. There is a hotel in the village of Orlovka (Kaliningrad region). The castle offers accommodation services, as well as invites you to a restaurant, a brewery and a spa.