On first sight, the city seems sombre and forbidding.
it’s only after some closer scrutiny that it reveals its hidden charms.

   Not much remains of the old city of Königsberg, now renamed Kaliningrad. Often it’s only the cobbled streets which recall its past.

Downtown Königsberg, or what’s left of it.

   The statue of Lenin, overlooking Victory Square (formerly Adolf Hitler Square) in front of the Northern railway station.

   The Kneiphof, a small island in the Pregel river, used to be the heart of old Königsberg.

   Almost completely destroyed during WW2, the only remaining building is the Dom church (now being restored) with the gravesite of Immanuel Kant.

   Across the river, on the southern bank of the Pregel, one sees the building of the old Stock Exchange - now the Seamen’s House.

    Grave site of the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, a popular place for newlyweds.

   Across the water from the town market, looking toward the Wrangel Tower.

   The Wrangel Tower, built in 1853.

   Walking along the 19th century fortifications, still largely intact, although at some places in need of repair.

   A forgotten corner: old cascades at the overflow between the Upper and the Lower or Castle Pond.

   The Amber museum, situated in the Dohna Tower – certainly one of the most popular museums of the city.

   Palmnicken on Northeast Prussia’s Samland Coast is the source of more than 90% of the world’s Amber production.

   Another bit of history: the old Soviet Fairground.

   The Church of the Holy Family, a quiet corner not far from the Central Railway Station.