Kaliningrad region is the westernmost territory of Russia. What do you know about her? The Kaliningrad region has not always been a Russian territory. Prior to that, it belonged to Germany, which lost this land after the end of World War II. The city was then called Koenigsberg. The Kaliningrad region has an unusually rich history. She survived the conquest of the conquerors of the German Order, the war of Lithuanians and Poles, the Seven Years War, as well as the Second World War, which destroyed most of the historical buildings of the region. Before the entry of Crimea into Russia, the Kaliningrad region was the most recent territorial "acquisition" of the Russian Federation.
Location of the Kaliningrad region
But the Kaliningrad region is of the greatest interest because it has a rather unusual location in relation to Russia. She does not border her home country. The largest cities are Kaliningrad, Sovetsk,Gvardeisk, B altiysk, Chernyakhovsk, Gusev. The region is located in the middle of forests, rivers and lakes. The land borders of the Kaliningrad region are Poland and Lithuania, and on the other hand - the B altic Sea. Proximity to the sea and a pleasant climate contributed to the emergence of resort towns: Svetlogorsk, Zelenogradsk, Pionersky.
Border with Lithuania
The border line between the Kaliningrad region and Lithuania was established after World War II. It is located in the west and southeast of the region, dividing the Curonian Spit. In fact, almost the entire border line runs along the rivers, the Vishtynets Lake and the Curonian Lagoon. It should be noted that the section of the Curonian Spit adjacent to Lithuania and the territory near Lake Vyshtynetsky are closed to the visit locations allocated to the border zone.
The checkpoint system of the Russian-Lithuanian border includes eight checkpoints. The most popular, of course, is the Queen Louise Bridge over the Neman River. An interesting fact: this bridge was a border checkpoint even before the Russian period. When the Kaliningrad region was a territory of Germany, this facility also served as a customs office and a checkpoint between Lithuania and Germany.
Polish border
The border of the Kaliningrad region with Poland stretches for almost 210 km. Unlike the Lithuanian one, the border with Poland extends only over land. In addition, it does not include any geographical objects. As in the case of the Lithuanian, the Polish was approved after the end of the Secondworld war. The border line starts from the southwestern part of the Kaliningrad region near the Kaliningrad Bay and reaches Vyshtynetskoye Lake, at the junction of Russia, Poland and Lithuania. It has seven checkpoints, of which three are railway. The most famous automobile border crossing is the BCP Mamonowo 2 - Grzechotki. It passes about 4,000 vehicles daily, while the rest of the points are no more than 2,000. It has separate lanes for buses, trucks and cars.
Marine border
The coastal areas of the B altic Sea are considered the maritime border of the Kaliningrad region. It originates on the B altic Spit near Poland, stretches along the coast of the Kaliningrad region and ends at the border with Lithuania on the Curonian Spit. The nearest "neighbor" of the region on the other side of the sea is Sweden. The border of the Kaliningrad region can also be crossed by sea. Kaliningrad, River, Passenger, Svetly, B altic and Sea ports are water checkpoints in the Kaliningrad region.
Methods of crossing the Kaliningrad border
Since both Poland and Lithuania are European Union countries, Russians need a Schengen visa to cross the border of the Kaliningrad region of Russia, which allows them to move freely within the countries of the European Union. However, there is a so-called simplified document that allows citizens of the Russian Federation to cross the border of the region through Lithuania and Belarus. The paper is issued in two ways: as a simplified transit or railway transit document. To obtain a simplified transit document, you must have a passport and be registered in the Kaliningrad region. This gives the right to enter the territory of Lithuania and Belarus on any transport. But you can stay in Lithuania only for 24 hours. The second option is issued when you buy a train ticket. A tourist orders a simplified transit railway document and receives it from the conductor already on the train. Such a ticket gives the right to move around the territory of Lithuania for six hours.
Due to the difficulties of visiting another region of Russia by crossing the borders of other states, almost 90% of Kaliningraders have passports that are issued to them free of charge. About 30% of the population has issued Schengen visas, and some residents of the region have purchased special small border movement cards to cross the border of the Kaliningrad region with Poland and visit places close to the border without a visa.
