Where to go
in Kaliningrad?

Today we are setting off on a journey around the Amalienau district — one of the most atmospheric and unusual corners of Kaliningrad. If you do not know where to walk in Kaliningrad, start with Amalienau. Its style is unique and reflects the features characteristic of precisely this district of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad) at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. But Amalienau is not just a district. It is an architectural phenomenon, created according to the German urban-planning principles of the time and executed with rare attention to detail, aesthetics and harmony with nature.

What makes the architecture of Amalienau special?
— Mansions and villas — every house here is unique, built to an individual design. You will not find standard buildings.
— Architectural styles: Art Nouveau (Jugendstil), neo-Gothic, eclecticism, half-timbered elements — all of them coexist peacefully and create a unique atmosphere.
— Green plots: almost every house is surrounded by a garden or a small park. The district literally drowns in greenery.
— Winding streets: unlike straight-lined blocks, the layout here is free and organic. It was an innovation of its time.
— Garden city: Amalienau was conceived as a “garden city” — a concept that came from Great Britain and became widespread in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century.

1. Villa Liebeck

Address: Pushkina St., 8
Year built: 1906
Architect: Worms
Owner: Aron Liebeck

Interesting fact: Aron Liebeck owned Königsberg’s first automat restaurant — a fast-service establishment where food and drinks were served from vending machines.

2. Villa of Samuel Jessner

Address: Pushkina St., 10
Year built: 1914
Owner: Samuel Jessner, a well-known dermatologist and venereologist.

Present-day use: Kaliningrad Regional Institute for the Development of Education.

3. Villa Steinkopf

Address: Mariny Raskovoy St., 1
Year built: 1905
Architect: Friedrich Heitmann
Owner: Dr Steinkopf, a government assessor.

Interesting fact: The building is decorated with wooden half-timbered elements and a balcony with an openwork metal railing.

4. Villa Worms

Address: Mariny Raskovoy St., 3
Year built: early 20th century
Owner: the city architect Worms, who also built Villa Liebeck.

Interesting fact: Although the building has been heavily remodelled, the original fence has survived.

5. The double villa (Doppelvilla)

Address: Mariny Raskovoy St., 7–9

Interesting fact: A typical example of a double villa, characteristic of Amalienau architecture.

6. An old German fire hydrant

Address: Mariny Raskovoy St.

Interesting fact: A surviving German hydrant from the early 20th century, of interest to lovers of city history.

7. Villa of Schmidt Junior

Address: Mariny Raskovoy St., 23
Year built: 1909
Architect: Wilhelm Warrentrapp
Owner: Karl Schmidt, son of Eduard Schmidt

Interesting fact: The villa combines features of Romanticism and Jugendstil, with half-timbered elements and stucco decor.

8. Villa Joachim

Address: Ogareva St., 22
Present-day use: Gliere Children’s Music School.

9. The villa at Ogareva St., 31

Address: Ogareva St., 31
Year built: early 20th century
Architect: unknown

Original purpose: a private villa built to a Jugendstil design with half-timbered elements and decorative stucco.
Present-day use: the building houses a kindergarten.

Interesting fact: the building has kept the original architectural elements of its facade. Like other houses on Ogareva Street in Kaliningrad, the villa was part of a “green corridor” with gardens and trees that created a suburban atmosphere in the city centre.

10. The House with a Bear

Address: Borodinskaya St., 8

Interesting fact: The facade of the building features a bear, symbolising strength and courage.

11. The House with a Tree

Address: Borodinskaya St., 9

Interesting fact: The facade is decorated with an image of a tree, symbolising life and growth.

12. The double villa

Address: Borodinskaya St., 12–14

Interesting fact: An example of a double villa, characteristic of Amalienau architecture.

13. Villa Stinsky

Address: Borodinskaya St., 13
Year built: 1906
Architect: August Gershmann
Owner: Professor Albert Stinsky

Present-day use: Gaidar Children’s Library.

14. Villa Honkamp

Address: Borodinskaya St., 17
Year built: 1905
Architect: Friedrich Heitmann
Owner: the owner of the firm “Herwig, Zach & Honkamp”
Present-day use: A kindergarten.

15. Villa of Schmidt Senior

Address: Prospekt Pobedy, 24
Year built: 1903
Owner: Eduard Schmidt, owner of the “Mineral Institute and Mustard Factory”

Interesting fact: The villa was built in the Art Nouveau style and is a cultural heritage site of regional significance.

16. The Church of St. Adalbert

Address: Prospekt Pobedy, 41

Interesting fact: The kirche was built in the early 20th century and is an architectural monument.