In the Far Far Away Kingdom. Part two. excursion
To be continued. Start here >>>
From the second day of my stay in Far Far Away, the excursion program began. Everything is close enough and today there are two small towns - Svetlogorsk and Yantarny (it's a pity that two in one day, each deserves more, at least one day per city). Having breakfast in the dining room-restaurant at the hotel (breakfast was included in the price), nice room, everything is clean, tidy, friendly staff, good buffet, good sunny morning, gathering for an excursion in the hotel parking lot.
The day begins, only the seating on the bus is free and everyone wants a seat by the window, well, how it happened (I was lucky), that's all in place, checked against the lists, and off we go. The guide is strict, everyone on the bus must be wearing masks, and she herself, and almost everyone on the bus were wearing masks, there is freedom on the street.
The first on our way is Svetlogorsk (Raushen) located very close to Kaliningrad. The first settlement known to history on this site is called the village of the pagan Prussians Ruze-Moter, presumably in 1258. It was located on the shores of Lake Tikhoy and was engaged in hunting and fishing, and the knights of the Teutonic Order who settled in these parts in the 13th century called the settlement Raushen. The main turn in the fate of Rauschen occurred at the beginning of the 19th century, when people had the desire and opportunity to travel to picturesque places to improve their health and just to enjoy the beauty of these places.
And indeed, beautiful nature, clean air, lakes and, of course, the location on the seashore were appreciated, and the village began to be built up with boarding houses, hotels, villas, cafes, taverns, well, in general, everything that allows people to relax comfortably and improve your health. The official birth date of the Rauschen resort is June 24.1820, when its grand opening took place. Initially, Rauschen was built up in the middle of the forest and the city was, as it were, in a forest park. This is what the guide told us about while we were driving to Svetlogorsk.
Our acquaintance with the city began with the sculpture "The Frog Princess" in a small city square opposite the Svetlogorsk-2 railway station.
And, of course, amber is everywhere, everything is dedicated to amber, not just the amber region. We move through the city, the sign of the Art Hotel Lumiere confirms the name of the hotel. And here it began: to look, to photograph - and to listen categorically does not work.
Opposite the Hunting Lodge is another iconic landmark of Raushen, built in 1926. In 1977, the movie "About Little Red Riding Hood" with Yana Poplavskaya and Evgeny Evstigneev was filmed here. Since then, the Hunting Lodge has also been known as the Stargazer's House. Now under restoration.
We pass nice places.
And the main attraction, which is the hallmark of Svetlogorsk, is the Raushen water tower, 25 meters high.
The tower of the marine hydropathic was built in 1908 and served to supply the city with water, and in the adjoining building of the hydropathic, sea baths were taken and various mud treatments were performed. An observation deck was located at the top of the water tower, now it is closed to tourists.
We passed through a nice park. Here we come across old German villas, preserved from the time of Rauschen. Tall pines, old German architecture, clean sea air mixed with coniferous aroma. An indescribable atmosphere.
The park is a private property, and nothing should be violated, but this funny animal is for us so that we do not spy on the owners.
One of the best organ halls in Russia is located in the park. The full name - "Organ Hall of the Makarov Company" - is one of the monuments of history and architecture, as well as an ornament and landmark of the city. The building of the organ hall has an interesting history. The opening of the choir chapel took place in 1931. The chapel received the romantic name "Virgin Mary - Star of the Sea", but over time the building collapsed and dilapidated. In 1994, the Makarov company acquired the ruins of the chapel and, together with a Lithuanian company, brought the historic building back to life at their own expense. An organ was installed in the hall, ordered in Germany specifically for this hall, but they did not get into the hall - it was closed.
We go out to the concert hall building, the modern Yantar Hall concert complex opened with the KVN festival in 2015, well, somehow we weren’t impressed, but here we listen quite a bit, take a little picture, move on - to the central square.
A square with many small attractions. It is surrounded by modern houses, stylized as the German architecture of Rauschen. They have shops and cafes. On the square, you can throw a coin into a decorative fountain. Admire the apple tree with amber apples. And also consider the layout of the island of Kneiphof (today - the island of Kant in Kaliningrad).
Honestly, I didn’t listen to the stories anymore, I just wanted to look around and everyone already wanted to go to the sea, and there was no time left at all, but we obediently move on and here it is - the Svetlogorsk promenade and the sea, and another attraction is the Zodiac sundial " 10 meters in diameter. The clock was installed in Svetlogorsk on the promenade in 1974. The clock is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
I wanted to go down to take a closer look, no luck
Photo from the Internet
A memorial in honor of the German writer Thomas Mann has been opened in a small square. Here I am trying to run away from the group, and go look for a model of the medieval Kö nigsberg (I planned it at home), but the Amber Museum was promised and I fell for it, but in vain. After a quick look at the museum, the museum is private and about nothing.
There is not much time, but it is a must to see the embankment-promenade, and even take a ride on the cable car - also an attraction. In 1908, an electric funicular was built. In 1960, it was replaced by a lift, and in the next decade, construction began on a cable car, which operates during the summer season. But you can also go down a small serpentine leading to the embankment, but it’s more interesting on the cable car.
I walk a little, or rather, I run along the embankment to the Undine sculpture, in general, everything is pretty, but there is no beach as such, the negligence of local authorities led to the fact that part of the coast suitable for swimming was washed into the sea, but a small part of the beaches left, and the people cannot be stopped, nothing, they bathe.
The next city is Yantarny (Palmniken), here I didn’t understand anything with such a light day, the tour was so crumpled and incomprehensible. But still a bit of history.
Such nice houses passed by
The first settlement in these parts was founded in 1389 and was called Palmniken, which means "marshy wasteland". This area seemed so unsympathetic in appearance, but after several decades people discovered one of the riches of this place - huge deposits of amber. In 1870, businessman Maurice Becker bought and put in order a lot of land, as well as the amber mines of Palmniken. And in 1871 he founded a large manufactory for the extraction of amber. Since then, Yantarny has been considered the "capital" of the amber region, it is here that the only place in the world is located where amber is mined on an industrial scale in an open way.
The first place we were taken to was the Amber Castle Museum and Exhibition Complex, where we were told the history of mining and processing of amber from Palmniken in photographs to Yantarny, where unusually beautiful and original jewelry is created on new machines these days. But we do not get into the museum, we are sent to the store to make purchases of amber jewelry.
Now I know where amber lives:
Nearby is the building of another gallery of amber masters, and here I just “pulled myself by the ears” from the stands, well, very nice little things, we also tried “amber” - probably vodka infused with amber (fu), bought a little and then . In front of the building there is a nice ceramic model "Palmniken of the end of the 19th century".
The next object is the observation deck of the Amber Combine (Primorsky quarry). The observation deck of the operating quarry of the plant is an interesting thing, if it weren’t Sunday and they told us how amber is mined in an open way, I quickly climbed the observation tower, looked into the souvenir shop, alas, I didn’t like it, everything is standard, you still need to go to the Amber Pyramid ”, to be saturated with the energy of amber and delve into the “sandbox”, where a little amber crumbs are poured. The pyramid is beautiful, inside the backlight, saturated with energy and further.
A short tour of the town, but time is running out and people quickly escape from the hands of the guide, run to the sea, Yantarny has the widest and longest beaches and also has the Blue Flag award. The water is +22, it's almost frost for me, and I'm going to inspect nearby objects.
The Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was originally a Lutheran church (Palmniken), founded in 1887 at the initiative of the same Moritz Becker, over time the building was destroyed, and in 1990 the building of the church was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church, it was restored, retaining its former appearance, and it was consecrated as a temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
On the contrary, there is a very nice park named after Moritz Becker (it was founded in 1881), everything that is in Yantarny is associated with the name of this person, I understand that I don’t have time to go far and slowly go for a walk in the park towards the sea and the promenade. Rare plants were brought into the park from all over the world and have survived to this day, and again, alas, it’s impossible to see everything, I’m walking along a wide alley to the sea.
And everything is just passing by with one eye, in the park there is a literary and amber path, a monument to the founder, a branch of the Museum of the Baltic Sea Countries, mythical creatures, cute figurines, a small amber fair.
And here it is, the sea, the beaches are gorgeous, they were awarded the Blue Flag for no reason, and the promenade, opened in 2014, is about two kilometers long. I don’t go down to the sea, I admire all this beauty, I breathe the sea air and on the way back to the meeting with the group, well, it’s sad to leave at all, after seeing so little, I take an ice cream (it didn’t disappoint, delicious) and wander upstairs.
The hotel Schloss (a former hunting castle) is located in the park, in the 19th century Moritz Becker acquired the estate (which was on the site of the castle) and the surrounding land, and in 1870 Becker demolished the old building and built a luxurious house on its foundation, called "Schloss "(Schloss). Now it is a 5 star hotel.
I was pleased with the "Masters' Square", cute houses, in which the works of local masters are presented (well, this is just mine, I love such places).
It was completely incomprehensible why we had to be returned to Kaliningrad by 17 o'clock (as if the working day was ending), well, as it is. And time in Kaliningrad is still "sea", I'm going to explore the area around the lake, but from the other side.
Again, nice houses of new construction, but everything looks harmonious.
And suddenly such a pleasant surprise - the Don Tower, very similar (like twin brothers) to the Wrangel Tower, and between them a section of the defensive wall, everything is quite well preserved.
The Don Tower on the shore of the Upper Lake is a historical fortification, 12 m high, 34 m in diameter, the construction of the round massive Don Tower began in 1626. Both the Don Tower and the Wrangel Tower become part of the second defensive ring of Koenigsberg at the end of the 19th century.
And as always, the amber fair, I just stare (trying not to think about jewelry, turn off my brain and just look) and move on, and here it is, the cherished door, you have to see what's behind it, and there is such beauty, already in the evening illumination "Museum of Amber". Since 1979, the “Museum of Amber” has been opened in the Don Tower; in the backlight, the tower looks simply gorgeous, as if it emits amber light.
The Rossgarten Gates, built in 1852-1855, continue all this beauty. At first they were wooden, and in the 19th century they were made of brick, becoming part of the second defensive ring around the city of Koenigsberg. The Rossgarten northern and southern casemates made of red brick form a single architectural ensemble with the Don Tower.
The second day in the "Far Far Away Kingdom" was also a success, I saw and learned a lot of interesting things. And already almost on "autopilot" (I don't know how long it took, I didn't have time to set the pedometer) I'll go to the hotel, along the way I take note of everything interesting that comes across and I want to see (but not today).
Continued here >>>
