Dobry Djen Kaliningrad!

Visiting the Russian exclave last summer turned into the “Icing on the Baltic Travelling Cake”.

- EICKE BITTNER

Until very recently, entering Kaliningrad in your own campervan involved a complex and time-consuming visa process. For that reason, we have always chosen to explore the Baltic’s instead. Then last year a much-simplified process was introduced. It actually happened unannounced in July, when a newly imposed digital visa, a fast and free service provided by the Embassy of Russia. From registration to granting the visa needed just 4 working days, and my visa actually arrived whilst we were already on the ferry to Klaipeda (Lithuania). Additional papers required were an international drivers license, international car registration and car insurance. For peace of mind, we confirmed that our breakdown cover from ACE Europe was valid also for Kaliningrad, despite it being a part of Russia.

Our plan was to spend 4 nights of a 3-week long Baltic tour, getting a feel for the former Prussian capital, Königsberg and its surrounding villages along the coastline. We were scheduled to enter and depart Russia via the same smallest checkpoint at the Curonian spit town of Morskoe (RUS) / Nida (LIT).