A visit to the Pioneer Pond or Hammerteich in Kaliningrad.

Yesterday we decided to visit the Pioneer Pond or Hammerteich in Kaliningrad. Andrey received a lovely and very helpful book for his birthday about Kaliningrad and I am sure this will come in very handy during our stay. It was in this book that I discovered the Pioneer Pond and was curious to visit the area. Andrey hadn´t been here in many years and we first needed to see where exactly it was. Luckily it wasn´t too far and we decided to take a bus and then walk to the Pioneer Pond.

Exploring the area and walking to the Pioneer Pond.

Although it is spring in Kaliningrad, it is still freezing. We brazed the cold and kept on walking. The area was not difficult to find. First we walked past a beautiful theatre that used to be a navy building. It is painted in a bright colours with huge white columns.

We also passed a World War II memorial statue – one of many that can be seen in the city as millions of Russians died during World War II.

Next we found the new Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kaliningrad. It is a beautiful Church and built in a typical Lutheran style that I am used to from South Africa.

It wasn´t long before we saw the park and pond. I saw signs that swimming was not permitted along the road and it made me giggle. Who would be crazy enough to go swimming in the pond but obviously it happens a lot, otherwise the sign would not be there. The territory of the Ratshof park, whose borders are still visible in the west of modern Kaliningrad, also includes the Pioneer Pond or Hammerteich and stretches along Lesoparkovaya Street. It is a picturesque pond and there are many photo opportunities and you can also walk on the many hiking trails.

The name of the Pond recalls work done here by smiths until the XVI century, when the land belonged to the Altstadt Church.

In 1927, just to the west, a sport field called Yanplatz, highly advanced for the time was built on the place where the Pioneer Stadium is now standing. We took a walk there and found a newly built soccer field for children. They were practicing when we were there.

The park´s borders also contain the location of the Konigsberg Art Acadamy on Basseinaya Street.

If you are in Kaliningrad and have lots of time, then this is a nice place to visit. However, if you are in the city for a couple of days only, then don´t waste time coming here. There are other more important sites that can be visited. We enjoyed it because it was a break and we could walk in nature.