river queen riverboats

River Queen

River boat cruises in brielle, nj.

Our 2024 cruise schedule is now up on our cruise calendar! We are also booking for the 2024 and 2025 Private Charter seasons. If you are planning a Wedding, Birthday, Company Party or any Private Event, contact us for pricing and information. For Further information please contact the office at 732-528-6620

I look forward to sailing with you, Capt. Bogan

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Sightseeing Cruise

Our sightseeing cruises offer unique perspectives of the beautiful waters and picturesque homes of the Manasquan River. Set sail on our most popular cruise!

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• Hour Glass 1.5 hours

All Our Cruises

• Hour Glass 2 hours

Father’s Day Brunch Cruise

Sailing from 11:30am till 1:30pm, our Buffet Brunch offers an abundance of excellent food. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the beautiful Manasquan River, and occasionally the Pt. Pleasant Canal & Barnegat Bay with time for sightseeing on the return trip.

• Hour Glass 2.5 hours

Father’s Day Dinner Cruise

Enjoy a scenic cruise featuring a variety of entrees while you cruise along the calm inland waters of the Manasquan River and conditions permitting, the Point Pleasant Canal and Barnegat Bay.

July 4th Dinner & Fireworks

Enjoy a scenic cruise, a delicious meal, and weather permitting a FIREWORKS DISPLAY!!

Fireworks weather permitting. River Queen sails rain or shine

Sunday Brunch Cruises

Our Sunday Brunch cruise is available selected Sundays.

Enjoy the sights and sounds of the beautiful Manasquan River, and conditions permitting, the Pt. Pleasant Canal and Barnegat Bay with time for sightseeing on the return trip.

Click the “Book Now” button to see available dates.

Lunch Cruise

Enjoy lunch as you take in the sights and sounds of the beautiful Manasquan River and, conditions permitting, the Point Pleasant Canal and Barnegat Bay.

Pasta & Fireworks Cruise

Enjoy a scenic cruise along the Manasquan River with a delicious pasta dinner and, of course, a fireworks display!

Fireworks weather permitting. River Queen sails rain or shine.

• Hour Glass 3 hours

Murder Mystery Dinner

A whodunnit on the water! Our Murder Mystery dinner cruise features a 3 hour cruise, buffet dinner and of course, a Murder!!

Private Events

Weddings, parties, available for private events on halloween & new year's eve.

The River Queen is available for private events, Weddings, Anniversaries, Birthdays, and Corporate Functions.

Our 2024 cruise schedule is now up on our cruise calendar! We are also booking for the 2024 and 2025 Private Charter season. If you are planning a Wedding, Birthday, Company Party or any Private Event, contact us for pricing and information. For Further information please contact the office at 732-528-6620

Daily Cruises Aboard the River Queen

Sightseeing & Dining Cruises Aboard the River Queen

Cruise along the beautiful, calm inland waters of the Manasquan River, Point Pleasant Canal, and Barnegat Bay while enjoying lunch, brunch, or dinner.

Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Manasquan River while learning about the historical sites and points of interest that dot the shores aboard one of our narrated sightseeing cruises.

Watch as fireworks light up the sky on a pasta and fireworks cruise, or ring in the New Year on our New Year’s Eve Cruise!

Make Lasting Memories On A River Cruise!

Four of us took the River Belle on Friday afternoon. We needed help with one of our family who has difficulty walking. The staff, especially Captain Tony, were exceptionally helpful and went over the top to make sure we got on the boat, and disembarked, successfully. The tour of 90 minutes was smooth, scenic and relaxing. Occasionally the Captain or other staff narrated some interesting facts about the vicinity. Altogether a wonderful and easy experience. Thank you!!!!

We enjoyed Father's Day Brunch on the River Belle and it was wonderful. The boat is meticulously cared for, the food was delicious (especially the stuffed pancakes), and the ride very enjoyable. The owners is also very pleasant to deal with. We will go again.

My family and I went on a Sunday brunch excursion. The staff were curteous and eager to engage with passengers. The boat was nostalgic and meticulous and the food fabulous. This will most definitely become a family tradition!

If you looking for nice relaxing and affordable cruise this is the best Jersey Point Pleasant beach family friendly small adventure.We will be back soon ❤️

The Riverboat Queen Is Back! Online Reservations Now Available!

Join us for our NEW Brunch and Supper cruises this Sunday, May 21st!

Be a part of our inaugural cruise this weekend!

The Riverboat Queen offers a unique way to tour the Historic Christina Riverfront, while enjoying Sunday brunch, Sunday Supper, or Thursday Sunset Dinner Cruises every week!

To book your cruise, please visit: www.RiverboatQueenWilm.com

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Mississippi River Dinner Jazz Cruise

Step on board and cruise with us into the night where the sleepless activity of America's busiest port buzzes. The sounds of a lively jazz band fill the air as you enjoy a lavish Creole buffet in elegantly appointed dining rooms. See details

Historical River Cruise

View the French Quarter, the Port of New Orleans, and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve and be entertained by a historian narrator with a detailed description of New Orleans landmarks, history, vessel information, and river lore. See details

Weekend Jazz Brunch

Enjoy delicious brunch delicacies as you cruise down the Mighty Mississippi River while listening to the lively sounds of a traditional New Orleans Jazz band See details

Tiana's Riverboat Experience

Swifties Era Cruise

Creole Queen Haunted Halloween Cruise

Thanksgiving Day Jazz Cruise

Defenders of the River: Superhero Cruise

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TravelAwaits

Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list.

7 Reasons A Stay On The World’s Largest Steamboat Is My Favorite U.S. Cruise

• Cruises and Sailing
• River Cruises
• Types of Travel

I have been on several cruises and travel adventures around the world, but recently, I’ve felt the need to focus on discovering great destinations closer to home. The U.S. is filled with countless experiences that travelers can unlock, and a river cruise offers the chance to see so many things in an efficient, hassle-free, and fun way.

Our summer cruise on the Ohio River took us from Pittsburgh to Louisville, and the itinerary included stops in Marietta, Ohio; Huntington, West Virginia; Augusta, Kentucky; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Madison, Indiana, before reaching Louisville.

I had been on voyages on the Mighty Mississippi River and even a couple in the Pacific Northwest on the Columbia and Snake rivers that traverse through Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. These itineraries are fairly well known, but I was fascinated to see what an Ohio River cruise was all about. I was happy to accept an invite from American Queen Voyages to review this special itinerary.

As it turns out, it’s filled with memorable experiences and a range of fun ways to spend your days. The best part about our trip, though, was how we got there. American Queen owns a special charm and an incredible river cruise program that makes it a favorite way to cruise within the U.S. Here’s why.

1. An Itinerary With Small Towns And Big Cities

Pittsburg, pennsylvania.

American Queen Voyages offers a pre-cruise hotel stay in Pittsburgh, and it was nice to explore the City of Bridges for a day. We had lunch at the famous Primanti Brothers, diving into our hearty sandwiches — complete with fries stuffed onto the pastrami between slices of Italian bread. And we washed it down with a couple of Iron City beers.

The embarkation pier for the riverboat sits at the doorstep of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ football stadium, making for a scenic sail away from the confluence of the three rivers (Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela).

Cincinnati, Ohio

The cruise also features a stop in Cincinnati and wraps up in Louisville, so travelers have opportunities to explore these interesting big cities and all they have to offer. We went for a bike ride on the riverfront, explored the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, and had lunch and craft beers at Moerlein Lager House.

Louisville, Kentucky

In Louisville, cruisers can explore city highlights like the famed Churchill Downs (Kentucky Derby track) or the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory before catching flights back home.

These big cities are nice, but it’s the small towns that really make this trip shine. Residents gather along the banks of the river to cheer our arrival or give us a friendly sendoff each day. Each riverside destination, no matter how small, loves to show off its slice of American history and regional attractions, such as quirky museums, pretty churches, and, of course, its local shops and eateries.

Marietta, Ohio

In Marietta, Ohio, attractions included Mound Cemetery, one of the oldest in the original Northwest Territory, the Ohio River Museum, and the Childen’s Toy & Doll Museum.

Huntington, West Virginia

When I went ashore in Huntington, West Virginia, the hop-on, hop-off bus loop took us to the Touma Medical Museum, a delightful little open-air railroad museum (a yard filled with colorful old rail cars), Ritter Park Rose Garden, and the Marshall University Campus, which features a wonderful grounds filled with statues, sculptures, trees, and flowers.

Augusta, Kentucky

In Augusta, Kentucky, AQV passengers were able to walk just a few hundred steps from our spot on the river to explore the Rosemary Clooney Museum. This is the former home of actress, singer, and aunt to superstar George Clooney. Highlights of this charming town also include Bates Garden, the 1811 Jail, and Baker-Bird Winery.

Madison, Indiana

There was another railroad museum to see in Madison, Indiana, and the town also lists the Schroeder Saddletree Factory, the Broadway Fountain, and Lanier Mansion as top attractions for visitors to check out.

2. Enriching Entertainment

While each port stop features a variety of things for cruisers to explore, this fancy riverboat offers a daily program with a mix of musical performances, trivia competitions, movies, bingo, and variety shows. 

Music, trivia, and enrichment talks are held in American Queen’s majestic Grand Saloon theater space. During our cruise, we saw Phil Westbrook several times, as the singer and piano man performed a tribute to Frank Sinatra as well as entertained passengers at the intimate Captain’s Bar just outside the main J.M. White Dining Room.

We also dropped by the theater for shows by guitarist Logan Reeves and a song and dance variety production on TV theme songs from the American Queen Ensemble and the Steamboat Syncopators house band. The shows draw on plenty of nostalgia but definitely favor an era more familiar to cruisers 70 and older. However, the overall mood is quite fun.

A hip vibe can be found nightly at the Engine Room Bar, where the ship’s musicians get the crowd dancing with a great mix of blues and rock tunes.

3. Regionally Inspired Cuisine

The American Queen chefs kept us well-fed. Meals are served in the main dining room and in the casual eatery called the Front Porch, which offers wonderful views as you cruise on the river. When the weather is nice, it’s worth having at least one dinner outside there to enjoy the sunset and sailing.

The menu includes items like chicken fried steak, frog legs, and a variety of steak and fish preparations. The cuisine is more hearty than healthy, but you can find some fresh fruits and salads in the mix at the lunch buffets. We were always tempted by the mouth-watering selection of homemade pies and slices of chocolate cake set out each day at lunch. There always is a delicious soup, gumbo, or chili available, too.

If you need a snack, you can swing by the Front Porch for a bag of fresh popcorn, a couple of cookies, or a soft-serve ice cream cone or dish.

4. Set Your Own Pace

As a person who loves his daily workouts, I’m happy that a river cruise on American Queen makes it easy. Not only is there a well-equipped gym, but the ship carries a fleet of bikes. Colleen and I started several days with a run along the riverside trails through small towns or by grabbing a couple of bikes to go exploring independently.

In general, river cruising allows travelers the chance to explore on their own in a hassle-free way. It’s so easy to stroll onto and off of the ship at your leisure, and the towns and cities are mere steps away. You can go set your own schedule for the day if you’re not interested in rigorously following the ship excursion program.

Pro Tip: Ask crew members for their insight on nice places to eat or go shopping — or for their favorite places to get a coffee or craft brew. We received great insight from lead butler Adam, who is a coffee connoisseur and loves to find and frequent local cafes along all the river towns he visits.

5. Hop-On, Hop-Off Tours

American Queen Voyages provides a wonderful service in its hop-on, hop-off bus routes in each city and on each river itinerary that it operates. Passengers walk off the ship and straight onto waiting buses with clear signage at each stop along the route at the attractions in town.

Cruisers love being able to have peace of mind that they will see a nice mix of highlights in each port without worrying about transportation. You can get off at each spot or pick and choose what you are interested in on the loop.

6. Plenty Of Space Onboard

American Queen itself is an attraction. Built in 2012 and carrying up to 417 passengers, this is the largest steamship ever built. The décor takes you back in time to a golden era of steamship travel. The Grand Saloon resembles a 19th-century opera house with private boxes wrapped around the theater and hanging over the main level and the stage adorned with a large red curtain.

Chandeliers fill the main restaurant, rocking chairs line the railings on the front porch, and gingerbread ornamentation accents the staircases and stateroom patios of the bright white ship. The signature big red paddlewheel churns at the stern of the ship helping to power the voyage along the river.

American Queen features a large Mark Twain Gallery that serves as a reading room (with a small computer area). It’s outfitted with vintage lamps and antique chairs and all kinds of mementos of a bygone time, including river ship models, paintings, books, vases, and other collectibles.

There are two parlors at the very front of the ship ahead of the Main Twain Gallery, and these spots also are carefully decorated and ideal for working on puzzles, reading, or enjoying the river views while relaxing with friends.

7. Scenic Sailing

I found the periods of sailing from town to town one of the most relaxing and satisfying parts of this river cruise. It was fabulous to watch the world floating by, with the pretty evening sunsets, flowing waters, and subtle bends in the river. We would pass under a variety of bridge styles and see trains on adjacent tracks and tugboats pushing coal barges.

Cruisers also enjoyed the process of watching our big riverboat pass through the locks along the way.

Pro Tip: Make sure to head up to the top deck for sail aways each day. Crowds gather along the banks of the river to wave you off and wish you well on the journey. And one of the musicians will come out to play some tunes on the boat’s steam calliope. It’s a fun spectacle!

Related Reading:

• 9 Reasons You’ll Love A Princess Cruise In The Western Caribbean
• 7 Things People Always Forget To Take On A Cruise Plus 8 Things They Should Leave At Home
• I Just Sailed On Royal Caribbean With My Grandchildren — Here Are My 10 Key Tips

John loves to explore the world while prioritizing fitness and active adventures. He specializes in cruise travel, with more than 100 sailings of all types under his belt. His passion is deep exploration and connection. He loves talking sports and craft beer with people in every destination he visits. John has been a writer and travel journalist for more than 20 years, regularly contributing to top travel magazines and websites.

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corporate events

Our Corporate division is set up to help simplify your event planning process & guide you through it seamlessly. LEARN MORE...

This stunning  triple deck paddle wheel boat offers first class events with a crew and  event planning team who specialize in presenting private and exclusively designed affairs.  All of the details are customized to suit the "Queen’s" clients needs. Passengers begin their journey on the 2nd deck with a Welcome Aboard Reception, live music, full service bar and delicious appetizers.   As Passengers explore this triple deck paddle wheel boat they always enjoy the Queen's Room which is located on the main deck. This elegant air-conditioned room offers full service bar, catering, restrooms, sound system and beautiful seating with various floor plan options  to suit any event.   Topside Passengers enjoy the best view of the Indian River as the "Queen" cruises majestically along the Indian River and lagoon which  is known as the world’s most diverse eco-system, home to herds of manatees, flocks of birds and playful dolphins. Since the "Queen" specializes in Private Charters there are limited dates available for Public Charters. Once a month, we offer a Dinner Cruise with musical entertainment and a Sunday Southern Brunch Cruise for the Public. We also offer a daily 1 hour historic cruise  It Takes A Village ...the perfect way to start your visit to Cocoa Village!   To book a PRIVATE CHARTER call (321) 305-4753 to speak directly to Penny,  the "Queen’s" Event & Wedding Planner. 

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WELCOME ABOARD THE "QUEEN" A STUNNING & UNIQUE VENUE SPECIALIZED IN PRIVATE & EXCLUSIVE EVENTS

Public events.

Once a month, the 'Queen' offers a "Dinner Cruise" and an "Old Fashioned Lunch Cruise" for the Public. LEARN MORE...

weddings & nuptials

All weddings on board the 'Queen' are customized exclusively for our clients, ensuring your BIG day is your BEST day. LEARN MORE...

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Our dedicated planners top priority is making your event exceptional. Our team & expert crew will exceed your expectations. LEARN MORE...

welcome ABOARD THE INDIAN RIVER QUEEN

The perfect venue for weddings, corporate events, reunions & private charters, a stunning & unique venue, specialized in private, & exclusive events.

THE PERFECT VENUE FOR WEDDINGS, PARTIES, CORPORATE EVENTS & PRIVATE CHARTERS

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• 2051 Bridge View Ct., North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
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The Barefoot Queen

Riverboat Cruises

Barefoot Queen Riverboat Cruises

Cruise down the Intracoastal Waterway on the Barefoot Queen, South Carolina’s newest Riverboat attraction!

Come join us on board the Barefoot Queen Riverboat for an exciting cruise down the Intracoastal Waterway! Sit back, relax, and enjoy your lunch or dinner as you let the gentle waves carry you past the stunning million-dollar homes that line the coast. As you glide through the serene waters, let our talented entertainer serenade you with captivating tunes and regale you with fascinating facts of the Waterway’s rich history.

This is more than just a leisurely boat ride – it’s an adventure waiting to unfold! Feel the wind in your hair and the sun on your face as you immerse yourself in the breathtaking natural beauty that surrounds you. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, this cruise promises to be an unforgettable experience that will leave you feeling refreshed, inspired, and eager to return.

Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this one-of-a-kind journey. Book your tickets now and get ready to embark on an unforgettable adventure aboard the Barefoot Queen Riverboat! Spaces are limited, so don’t delay – set sail with us today and discover the magic of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Our Cruises – Scenic Day/Lunch and Dinner Cruises

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Rent a Pontoon and take the whole crew out for a day on the water!

Bounce is on a mission to provide the best prices, the best service, the best features — delivered by the happiest drivers. In fact, the company’s slogan is: “Owner-Drivers, Happy-Riders.” https://www.joinbounce.com

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Northern Kentucky's Newspaper

The River: Great Skiff Race, an adventure to become rowing champ of Great Kanawha River

The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders will be sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. The is a part of a long and continuing story. It first appeared in October, 2018

By Capt. Don Sanders Special to NKyTribune

In the late 1970’s, I acquired a plywood Weaver Skiff which once belonged to Captain John Beatty. I had more fun with that boat than any other except for the wooden Jon-boat of Walter Hoffmeier’s, the KIRK, and one carried aboard the Steamer AVALON which I rowed on every river we traveled upon, and that was a passel of waterways.

One time, I accidentally stuck the little AVALON jo-boat on the end of a steel pipe driven into Bear Creek, about a half mile above its mouth at Hannibal, Missouri; the same creek Sam Clemens swam in as a boy.

Captain Ernie Wagner was blowing the steamer’s thundering whistle to commence loading passengers, and it took nearly superhuman effort for a skinny seventeen-year-old kid to finally free the boat that was required, by law, to be aboard the AVALON as a rescue boat whenever the excursion boat was underway.

I thought I had gotten boat and baggage back aboard the steamboat without the Skipper realizing that one of his deckhands and the rescue boat nearly missed sailing. But later into the cruise, the big man made a point of rousting me from where I thought was safe hiding until the matter cooled. The Captain made me the recipient of a firm lecture of the type that earned him the nickname,  “Stern Ern.”

The John Beatty Skiff became my property after I bought it from Dewey Puluso, a well-known riverman in the Cincinnati Harbor.

Dewey helped his sister Helen run the Newport Yacht Club, but several seasons before, he owned his own boat harbor with a headboat that looked like an old Army Engineers quarters boat painted government-fleet yellow. It had a leaky, wooden hull. On top, three decks up, “DEWEY’S” was spelled out in bright neon letters. Captain Wagner worked for Helen whenever he was laid-off for the winter, back when he was the First Mate on the excursion steamer ISLAND QUEEN.

Of course, I paid Dewey too much for the broken-down skiff, but I wanted it bad enough to pay him his asking price. With the help of friends, I got that 500-pound wooden monster into an empty building and made sufficient repairs to render it riverworthy, and painted it a deep, barn-red with black and white trim. She was a beauty, and I named her the FLYIN’ FISH for my girlfriend, Deborah Anne Fischbeck, another beauty who once steered an open-decked sailing ship on a stormy, raging sea.

Eventually, Debra became a Mate on a tanker sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, through the Mediterranean Sea, and into the Black Sea carrying fuel oil to Soviet Union ports.

Debra was a maid on the Steamer MISSISSIPPI QUEEN and I was the First Mate when we met. Aboard the steamboat, she was usually called “Fish,” a name so perfectly attuned to all things maritime, that I often imagined her to be a character from Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy: “She is Neptune’s daughter – For she’s drawn towards the water.”

Fish steered, and I rowed the FLYIN’ FISH whenever she was off the MISSISSIPPI QUEEN, and we were together on our little wooden boat. During the late summer of 1979, our skiff was afloat on the Great Kanawha River at Charleston, West Virginia for the annual Sternwheel Regatta. All summer long I’d trained for the Skiff Races, “pulling” the heavy yawl upstream for miles against the strong current of the Ohio River from where the FLYIN’ FISH docked at the Mike Fink Floating Restaurant, across from the Cincinnati Public Landing.

Rarely did I rest while rowing for hours without missing a stroke of the oars.

Captain Clifford Dean of Red House, WV, a small town on the Kanawha River, taught me what he called the “Kanawha Crawl,” a method of rowing whereby the oars are feathered, but instead of lifting them from the water requiring additional energy, the blades, with a twist of the rower’s wrists, skim across the surface of the river.

The oarsman’s body then acts like a pendulum utilizing the rower’s weight to lighten the strenuous labor of rowing a heavy wooden boat making the task far easier than if sitting stiffly erect on the thwart lifting, feathering, pulling back through the air, and dipping the blades into the water again, for the next stroke. The “Crawl” required only the use of the boatman’s arms and shoulders and some back muscle thrown in for “English.”

Correctly done, the Kanawha Crawl made the rower into a human engine. The sounds of heavy, rhythmic breathing, coupled with the skimming hisses of the blades skipping across the water, made music not unlike the sounds of the Rees Variable-Cutoff Steam Engines I remembered from my happy days decking on the Steamer AVALON; later renamed the BELLE of LOUISVILLE.

Those venerated and reliable steam engines, whenever they are running on a full head of steam, the heavy metal “cutoff dogs” of those ancient machines, mechanical appurtenances that regulate the workings of the valves controlling the amount of flow of live steam into the cylinders, beat out their own melodies with their rhythmic clacking.

The Kanawha Crawl makes rowing a heavy, wooden yawl similar to engaging a steamboat into the “cutoff” position.

The pendulum motion of the oarsman’s body utilizes the inertia of his weight to do part of the work of the labor of rowing. During this rhythmic flow, the strain of exertion carried by the “rowing engine,” allows the human machinery a moment’s rest similar to the slight period of respite the heart has between beats.

Taken individually, those minute periods of relaxation appear insignificant, but taken as a whole over a long period of time, they allow the heart, the hardest working muscle in the human body, to outperform any mechanical pump ever invented. In much the same way, this “secret” style of rowing, perfected on the lower reaches of the West Virginia stream by an operator of hand-pulled ferryboats, enables a skilled performer to row cumbersome boats for hours; faster and farther than can an ordinary oarsman ignorant of the method.

The original intent of our plans to row in the Weaver Skiff Races on Labor Day Sunday changed after I received a call from home saying I was needed there on the day of the competition.

Fish and I were sitting aboard the FLYIN’ FISH slowly rowing around in the exciting maritime confusion that is the Kanawha River at Charleston during the Sternwheel Regatta. It was early afternoon, and we had to catch the Amtrak Cardinal train to Cincinnati later the next day.

Unexpectedly, I asked Fish if she would like to row up the river to Port Amherst, almost exactly five miles, to see if my former boss, Cappy Lawson Hamilton and his little paddlewheeler, MOMMA JEAN, were there. I was Lawson’s first Captain of his P. A. DENNY Sternwheeler excursion boat when it first came out three years earlier.

Nearly every small sternwheeler for hundreds of miles around was at the regatta, except for the MOMMA JEAN. Besides, I wanted to say, “hello” to Mr. Hamilton before we left, and what better river for a long row than the Kanawha above the Capital City?

Fish carried a man’s wristwatch with an unusually large dial stashed with all her other plunder inside her knapsack.

As we passed under the Southside Bridge, she took note of the time so that we could see how long it took to row to the Chuck Yeager Bridge at Port Amherst, five miles upstream from where all the boats and crowds were gathered. The Yeager Bridge at the busy river port below Malden, WV, an area made prosperous first by Malden Red Salt, and later by a low sulfur coal mined by generations of families living and working along Campbell’s Creek that entered the Kanawha not far below the finish line of the FLYIN’ FISH’s run up the river.

The trip on the Kanawha began from the Southside Bridge, the one connecting downtown Charleston to South Charleston, was the bridge Chuck Yeager was “alleged” to have flown under in an Air Force F-80 Shooting Star as hundreds of his fellow West Virginians crowded the bridge railings watching a boat race on the river below.

To protect their native son from disciplinary action for violating airspace rules concerning flying underneath crowded bridges, nothing official, not even in the Charleston newspapers, was ever reported detailing the high-spirited Mountaineer flyboy’s aviation hijinks. But it is the upper span crossing the Kanawha, five miles above, that proudly wore the name of the celebrated Air Force General, Charles Elwood “Chuck” Yeager, a native of Lincoln County, and the first human to fly faster than sound.

From Charleston to Campbell’s Creek, houses, various structures, and expressway roads crowd the riverbank. But riding deep within the gut of the river aboard a tiny ark built ages ago by Mr. Boone Weaver on the banks of the larger Ohio River at Racine, Ohio, the Kanawha seemed wild and picturesque-enough to please my flame-haired steerswoman who recorded a mental image of every detail that she might later recall if the need arose. Her attention to detail was reminiscent of our first trip on the Yazoo River at Vicksburg, Mississippi to examine the bones of the once, mightiest steam towboat on the river, the SPRAGUE, which at the time of our visit, was sadly a rusting, burned-out hulk.

The ride up the Kanawha rowed in no more than a steady, rhythmic pace without missing a stroke of the ashen oars, allowed only the barest conversation to pass between oarsman and steersman. Soon, the Yeager Bridge passed overhead, and Fish, who held the oversized watch in one hand and the steering oar in the other, called out the time:

“One-hour and thirty-five minutes!”

Not bad, I thought… a pretty fast run upstream against a light current. Later, I calculated that the FLYIN’ FISH completed the five-mile run upstream against the flow of the Grand Kanawha River averaging 3.16 mph.

The Port Amherst fleet, just above the Yeager Bridge, is mainly coal barges. Frequently, a towboat, or two, belonging to Amherst may be found either working the fleet or tied up. The regular boats, the IRON DUKE and the J. S. LEWIS, were absent. Both were five miles below and engaged in the celebration of the end of summer. The Amherst fleet also boasted of two unusual boats rarely seen on any river in this age: stern paddlewheelers, once working craft, but now, loafing about like retired thoroughbred racehorses

The LAURA J is the “Queen”of the Amherst armada and the pride of Captain Charles T. Jones, owner of both the boat and Amherst Industries, at that time, the largest family-owned company in the state. The MOMMA JEAN, once a Kanawha River ferryboat, lay tied below a coal tipple where Fish and I saw that someone was aboard. We coasted alongside as I called out:

“Anybody home?”

A man appeared on deck wearing glasses with thick “coke bottle” lenses, and in a deep, gravelly voice answered,

“Cappy, is that you? You’re just in time to help me decorate the MOMMA JEAN.”

Without hesitation, Fish fell to the task of hanging bunting, streamers, and flags with the usual enthusiasm she had for any job nautical; no matter how hard, painful or grungy it was, for she was an authentic “boatman” who understood the routine necessary to keep any vessel orderly, clean, and safe. Between trips, aboard the MISSISSIPPI QUEEN, I remembered her “turning over,” not only her rooms but also the rooms of one, even two, others girls who paid her so they could get time ashore.

Fish had that magnificent mane of brilliant, auburn hair tied back with a couple of strands of hair she pulled up from her head and tied into a knot that freed her face of frazzled locks during the frenzy wrought as she worked. Fish kept two porters running, dripping in sweat, keeping her supplied with sheets, towels, and the other necessities needed as she made her rooms ready for another gaggle of passengers soon to begin the best vacation of their lives.

Deborah was capable of supervising the MISSISSIPPI QUEEN’s kitchen, which she did when called upon during the absence of the regular Kitchen Manager. She was offered the position several times when it became available, but she always refused, fearing such time-consuming responsibilities would interfere with her free time she enjoyed sitting on the staircase on the starboard side of the Main Deck reading and watching the river scenery.

Soon the MOMMA JEAN was decorated in flags and red, white, and blue bunting, Mr. Hamilton’s favorite colors.

It seemed that everything Cappy owned was painted those colors: the MOMMA, the P. A. DENNY excursion boat, his Jet Ranger helicopter, his King Air turboprop airplane; even his trucks, bulldozers, and fuel oil tanks of his mining operations all boasted the same colors as the nation’s flag. But as we sat down to rest after all the industry of decorating his small paddlewheeler, Lawson apologized that he had nothing refreshing aboard to drink. He said if we wanted something cold, he would send for it at his Hansford office, many miles and mountain tops away.

“Wanna ride the chopper?” he asked with a huge grin, nearly stretching from ear to ear.

Fish and I excitedly climbed into the Jet Ranger, and his pilot took us to the office just minutes by air, but a couple of hours away of hard driving by road. The rotary-winged aircraft set down in front of the office displaying a sign in front identifying the place as the headquarters of Pratt Mining and Ford Coal. The pilot ran inside and returned with some refreshments and another passenger. The four of us were soon up and over several mountain ridges and back, all too soon, at Port Amherst.

Back aboard the MOMMA JEAN, we enjoyed a “cool one,” and as we talked, I mentioned to Lawson that we rowed up the river in one hour and thirty-five minutes.

“Why, Cappy,” he exclaimed, as all Captains of boats of note are addressed on the Great Kanawha River, and I had been the first skipper of Mr. Hamilton’s excursion boat, the P. A. DENNY, Sternwheeler.

“Cappy,” he continued, “You just beat my 1941 speed record by five minutes! I rowed the same course in ‘41,” he continued, “in one hour and forty minutes.”

My coxswain and I exchanged glances but said nothing. I looked for a twinkle in my former boss’s eye but found none. He appeared quite sincere. Lawson Hamilton was a man much like Captain Ernest E. Wagner. Both men could perpetuate the grandest practical jokes while maintaining an air of the most incontestable decorum. When in doubt about the seriousness of such men, it is always prudent to take them at their word without hesitation, for if there are unknown qualities involved, then they will reveal them, themselves, at their leisure.

The late afternoon sun was poised just over the top of the mountain high above the left bank of the Kanawha River, so I mentioned to the Fish that we had to be going as it was getting dark soon, and we carried no light on the FLYIN’ FISH. We bid our host farewell, and as we stepped down into the Racine skiff, Lawson said, almost matter-of-factly:

“You beat my time of an hour and forty minutes up the river, but I rowed back down in fifty-five minutes.”

We pushed off, and neither Fish nor I knew if Lawson had challenged us, or if the man, so powerful in these mountains, was just “funing” us and not expecting us to take him seriously. We knew, however, we had to decide if Mr. Hamilton was joshing or engaging us.

So we pulled under some overhanging trees halfway between the Amherst fleet and the Yeager Bridge to discuss the last puzzling comment Cappy Hamilton let slip as we stepped into our boat. Perhaps he thought that we understood he was only making up the story, but still, Lawson threw down the gauntlet, real or imagined, and I felt he wanted us to take up the challenge to beat his 1941 downbound speed record from Port Amherst to the city front – bridge-to-bridge.

“Do you think we should try?” I asked Fish.

“Go for it!” answered the river girl who never wasted a word.

The oars were made ready and the Fish, looking at the oversized watch, quietly whispered,

“Now…”

With Fish’s one spoken word, we accepted the challenge to beat Lawson Hamilton’s unbroken thirty-eight-year-old speed record on the downbound leg. The oars bowed with the first strokes as they bent to the entire weight of crew and wooden boat. The sun dipped behind the high mountain crest opposite Campbell’s Creek as we slid by unnoticed by a constant stream of automobiles and diesel trucks hurtling past on the roadway above. Fish instinctively kept the boat in the channel to take advantage of what little current there was in the river.

The momentum of the Kanawha Crawl method of rowing propelled the heavy boat forward in a steady, rhythmic gait as noticeable white rollers formed in our wake upon the water as we rolled into the deep, cool shadows beneath the high limestone cliffs near the Daniel Boone Park.

These cliffs were formed by man’s hand for the expressway that lay at the base of the bare bluffs. Dark seams of black coal ran horizontally at different intervals on the sheer stone walls.

But, I never saw them that trip, for I had transformed myself into a human engine onboard the FLYIN’ FISH fueled by the shared mastery of the rower’s art perfected by an oarsman of long ago who discovered an ideal way to row a skiff for hours-on-end with the least amount of energy expended. I may have said a silent, “Thank You,” to Captain Clifford Dean, but if I did, it was a subliminal reaction I was not aware of at the time.

Below the Dan’l Boone park we passed the wooden pilings driven into the riverbank by Captain Harry White so that the LAURA J and the MOMMA JEAN could land there at their owners’ favorite restaurant located on-shore, where they enjoyed taking their guests for what was considered by many, “the best food” served on that stretch of the Kanawha River.

A few minutes more, and we were abeam of the Blackhawk Light and Dayboard, a government navigation aid maintained by the Coast Guard. The Kanawha City Bridge was ahead, about halfway to the finish line. As we descended closer to the celebration below, the number of boats increased.

Above, the river was quiet except for a couple of fishermen heading upstream for some night fishing in the rapid water below Marmet Lock and Dam. But now, fast motorboats swept in close to witness the curious sight of the antiquated red skiff roaring down the middle of the river propelled by a madman rocking back and forth to the violent stroking of the hissing oars. At the stern thwart sat a vision that few would forget; a real-life Mer’girl with both arms wrapped around a long steering oar keeping the boat running true; a long cigarette hanging lightly between her lips..

“There’s a lot of boats down there,” Fish observed while she stared ahead into the dimness below as twilight spread its dark cloak over the river.

“Whatt’a we going to do for a light?” she asked, never breaking her stare of the river ahead.

At the Kanawha City Bridge, Fish checked her watch and reported that twenty-seven minutes had passed. Because the river was beginning to broadened-out the farther we went, and the current slacking, I expected the FLYIN’ FISH to slow down as we came nearer to the Sternwheel Regatta congregation. We had to have more power, so I rowed even harder.

We passed close to the steps that ran into the water below the West Virginia State Capitol Building. Lovers looked up from smothering embraces and watched as we raced by. The closer we got to our goal, the darker and more crowded the river became.

As the minutes crept by, it was still possible to break Mr. Hamilton’s 1941 record, but more speed was needed. We were about a half-mile from the South Side Bridge, our goal, which was clearly in sight. The boats and barges anchored below partially blocked the river from the right-hand shore to nearly halfway to the left.

A thousand motorboats raced around like mayflies on the Mississippi. With what remaining reserve of energy I could muster, I began a sprint to the finish line; pumping the last of what was left of me into the “Kanawha Crawl” as the stout, wooden boat raced toward the beckoning bridge. The outcome of the race was so uncertain that we could not predict if victory was ours, or if Mr. Hamilton’s 1941 speed record would remain undisturbed.

But the fact remained, the FLYIN’ FISH and crew still had a chance to become the new rowing champions of the Great Kanawha River.

A small parade of supportive well-wishers followed us although the river was dark-enough for lights, still enough visibility remained that, in no time, were we, or any other boats, in danger of colliding. The Crawl worked me into a steaming lather as my “human engine” was full-stroking on a double gong.

Suddenly, a piercing, revolving blue light shattered the murky darkness of the race course!

“SHOW YOUR LIGHT – SHOW YOUR LIGHT!” an electric bullhorn boomed over the waters.

“SHOW YOUR LIGHT. THIS IS THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD!”

Fish immediately looked my way. She was scared. But I remembered the government regulation concerning lights required aboard a vessel under oars that said something like: “Shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern shining a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision. ”  I Informed my steerswoman that as were almost to the finish line, I was not about to stop so close to our goal. We would never have another chance to break Lawson Hamilton’s 1941 record, so I instructed the Fish:

“Light that cigarette lighter!”

Fish looked at me like I was nuts, so I repeated my request:

“Go ahead, Fishie, FLICK YOUR BIC!” (I actually said it that way.)

Deborah kept her lighter in her shirt pocket, and reluctantly, she dug it out, held it up, and struck the flint. A white light shone all-around while the oars sang their song as they propelled us toward the bridge, just a few hundred feet away.

Instead of placating the United States Coast Guard, they became enraged when Fish flicked her Bic. The bullhorn demanded:

“STOP YOUR BOAT!”

By now, the guardsmen’s boat was just astern on our outboard side. I yelled back that I could not stop.

“I’m trying to break a 1941 speed record!” I shouted again, thinking that my explanation would make them understand why we were racing down the middle of the Kanawha River at night like demons, with no light aboard except a half-empty Bic cigarette lighter for a navigation light.

“STOP YOUR BOAT! STOP YOUR BOAT, OR WE’LL RAM YOU!”  The bullhorn blasted in my face, not more than ten feet away.

“STOP, OR WE WILL RAM YOU!”

The Coast Guardsmen were reservists, “Weekend Warriors,” getting in their duty time toward retirement and a government pension. And their boat was not made to government specifications, one that could not stand up to giving a stoutly-built Weaver Skiff a solid ramming. The fiberglass boat’s blue lights were attached to the windscreen with threaded turnscrews about the size typically used to hold a net stretched taut across the width of a ping-pong table. A strip of gray adhesive tape helped reinforce the light brackets.

The threat of ramming was both funny and frightening, but I could see that the Fish was wishing she was cruising some moonlit stretch of the Lower Mississippi instead of where she was awaiting the fatal assault of a fiberglass runabout ramming across the FLYIN’ FISH’s midsection. As I realized the Coast Guard reservists were considering the consequences of their next step, fighting back a smile, I yelled over:

“Don’t ram us! Give us an escort to the bridge!”

Apparently, the Guardsmen considered that a reasonable request and they escorted us the rest of the way to where the echoes of river noises and human voices bouncing off the piers and understructure of the Southside Bridge seemed to make it come alive, like the roar of a football stadium, as we flashed under and “green-lighted” the central span.

“Time!” I yelled.

Fish gazed at her oversized, round watch dial and studied a moment before announcing:

“Fifty-three Minutes…”

“We Won! We Won! We beat Cappy Lawson Hamilton’s 1941 speed record of fifty-five minutes by two whole minutes! I shouted.

As I pulled in my oars and the FLYIN’ FISH took a lazy, fish-hook-shaped path and slowed down as the Coasties came alongside. One recognized me in the bright lights below the bridge from my P. A. DENNY days and ordered me to tie up the FLYIN’ FISH for the night and leave it there – which I gladly did.

Later that evening at a gathering on one of the sternwheelers, I saw the reservist who recognized me earlier, and I told him the story of the race to best Cappy Hamilton’s 1941 speed record. I promised to always carry a light, although I usually did. But, unfortunately the previous night, we were caught on the river without one.

I wanted to add that we had Fish’s Bic cigarette lighter, and believe me, I thought, if we’d been drifting down into the darkest gloom on the Lower Mississippi River with just that lighter and a thirty-barge tow was bearing down on us, we would be flicking that Bic. We would be rubbing two fireflies together, too, if that was all we had. But I kept that thought to myself.

The next afternoon, Fish and I boarded the Amtrak Cardinal, bound for Cincinnati.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Purchase Captain Don Sanders’ The River book here

ORDER YOUR RIVER BOOK HERE

Capt. Don Sanders The River: River Rat to steamboatman, riding ‘magic river spell’ to 65-year adventure is now available for $29.95 plus handling and applicable taxes. This beautiful, hardback, published by the NKyTribune, is 264-pages of riveting storytellings, replete with hundreds of pictures from Capt. Don’s collection — and reflects his meticulous journaling, unmatched storytelling, and his appreciation for detail. This historically significant book is perfect for the collections of every devotee of the river.

You may purchase your book by mail from the Northern Kentucky Tribune — or you may find the book for sale at all Roebling Books locations and at the Behringer Crawford Museum and the St. Elizabeth Healthcare gift shops.

Order your Captain Don Sanders’ ‘The River’ book here .

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Body located in Ottawa River near spot that kayak capsized

The body was discovered at about 1 p.m. Saturday, the OPP said.

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A body has been found in the Ottawa River near the location that a 30-year-old woman was last seen while kayaking.

The body was discovered at about 1 p.m. Saturday, the OPP said in a news release.

The OPP Underwater Search and Recovery Unit and Quebec police marine units had been searching the river near Pembroke since early Sept. 18 when a double kayak hit rapids and capsized near the Highway 148 bridge to Allumette Island. A 34-year-old man was rescued by police, with assistance from private citizens, but the woman was not located.

The identity of the body had not been confirmed Saturday evening, and police said the investigation continues, with a post-mortem examination to be conducted to determine the cause of death, which is suspected to be drowning.

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Everything you wanted to know about Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad , October 22nd, 2020

The Kaliningrad region is the westernmost part of the endless Russia. It could have been an ordinary city, like many others, only it is not. This region finds itself on the Baltic sea coast, sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland. Its history tells us that it has never been ordinary for Kaliningrad, as the region changed hands multiple times, most recently after WWII when the German Königsberg was eventually transformed into the Russian Kaliningrad.

So, what else than a quirky history can Kaliningrad offer you? That's exactly what you'll find in this article, as we will guide you past the seven coolest things to do in Kaliningrad. For the ones of you still wondering how it all went in the past, we will start with a short history of the region.

From Königsberg to Kaliningrad

The early days of Königsberg

The Prussians, a Baltic tribe, are considered the native population of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea. In the early days, their small but fortified settlement on the banks of the Pregolya River was called Twangste. In 1255, this place was conquered by the knights of the Teutonic Order. They founded a castle here and gave it the name Königsberg. It was known as a prosperous place, where trade flourished.

Despite the construction of a defensive ring of gates and fortifications around Königsberg, the city has been captured numerous times, like during the Seven Years' War in the 18th century, when Königsberg fell into the hands of the Russian Empire for the first time. The Russians had ruled for only four years over Königsberg, before Emperor Peter III returned it to Prussia under the terms of the peace treaty concluded in 1762.

A flourishing city

Suffering again under the Napoleonic Wars and the First World War, peace has never been a long-time visitor of Königsberg. But as of the 19th century things gradually started to improve in the city, with a growing population, industrialisation, and expansion beyond the defensive ring. New stations, churches and suburban areas were constructed. Present-day remains from this period are for example the neo-Gothic Philharmonic Hall and the Puppet Theatre – both of which highlighted as landmarks on the Streetwise map of Kaliningrad.

The brutal transformation into Kaliningrad

The relatively peaceful and prosperous period of Königsberg ended abruptly with the start of the Second World War in 1939. Times suddenly became uncertain and unpredictable, with fear gradually building up among the citizens of Königsberg and Soviet air raids starting as early as 1941. The summer of 1944 was devastating for the city, with most of its historic quarters wiped out by the British Royal Air Force. Heavy fighting continued well into 1945, with the final assaults of the Battle of Königsberg taking place just before the Nazis surrendered. It meant that the nightmare of the citizens of Königsberg had finally ended.

Following the 1945 Potsdam Conference of the three largest powers of the anti-Hitler coalition, the northern part of East Prussia was transferred to the Soviet Union. Why was the fate of Königsberg decided this way?

Well, it followed from a negotiation between Stalin and Churchill in an attempt to divide the spheres of influence after the war. The results of what turned out to be a life-changing event for many people, had simply been written down on a small piece of scratch paper, known as the Percentages agreement. Stalin had his focus on East Prussia, as he considered it primordially Slavic land and saw the need for Soviets to seize ice-free ports in the Baltic region. With the consent of the allies, the USSR signed a border agreement with the Polish government-in-exile. And although this was a serious loss for Poland, London stood up on this issue and supported the USSR.

It so happened that Königsberg became part of the USSR, and shortly after the city was renamed to Kaliningrad – honouring the Soviet politician Mikhail Kalinin who passed away in 1946.

The Soviet touch of Kaliningrad

The first Soviet settlers already arrived in Kaliningrad a few months after the war. They started to dismantle some of the destroyed buildings in Kaliningrad, sending the extracted materials back to restore Soviet cities that had been destroyed by the war. The possibility of reconstructing German architecture was not even considered. In a country that had barely survived the war, there was no time for caring for German cultural heritage. After having disassembled the old German buildings to the ground, any remains such as basements or foundations were simply covered with soil.

By the end of the 40s, eventually, the restoration of buildings began in the city. However, it was decided to disguise almost all German traces. The facades were changed to more familiar Soviet ones, and new buildings in the Stalinist Empire style appeared on Mira Prospekt, one of the main streets in Kaliningrad. The apotheosis of the communist-era expansion was the destruction of the Königsberg Castle in the late 1960s, with the former Teutonic stronghold being viewed as the main symbol of the German past. Soon after this tragic episode in the life of the city, the construction of the House of Soviets began right on the location of the former castle. A building that would proudly demonstrate the superiority of Soviet architecture – only, it was never finished.

The House of Soviets

Known as the ‘Kaliningrad Monster’ or the ‘Kaliningrad Robot’, this building has acquired many nicknames. But everyone agrees on one thing, it is almost impossible to imagine Kaliningrad without this edifice. Under construction since the 1970s, the House of Soviets was meant to become a government office, as well as a monument to communism. After a check in the mid-80s, it turned out that the structure was not quite stable. As a result, from that time on, it has remained empty and guarded.

The building is not open to visitors – from time to time it is illegally being entered though – and doesn't serve any purpose other than just being there, for which many have suggested demolishing it. But with the ruins of the former castle nearby, this is easier said than done. In whatever deplorable state the ruins are, it is still an object of cultural heritage, and demolition of the House of Soviets could entirely mess them up.

Nevertheless, recently one interesting project has been proposed. Its initiators suggested having both eras existing side by side, through rebuilding part of the castle and renovating the House of Soviets. Only time can tell whether they succeed.

Kant Island through time

The green island in the centre of Kaliningrad has recently been named after the great thinker Immanuel Kant. In the German days the island was known as Kneiphof. By 1939, there were 304 houses, 28 streets and thousands of people living there. All that was completely wiped out after a British bombing in WW2. The only surviving resident of the island was the Königsberg Cathedral, although in a deplorable state. The old University of Albertina, located next to the church, was also destroyed. It was the leading university in the Kingdom of Prussia and one of the best in Europe. The prominent philosopher Immanuel Kant, who was born in Königsberg, was a graduate and later a teacher here. After his death, he became the last Albertina professor to be buried in the cathedral's tomb.

After clearing away the ruins left by the bombing, the nice and bushy park appeared on the island. Looking at Kant Island today, it is difficult to imagine that once there were houses on the position of each of its trees, along with cars and trams driving along the alleys.

Visit the Königsberg Cathedral

The Königsberg Cathedral is the real heart of the city, treasuring a long history. Having stood in ruins until the 1990s, the cathedral had managed to avoid the fate of final demolition. It took until 2002 for the restoration works to complete, constantly hampered by a lack of funds. An interesting detail, a helicopter of the Baltic fleet was used for hoisting the spire.

The cathedral has been restored in the so-called Baltic Gothic style, whereas its interior has gotten a new look. Nowadays church service is not offered here anymore, but you can enjoy an organ concert with incredible acoustics. The cathedral also houses the Kant Museum, which is devoted not only to the life of the philosopher but also to the fascinating history of the city. Be sure to check out the layout of Kneiphof Island as it were before the bombing. You will see a completely different picture of the city! To visit the cathedral or museum, you will need to buy a ticket. The Königsberg Cathedral is open daily.

German heritage in Kaliningrad

With Soviet architecture being the one and only style for rebuilding post-war Kaliningrad, echoes of the German past are to be discovered primarily in the outskirts of Kaliningrad – parts that hadn’t suffered such a mass bombing. The special charm and appearance of the old city can still be found in most notably the areas of Maraunenhof and Amalienau. Once these were luxurious suburbs with private villas, but two world wars have left a sad mark on their appearance. Still some magnificent examples of the Jugendstil style – the German name for Art Nouveau – have been preserved.

According to the original project, these suburbs were to be built like a garden-city. Each house had its own green area, and the whole district was full of trees. Unlike typical urban development, the streets here did not intersect at right angles but meandered – a pattern that still can be seen today.

For some of the better-preserved examples of German architecture, stroll along Kutuzov and Ogarev Street in the Amalienau district. A visit to Maraunenhof could be nice to combine with the Amber Museum, which we will introduce further below.

To make your visit of the Amalienau and Maraunenhof districts more convenient, check out our interactive map of Kaliningrad where you can see the exact areas and much more visitor info.

Visit the Altes House

If you love history and would like to see how ordinary people used to live in Königsberg at the beginning of the 20th century, then you should definitely visit the Altes House. It is a museum-apartment, located in a German house from 1912. All sorts of authentic exhibits will make you feel like travelling back in time.

The museum also offers guided tours, daily from Monday to Saturday – be sure to contact them in advance through their IG account if you require a tour in English.

The Fortifications of Kaliningrad

A unique system of defensive fortifications has been preserved in Kaliningrad. The former city of Königsberg historically had two defensive rings: an outer ring that consisted of 15 forts and an inner ring consisting of ramparts, ditches, defensive towers, walls and city gates. As such, the city was basically one of the largest fortresses in Europe.

The forts of Kaliningrad

A total of 15 forts previously formed a defensive ring, blocking all roads into the city. They all survived until today, but time has not been treating them particularly well. Some were given away for the needs of the armed forces, which kept them from further decline and others are overgrown with greenery. A handful of forts is still in a rather good shape, and even open to visitors. The most popular ones are Fort 5 and Fort 11, both highlighted on our Streetwise map of Kaliningrad. These forts nowadays host exhibitions and events dedicated to the Second World War. Should you decide to visit Fort 11, your ticket will include a guided tour through the stronghold.

The city gates of Kaliningrad

The Königsberg gates were the only entrances into the inner city until the 20th century. Seven out of the ten gates have survived to this day. Inside some of them you will find museums nowadays, in others exhibition halls, art spaces or cafés. The most popular gates are the King's Gate and the Friedrichsburg Gate.

Visit King’s Gate

The King’s Gate, or Königstor in German, is one of the most beautiful gates, having the shape of a small castle. It was built in 1834 and King Frederick IV himself participated in its foundation. Its first level is decorated with three portals. On the second one, you can see three niches with statues of the first king of Prussia, Frederick I, Duke Albrecht and the founder of the city, King Ottokar II.

Today the gate houses the Historical and Cultural Center ‘Grand Embassy’, hosting an exposition that tells about the history of the city, as it developed from a small settlement to the modern-day Kaliningrad. Special attention goes to Peter the Great visiting the city, and the relations he managed to establish between East Prussia and Russia. Note that the exhibition is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and the entrance is paid.

Visit Friedrichsburg Gate

The massive Friedrichsburg Gate was constructed in the 17th century and resembles a fortress itself. It is the only historical gate in Kaliningrad that did not lead to the city, but instead to the fortress of Friedrichsburg.

Today you can find a branch of the World Ocean Museum inside this gate, with an exhibition devoted to traditional vessels from different parts of Russia. Another highlight of the museum is the adjacent Lodejny Shipyard, a place where historical light vessels are being restored or completely recreated. Please note that the exhibition is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and the entrance is paid.

Be sure to check out our free map of Kaliningrad if you want to learn more about the fortifications, as we have devoted a single layer to the greatest forts and gates of the city. The greatest fortifications of Kaliningrad show up on the map when selecting this layer.

The amber treasures of the Kaliningrad region

The Baltic region has long been associated with amber. This natural stone has inspired the craftsmen of Königsberg to create precious jewellery and interior items since the time of the Teutonic Knights! What is this amber?

Amber is the hardened resin of prehistoric conifers. Deposits of ancient resin exist in different parts of the world, but around 90% of it is concentrated on the Baltic coast. For centuries these stones have been collected on the seashore after heavy storms. Starting from the 20th century, it has been extracted from the ground with the help of machines. Despite the active mining, the Kaliningrad amber, according to experts, will last for at least another 100 years.

Visitors of Kaliningrad have the unique opportunity to learn everything about this precious stone. In the Amber Museum, you will find not only fascinating information about this stone, but you will also be able to see amber in all its glory, as the museum presents samples in about every color you can imagine.

Visit the Amber Museum

The Amber Museum was opened in 1979 in the Dohna tower, which is located on the shores of Upper Pond. The tower was built in the neo-Gothic style in 1853, as one of the defensive structures of Königsberg. It is named after the Prussian military engineer Friedrich Emil Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten, who took part in the liberation war against Napoleon in the early 19th century.

The exposition of the museum is divided into two parts and occupies three floors. The first part is represented by amber samples of different weights, colour scales and transparency. It is here where you will find the largest piece of Russian amber, weighing nothing less than 4.3 kilograms! The most interesting part of the museum is made up of amber samples with pieces of animals and plants trapped tens of millions of years ago in the once liquid and viscous resin. The cultural and historical part of the collection contains amber jewellery and household items found in the Kaliningrad region during excavations.

In the Amber Museum, you can also see the original amber samples that served as the basis for the reconstruction of the famous Amber Room of the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg. These fragments are considered some of the most magnificent pieces of art made of this stone. By the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg in 2003, the Amber Room was entirely recreated in its original shape. It took eventually 6 tons of Kaliningrad amber and 23 years of painstaking work to recreate this masterpiece.

Where to buy amber in Kaliningrad?

You will find a large number of shops in the city selling amber. We can recommend two small stores near the Fish Village, on the banks of the Pregolya River. These are specialized stores from the manufacturer Russian Amber. Here you can buy not only jewellery but also decor items, paintings and much more. Russian Amber is one of the oldest companies manufacturing products from Baltic Amber. Every year it takes part in jewellery exhibitions in Russia and abroad. Thanks to the use of the latest technologies in processing and the work of experienced craftsmen, their products are distinguished by variety and sophistication in detail.

Explore the mysteries of the sea in the World Ocean Museum

The sea and trade have always played a huge role in the life of the city. From 1339 it was a member of a legendary trade union of Baltic cities, the Hanseatic League. The port of Königsberg was of great importance because, unlike many other waterways in northern Europe, the Baltic Sea does not freeze in winter.

Centuries later, after the Second World War, this factor again played an important role. The ‘not freezing’ advantage was viewed as strategically important by the USSR, making the port of Kaliningrad one of the best locations to harbor its western fleet.

Today you will find the popular World Ocean Museum on the territory of the old port. The embankment where it is located is designed in the style of the old Baltic port, with nice little brick houses and antique-styled lamps that make it pleasant to walk here.

Visit the Museum of the World Ocean

The World Ocean Museum catches the attention with some beautiful ships moored on its quay. Among them is the vessel Vityaz, on which the Mariana Trench was studied. Located in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, the Mariana Trench is about 11 thousand meters deep and is considered the deepest place in the oceans of the world. Another eyecatcher is the research vessel Cosmonaut Viktor Patsaev, which was used to control and manage satellites and interplanetary station flights by communicating with cosmonauts and processing data. Another remarkable sight is the submarine B-413, dating from the pre-nuclear period. All these ships are part of the World Ocean Museum and can be visited.

The exposition of the World Ocean Museum tells its visitors about marine culture, challenging discoveries, the incredible nature of the ocean, its fascinating inhabitants and complex environment. It is a very interactive museum with exhibits that are interesting for both children and adults. You will discover for example how sonar works or listen to the sounds made by deep-sea animals.

Find the opening hours of the Museum of the World Ocean and its branches on the official website . Note that a separate ticket is required for visiting different branches of the museum.

Exploring the Fish Village of Kaliningrad

Another pleasant place in the centre of Kaliningrad that you should definitely visit is the Fish Village. This little area on the banks of the Pregolya River was created in 2006, in the style of the old Königsberg. Walking along the embankment today, you can imagine how everything looked here before. This very place once used to be a fish market with the fishermen of Königsberg trying to sell their fresh catch. Today you will primarily find cafés, restaurants and hotels here, as well as souvenir and jewellery shops.

What to eat in Kaliningrad?

Not surprisingly, you will find a good number of restaurants offering seafood in the Fish Village. The proximity to the sea makes it possible to eat a wide variety of fish, as well as delicious eels. For meat, we advise you to try the nearby Kaiser Wurst restaurant – get directions – as its menu is replete with Königsberg treats. But actually, what is Königsberg cuisine?

Such an unusual history as in this city could not but positively affect the culinary traditions. Among the most popular old recipes are the Königsberg Klopse and the Königsberg Fleck. The Königsberg Klopse is a German meat dish similar to meatballs in a creamy caper sauce. It is not fried, stewed or baked, but boiled in broth, and then brought to readiness in the already mentioned sauce. The Königsberg Fleck first gained fame in the 16th century. It is an East Prussian stew of beef tripe, richly flavoured with spices.

What else to see near Kaliningrad?

Visit Svetlogorsk

Kaliningrad is surrounded by many little towns, some with a profound German touch. One of the towns deserving special attention is Svetlogorsk, located on the shores of the Baltic sea. This small town with neat houses and green streets offers its guests peace and magically clean air.

Like Kaliningrad itself, Svetlogorsk was once German, and known as Rauschen. About 200 years ago, it became a popular and demanded resort – which actually is still the case. For this, it was nicknamed the "Pearl of the Baltic". Apart from a pleasant and relaxing stay, you can be a bit of a treasure hunter here. The fact is that you might be able to find amber on the beach, with the best odds after a strong storm.

The most convenient way to get to Svetlogorsk is by train, which departs from the Kaliningrad-Yuzhny railway station. The journey takes only about an hour.

How to find amber?

There are some simple rules to follow, that might allow you to take a small souvenir from the Baltic Sea coast. First of all, it is best to search for amber after a storm, or when the sea is rough – but be careful of strong current! You could extract amber from the bottom of the sea, but most often the precious stone travels on the edges of waves to fall down on the beach close to the sea – just like where you would expect to find traces of algae carried out by the sea. Lastly, be sure to look very carefully, as amber on the shore is usually not larger than the size of a bean.

How to visit Kaliningrad?

Given the isolation from the main territory of Russia, visiting Kaliningrad may not seem an easy task. In reality, it is not that hard, as you just need to make sure that you have a valid visa for entering Russia. Kaliningrad is actually one of the few regions in Russia that you can visit with an electronic visa. An e-visa is easy to get, but implies that you can only stay in the Kaliningrad region during your stay in the Russian Federation.

The electronic visa to Russia was introduced just in 2017. At the moment it operates in Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg and Vladivostok. It is free of charge and can be obtained by filling out the form on the official website . The processing time is no more than 4 days. It is worth noting though, that such visas are valid only in the specified region of Russia and involve only one entry for a period of 8 days.

In case you would like to see other places in Russia as well, it is better to apply for the standard Russian tourist visa. One important thing to note is that tourist visas are often single-entry. This means that you would have to make sure that you're staying inside the Russian Federation while travelling from Kaliningrad to other parts of Russia – so a short visit to another European city in between, is not a good idea.

Kaliningrad has only one airport, Khrabrovo. After arrival, you can get to the city either by bus 244e, which takes about 45 minutes for a price of around 100 Rubles, or by taxi, which usually takes about 30 minutes for a price around 800 Rubles.

Be totally prepared for Kaliningrad with our Streetwise map

Our maps are a great synthesis of cultural knowledge and tips from locals. Now you no longer need to prepare by reading all kinds of travel guides, or spend hours searching for local gems on forums. The idea is that we have all this collected on our map of Kaliningrad.

By using our unique layers, you will see information displayed on the map which cannot yet be found anywhere else. Be it the nicest markets, the finest green spaces, or the most impressive fortifications of Kaliningrad. If you were wondering where to go for a nice drink with friends, simply select our Bar & Café layer, and the coolest bar areas of Kaliningrad will pop up. Be sure to click on anything you see on the map to get more information.

Find all our layers by simply clicking on the menu, in the top left corner of the Streetwise map of Kaliningrad . Another useful feature of our interactive map is “Extra Streetwise”, which will show up by clicking our logo. There you can find answers on important practical questions such as, how to get from the airport to the city, or can I drink water from the tap in Kaliningrad?

With this article and our free map of Kaliningrad in your pocket, you are sure to be very well prepared for visiting this unique place in Russia. Kaliningrad is probably your most efficient option to meet the Russian culture together with German history. And it is not only the city of Kaliningrad that deserves exploring, as you shouldn’t forget about the wonderful region it is located in, with a fine coastline, old German villages, and perhaps even treasures of amber simply brought to you by the sea.

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