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Echoes of an old Prussian seacoast

Kaliningrad On the Beach

When the Soviets occupied Kaliningrad after defeating Nazi Germany in World War II, they acquired not only the city of Kaliningrad, but also a string of sleepy Prussian beach resorts stretching for miles along the Baltic Sea coastline. Those old towns, Yantarny (the former resort of Palmniken), Svetlogorsk (Rauschen), and Zelenogradsk (Kranz), to this day, retain a faint whiff of Prussian charm and exclusivity, even as Russian families crowd the beaches for their brief, well-deserved annual dip in the sea. I had the pleasure of traveling along this coast early last summer (just before swimming season) on assignment for Lonely Planet.

I’m on a vacation of my own this week, so instead of a piece of text, I’m posting photos of the trip in the hope at least some of the area's lingering beauty comes through in the images (scroll past the map for more photos).

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About the author

Mark Baker

I’m an independent journalist and travel writer who’s lived in Central Europe for more than two decades. I love the history, literature, culture, and mystery of this often-overlooked corner of Europe, and I make my living writing articles and guidebooks about the region. Much of what I write eventually finds its way into commercial print or digital outlets, but a lot of it does not.

That's my aim with this travel website: to find a space for stories and experiences that fall outside the publishing mainstream.

You’ll find a mix of stories here. Some will be familiar “what to see and do” travel articles on particular destinations. Others will be tales of “adventure” (usually with a comic twist) from life on the road. I'll also share tips about living in my adopted hometown of Prague and stories from a more-distant (but seemingly ever-present) past, when Central Europe was the “Eastern bloc” and I was a full-time journalist trying my best to cover it. I hope you enjoy.

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Contact

I am always open to new projects. If you'd like to hire me as a writer or editor, or simply wish to find out more, please contact me directly.
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© 2017 Mark Baker
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Tales of Travel & Adventure in Central Europe
Mark Baker