King Friedrich Wilhelm I Fort, Kaliningrad, Russia

The King Friedrich Wilhelm I Fort (Fort Nr. 3), originally known as Quednau, was the largest fort of Königsberg fortification system. The fort was situated at the top of a height and surrounded by dry ditch. There were embrasures for defensive fire. In time of Kongsberg Storm the Fort was of severe resistance. Garrison remains was captured on the 9th of April 1945. After the WWII there was the army division in the Fort. Archeologists have found more than 30 000 objects from the ex- museum “Prussia”, when the division left.

References:

Kaliningrad City

Castles and fortifications in Russia

User Reviews

Alvis Bāliņš (2 years ago)
One of the most complete such structures in baltics... Lots of potential as future main destination object. Good access. Not so many parking spaces.

Artyom Semyonov (2 years ago)
It's empty and neglected. Very few items that this place has on display are literally disintegrating or under a thick layer of dust/dirt. This place could be so much more, but as Nov 2018 it's miserable and forlorn.

Clever Carrot (2 years ago)
Unlike the 11th, this fort took a heavy beating so a large chunk of it is still closed to the public. There are however several rooms depicting different eras in the history of this complex: German history and the story of how it was taken by Soviet army. You can take an audio guide with you if you wish to. Also, sometimes administration organizes historical reconstruction events. I'd like to see more areas opened in the future.

Ali Qazi (2 years ago)
A very historic place. If you're in Kaliningrad you must visit this place.

Nikola Dokic (2 years ago)
Place that connects history of Prussian Empire and WWII you are able to visit every corner of the fortress to read about history during the Nazi occupation or to enjoy in the magnificent view of inside maze or outside nature, trees and ponds, definitely worth visiting it while you are in Kaliningrad!!!

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Makser

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Derbent Fortress

Derbent is the southernmost city in Russia, occupying the narrow gateway between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains connecting the Eurasian steppes to the north and the Iranian Plateau to the south. Derbent claims to be the oldest city in Russia with historical documentation dating to the 8th century BCE. Due to its strategic location, over the course of history, the city changed ownership many times, particularly among the Persian, Arab, Mongol, Timurid, Shirvan and Iranian kingdoms.

Derbent has archaeological structures over 5,000 years old. As a result of this geographic peculiarity, the city developed between two walls, stretching from the mountains to the sea. These fortifications were continuously employed for a millennium and a half, longer than any other extant fortress in the world.

A traditionally and historically Iranian city, the first intensive settlement in the Derbent area dates from the 8th century BC. The site was intermittently controlled by the Persian monarchs, starting from the 6th century BC. Until the 4th century AD, it was part of Caucasian Albania which was a satrap of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. In the 5th century Derbent functioned as a border fortress and the seat of Sassanid Persians. Because of its strategic position on the northern branch of the Silk Route, the fortress was contested by the Khazars in the course of the Khazar-Arab Wars. In 654, Derbent was captured by the Arabs.

The Sassanid fortress does not exist any more, as the famous Derbent fortress as it stands today was built from the 12th century onward. Derbent became a strong military outpost and harbour of the Sassanid empire. During the 5th and 6th centuries, Derbent also became an important center for spreading the Christian faith in the Caucasus.

The site continued to be of great strategic importance until the 19th century. Today the fortifications consist of two parallel defence walls and Naryn-Kala Citadel. The walls are 3.6km long, stretching from the sea up to the mountains. They were built from stone and had 73 defence towers. 9 out of the 14 original gates remain.

In Naryn-Kala Citadel most of the old buildings, including a palace and a church, are now in ruins. It also holds baths and one of the oldest mosques in the former USSR.

In 2003, UNESCO included the old part of Derbent with traditional buildings in the World Heritage List.

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