The president is resting here and that says it all. Of course, he does this not on the beach itself in Pionersky, Kaliningrad region, but in the state residence, which is adjacent to the beach strip.
On the other hand, the beach in Pionersky is limited by the port, but there is still enough space left. The total length of the recreation area is about a kilometer. At the top there is a concrete promenade, which is perfect for long walks.
Pionersky is less popular than other resort towns in the Kaliningrad region - Svetlogorsk or Zelenogradsk. For vacationers, this is a big advantage, since there are few people on the beach even at the height of the tourist season.
© Svetlana Kochetkova
Improvement of the beach in Pionersky
The Pionersky authorities hope that in the future their resort will be able to receive the Blue Flag, an award given to the best beaches in the world. In the meantime, numerous improvement concepts are put forward every year, but there is no single solution.
However, even without modernization, you can have a good rest on the beach in Pionersky. For this, everything you need is here. There are changing cabins, not the traditional type for domestic beach areas, but with doors and a roof. The latter is needed to hide the interior space from those walking along the promenade.
There are about a dozen wooden sun loungers in the central part of the beach. They are free for vacationers, but during the season they are definitely not enough for everyone. There are umbrellas above the sunbeds. However, you shouldn’t count on serious sun protection here - they are too small for that.
© Yuri Varakin
There is a shower and toilet. There is also no need to pay for their use. The first one is located next to the rescue station, and to use the second one, you need to go up to the boardwalk. There is no need to look for drinking water fountains in Pionersky yet - perhaps this necessary addition will appear during landscaping later. But there is a stand with weather data that displays air, water and wind speed temperatures.
The cleanliness of the beach is monitored. Along its entire length there are trash cans that are emptied regularly.
Transport and how to get there
From Kaliningrad to the city of Pionersky it is just over 40 kilometers; travel time on a free highway can literally take about half an hour or 40 minutes. There is also a railway station in the city and electric trains run to Kaliningrad. Pionersky is also connected to neighboring cities by bus and train services.
Accordingly, there are three options to get to Pionersky: by rail, by bus or by car. The schedule for all types of transport can be checked with the bot in the telegram @KenigGuidebot.
Railway
You can get there by electric train from the Northern and Southern stations of Kaliningrad.
The schedule can also be checked with the bot in the telegram @KenigGuidebot, on the website of the Kaliningrad Suburban Passenger Company or on the official website of Russian Railways. In addition to Kaliningrad, Pionersky is also connected by rail with Zelenogradsk and Svetlogorsk.
Bus service
Bus number 119 runs quite regularly from Kaliningrad to Pionersky. The final stop in Kaliningrad is the South Station, and in Pionersky the railway station. In Kaliningrad, the bus route goes through the city and stops in the center at the stops "Hotel Kaliningrad" and "Northern Station".
Buses run quite regularly according to the schedule (you can check it with the telegram bot @KenigGuidebot or on the bus station website).
You need to keep in mind that on weekends and especially during the season, transport can be very busy (a large number of people want to go to the sea). Accordingly, if you travel by bus or electric train, you may end up in a situation where you have to travel while standing.
And in a separate article, read how to get to Kaliningrad from greater Russia.
Car or taxi
If you rent a car or a taxi, then the question of how to get there comes down to choosing the route. That is, across the highway to Zelenogradsk and past Kulikovo, or through Pereyaslavskoye, like bus 119.
The cost needs to be clarified. There are federal taxi operators, so there is a choice.
Baltika, seagulls, Pionersky
Climate and ecology in Pionersky
The climate is temperate, transitional from temperate maritime to temperate continental. The seasons of the year are well defined. Spring and autumn seasons are pronounced, with mild winters (mostly without severe frosts) and relatively cool summers (sometimes hot weather). Due to the proximity of the sea, the air is quite humid.
Average air temperatures correspond to climatic data for Kaliningrad. Overall moderately warm. In summer the swimming season opens.
Swimming season in Pionersky
Swimming in the Baltic Sea is usually comfortable from July to the end of August. In September the water may be warmer than in June. The warmest water is in August (warms up to 18° Celsius). It can be higher (depending on summer).
Accessible environment
The Kaliningrad region is one of the few regions of Russia that is massively equipping beaches for people with disabilities. So in Pionersky there is a ramp leading from the promenade to the beach. Closer to the water, it turns into a smooth boardwalk that goes to the surf line.
However, it is located at the very edge of the beach, which is not always convenient for people in wheelchairs. Some vacationers even compare this part of the coast to a paddock.
© Irina D.
Location
The city of Pionersky is located on the shores of the Baltic Sea, not far from Svetlogorsk (about 5 kilometers). So close that one day in December we even walked from Pionersky to Svetlogorsk; you can read about this walk in the corresponding article.
Pionersky itself is quite small. Officially, 11.3 thousand people live in Pionersky (statistics as of January 1, 2018). The city's population has been gradually decreasing since 2014. An interesting difference from neighboring Svetlogorsk. An interesting fact: in 2014, more residents lived in Pionersky than in Svetlogorsk.
Before the Second World War, there was a quiet and calm German resort town of Neukuren (emphasis on the “u”). It is in Pionersky that one of the government residences, or as they sometimes say, the presidential dacha, is located. From the shore, from a pine forest or from the road, everything is clearly visible.
Pionersky is located in a small bay of the Baltic Sea with a sandy beach. This probably creates a special microclimate. The air here is light, and the town itself seems calm and in no hurry.
Streets of Pionersky
Shore
The beach in Pionersky is sandy. You shouldn’t expect a perfectly flat surface here—during the storm season, the waves hit the shore with force and erode the area.
Moderate amounts of seaweed are regularly thrown onto the sand. However, along with some inconveniences, they also offer vacationers an interesting leisure option - you can search in the mud and even find small pieces of amber.
The sand in Pionerskoye is very fine and almost white. It’s especially pleasant to walk here barefoot on a warm day. Or play beach volleyball - there are two courts with nets for this.
The entrance to the sea is gentle, there are practically no stones for days. The beach in Pionerskoye is perfect for children's recreation.
The bulk of vacationers are concentrated in the port area, but an unpleasant odor can sometimes appear here. In another part of the beach closer to the residence it is not felt.
© Vladimir Akishin
Sosnovy Bor Park
The Sosnovy Bor landscape and park complex stretches along the sea coast within the city, from Cape Gvardeysky and further to the neighboring village of Zaostrovye. This picturesque corner of wildlife has existed as a well-maintained cultural and recreation park since pre-war times. It gives guests the opportunity to enjoy the singing of birds and feed squirrels in the shade of pine alleys; Inhaling the fresh pine air, sit down with a cup of coffee in a cozy forest cafe. There is a descent to the promenade and to the sea.
Sosnovy Bor Park.
Nowadays, the territory of Sosnovy Bor Park has been reconstructed. Additional plants were planted, new walking paths were laid, playgrounds and sports grounds were equipped, lanterns and benches were installed, directly from which you can admire the sea views. In winter you can ski and ice skate here.
Entertainment
The beach in Pionersky is not the place to go for entertainment. It is more suitable for leisurely walks and family holidays. Traditional entertainment like catamarans and water “bananas” will not be found here.
There are benches on the boardwalk, and tables and benches with a roof on the sand. Here you can comfortably sit down for a picnic with an excellent view of the sea “in the front row”.
Along the edge of the beach, a pier extends into the sea - one of the longest in the region. It's worth a walk there for the excellent views. Local residents use it for fishing and rarely complain about the lack of bite.
Another local entertainment is viewing and photographing ships heading to the port. You can get interesting and varied photos.
Prussian echoes on Komsomolskaya, Armyskaya, Dachnaya and Parkovaya
Komsomolskaya Street has preserved most of the old German villas. By the way, after the war there were 90 villas in Pionerskoye ; by the mid-2010s, only 10-12 had survived . Probably not all the villas should have been preserved, but some were worthy of continuing to live. Such an undeservedly buried villa was located opposite the sanatorium. Now in its place stands a two-story red house with an overhanging second floor. A “tasty” place is a tasteless building.
Komsomolskaya stretches from the station to the residence of the President of the Russian Federation, where it intersects with Pionerskaya and Shamanova streets - in fact, until the exit from the city towards Zaostrovye. In 2015, all communications under the paving stones were replaced, and the pattern of German masonry was restored by craftsmen from St. Petersburg. The people of St. Petersburg almost “fell into the picture,” although if you don’t know...
That's how it was. The suspension of the German car liked the German masonry better.
