Events at the Koenig Gate

The halls in the Grand Embassy historical and cultural centre in the Koenig Gate are ready to welcome eminent guests, wedding ceremonies, musical evenings, fancy dress parties and children’s birthday celebrations. Here, in the medieval atmosphere, unbelievable meetings and events take place! Parking is available.

Sizes: 70 m², 90 m², 50 m², number of people: 60-80.

Unforgettable wedding

Newlyweds are invited to the Koenig Gate to write an entry in the Book of Love, a handwritten chronicle of sweethearts. And the famous Prussian Cat, guardian of the Koenig Gate, will greet you and watch over your marriage union forever. A solemn ceremony and handling of the commemorative marriage certificate can be photographed and filmed. Each couple gets a separate personal page in the book. You can always come to the Koenig Gate, see your page and remember your feelings on your wedding day. You can also write something new. The first nine records in the one-of-a-kkind Book of Love were made on February 14, 2009, St. Valentine’s Day. This worthy tradition has been carried on by other newlyweds from Kaliningrad and the region.

School of royal manners

Here, at the Koenig Gate, you can study business and high-society etiquette, good manners and communication tips; learn how to meet people, travel and receive guests; acquire new knowledge and the skills necessary for family and everyday life. Lessons are given by specialists from the “Evropejsky Format” School (Saint-Petersburg).

Birthday at the Koenig Gate

The Koenig Gate is a magic place filled with sounds and amazing stories, riddles and secrets of the old town! Your child can travel in time, meet historical characters, visit the epoch of knights and Peter I, take part in breathtaking games and competitions and meet the Prussian Cat, keeper of the key to the city.

We are looking forward to seeing you and your children at the gate of the old city that is forever young!

Long Sausage Festival

The Museum of the World Ocean has revived one of the favourite Prussian festivals – the Long Sausage Festival. It dates back to 1520. That year, for the first time, Koenigsberg butchers marched around the city with a 41-cubit sausage (app. 16 meters). Each year, the sausage was getting longer and longer (and maybe even tastier too). In 1525, the length of this meat delicacy was already 100 cubits (app. 40 meters), in 1535 – 203 cubits (app. 100 meters). In 1540 – 302 cubits, in 1558 – 403 cubits, and in 1601, butchers amazed Europe with a 1005-cubit sausage. This culinary masterpiece was cooked from 81 hams, 18 pounds of pepper (7,3 kg) and demanded the work of three cooks and 87 apprentices. No wonder this festival was so enjoyable. Accompanied by music, 103 apprentices in festal dress carried an 885-pound sausage (401 kg). They sighed with relief when they arrived at the duke's courtyard and presented a 130-culbit sausage part to their suzerain as a new year’s gift. Then they carried the rest of the sausage through the three towns (Kneiphof, Loebenicht and Altstadt) where they gifted some of it to three burgomasters, three brewers and three priests. The procession finished near the bakers’ victualling-house in Loebenicht where the rest of the sausage was a treat for butchers, bakers and citizens. There was surely a lot of the famous Loebenicht beer, merry-making and dancing.

Prussian Cat Week

Every year in late February-early March the Koenig Gate invites everybody to Prussian Cat’s Week. The Prussian cat is one of the symbols of Koenigsberg. According to legend it is a native of this city and a descendant of ancient Prussian cats. It serves in remembrance of the Prussians and the foundation of the Koenigsberg Castle and now is a keeper of the keys to the city. When the town was seized by enemies all the locals left. Dogs followed people. Only cats welcomed liberators in the streets after the fierce fighting. A sculpture of the Prussian Cat is presented at the Koenig Gate and, according to legend, brings good luck. The sculpture was created by Ludmila Bogatova in accordance with an old picture. Events of the Prussian Cat Week promote this regional brand and are mainly for children. Quizzes, cat shows, concerts and competitions are held throughout the week.