Kaliningrad has many old forts and ramparts. Konigsberg was a fortress city. But only a couple have been restored.

Some of the old gates, like the Sackheim gate above, don’t really lend themselves to happy snaps or history rambles. Which is a pity, since the whole of the Litovsky Val - formerly Litauer Valstraat - has many fine examples of the fortifications constructed in 1850.

Surviving sections of the ramparts have been variously converted into things like petrol stations, garages and night clubs, so it simply isn’t possible to wander round the back - or moat and drawbridge side - of many. The courtyard of the Fortress Caserne Kroonprins - largely intact - is a hang out for junkies and alkies.

Probably the best way to see Konigsberg’s ‘Monuments Of Defensive Architecture’ is not to visit Kaliningrad at all but to buy the beautifully produced book (in English) of the same name by Veniamin Eremeev.

ISBN number is 5-902949-07-6

The rear of the Sackheim is accessible, but the drawbridge is long gone