History and description

The Kaliningrad Stadium, also known as the Arena Baltika, is a newly opened stadium in the city of Kaliningrad that was built to be one of the playing venues of the 2018 World Cup and the new home of FC Baltika, who previously played at the modest Baltika Stadium. The stadium is a joint venture between Krasnodar Krai and Kaliningrad Oblast governments and was completed in time for the World Cup. These, however, have now been resolved and the stadium is set to open on time. Construction of Kaliningrad Stadium started in September 2015 and is set to open on time. Delays had plagued the project, caused by financial difficulties and the bankruptcy of the company responsible for the design. These have now been resolved, making the stadium opening on schedule.

Initial plans had aimed for a capacity of 45,000 and a retractable roof, but these had to be scaled back to a simpler design with 35,000 seats.

Kaliningrad Stadium finally opened on April 11th, 2018 with a league match between FC Baltika and Krylia Sovetov (1-0).

The Kaliningrad Stadium hosted four first round group matches during the World Cup.

How to get to Kaliningrad Stadium

Kaliningrad Stadium is located just west of central Kaliningrad on Oktyabrsky Island in the Pregolya river. It lies less than 2 kilometers, or 20 minutes walking, from Konigsberg Cathedral, one of Kaliningrad's major landmarks. Central Victory Square, located further north, is located another 1.5 kilometers further away, which will take a little longer than half an hour to walk. Kaliningrad's main railway station is south of the center, about 2 kilometers from the stadium. It's easy to walk there in under 30 minutes, though international trains are slow and rare.

Many buses run through central Kaliningrad connecting Victory Square with Konigsberg Cathedral and the railway station. Bus 40 is an alternative that gets closer, or take tram 5 to Veteranov Emb from where it is only a fifteen minute walk to the stadium.

Address: ul. Solnechnyy bul, Konigsberg, Kaliningrad Oblast

Eat, drink, and sleep near Kaliningrad Stadium

Kaliningrad is a new development on Oktyabrsky Island in the Pregolya River. It is currently still mostly a building site, but will eventually turn into an area of residential units, parks, and quays. Even now, it is only a short walk away to the pleasant area around Konigsberg Cathedral, including a strip along the Pregolya River with a number of restaurants. There are more bars and restaurants up north along Leninskiy Prospekt, the main avenue, leading up to Victory Square.

There are no hotels immediately adjacent to Kaliningrad Stadium, but a variety of apartments can be found in the residential neighbourhood nearby. The best rated hotels in the vicinity are the Kaiserhof Hotel and Skipper Hotel on the Pregolya Riverbank near Konigsberg Cathedral.

If you're looking for a hotel in the city centre, Kaliningrad Hotel and ibis Kaliningrad Center are both good options. There are a few more hotels in the city, but overall Kaliningrad isn't packed with hotels. Apartment rentals can be a good alternative though.

Looking for hotels near Kaliningrad Stadium? We've got you covered! Here are some hotels near the stadium that will fit your needs.

FC Baltika Tickets

Tickets for FC Baltika games can be bought online, or in person at the club office at stadium or club store at Europe Shopping Mall (??????? ?????) in Kaliningrad's city centre. Tickets for the main stand can cost from RUB 200 to RUB 700. The best seats for watching the game are generally found behind the goal, but there are also a few seats in the stands up front for around RUB 300.

Useful websites

The official website of FC Baltika Kaliningrad and Visit-kaliningrad.ru are both dedicated to providing tourist information about Kaliningrad. Photo credits: © Dmitry Rozhkov