'Fish Village' to Become Major Tourist Attraction in Kaliningrad

A project to set up a 'Fish Village' has been discussed today at a meeting of Kaliningrad's town planning committee. According to the press service of the Mayor's office, the project has been drawn up by the Project Financing Company.

The project's authors want the 'Fish Village' to be located on the banks of the river Pregol and to become the city's ethnographic and craft centre, which will both attract tourists and become a popular destination for Kaliningrad residents themselves. The village, which will have a total area of 50,000 square metres, will be made up of small old-fashioned buildings. The buildings will contain fish and souvenir shops and stalls, smokehouses, wine cellars, fish restaurants, bars, cafes, discos, business premises, company offices, hotels and museums. The surrounding area will be cleaned up and a pedestrian bridge will be built across the Pregol.

The project will require about USD 45-47 million in investment, and should break even within 5 years. The company already has provisional agreements with Russian and foreign investors on financing for the project. The first stage of the village should be up and running by 2005.