Sovetsk (Tilsit)
Home of the Treaty of Tilsit and Tilsiter cheese: the Queen Louise Bridge over the Neman and one of the region’s best-preserved streets.
In 1807 Napoleon and Alexander I met here on a raft in the middle of the Neman.
The portal of the Queen Louise Bridge (1907) is the town’s symbol; Lithuania lies across the river.
The main street keeps many Art Nouveau façades.
Tips
- Border town — carry your ID.
- Try Tilsiter cheese.
- Combine with Chernyakhovsk and Ragnit Castle.
Getting there
About 120 km north-east.
Prices, opening hours and rules change — check official sources before you travel.
Nearby
EastRagnit Castle (Neman)Massive ruins of a Teutonic castle above the Neman — one of the region’s most impressive castles.
EastChernyakhovsk (Insterburg)A 14th-century Teutonic castle, Trakehner horse studs and a quiet historic centre.
Curonian SpitEfa HeightHuge dunes over 60 metres high with views of both the sea and the lagoon — the Baltic’s desert.