Depending on what you read the Upper Pond, or Oberteich as it was called, is one of the three oldest manmade things in the city. It is believed to date to 1270 when the Teutonic Knights dammed a tributary of the Pregel to create a fishing pond. The pond began to become extremely fashionable in the first half of the 20th century as a new residential district began to grow up along its banks and the new residents attracted cafes, restaurants, bathing houses and marinas for pleasure boats. In 1913 four statues of seals and a walrus were added along its western bank. The work of Hermann Thiele, each figure is supposed to represent one of the human sins of complacency, arrogance, conceit or self-assumption. Following the war only two were still intact, but later renovation work on the pond found the two missing pieces. Today the Upper Pond is the perfect place for a leisurely stroll. You can take your time wandering the 3km path that goes right around the pond, before stopping off in the Prichel restaurant (with its wonderful garden on a pleasant day) or heading into the adjacent Yunost Park with its funfair, boating lake and snack trucks. You’ll also find a skatepark, a children’s playground and plenty of families taking in the air.