Tips for those who do not know where to go on vacation in Russia in winter: from the north to the sub-tropics. A selection of interesting options.
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Veliky Ustyug
The most obvious option where to go in Russia in winter 2018-2019 is Veliky Ustyug. Even if you don’t believe in him for a long time, it’s quite interesting to visit the patrimony of Santa Claus, not only on New Year’s, but in any other winter month. Veliky Ustyug has a rich history, and if the New Year's hype is not interesting, then go explore the ancient churches and monasteries of the city. Here you can also buy souvenirs and jewelry: earlier the city was known for the fact that its masters were engaged in blackening on silver and painting on birch bark.
It is not for nothing that Veliky Novgorod is called the father of Russian cities. This is one of the oldest Russian cities - and one of the most beautiful. This independent city with a turbulent and rich history has preserved the monuments of ancient Russian architecture of the pre-Mongol period, which are protected by UNESCO.
Velikiy Novgorod. Photo © ANTONъ / flickr.com
gold ring
Where else to go in the winter of 2018-2018 in Russia? We recommend the Golden Ring, which includes Sergiev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov the Great, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Suzdal and Vladimir. This is a route for at least a week: the number of architectural and cultural monuments in these ancient cities of Russia, once large centers of folk crafts, is off the charts. The Trinity-Sergius Lavra in Sergiev Posad, the Suzdal Kremlin, the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir - in general, you can write a separate article about this. You can stay in one city and visit neighboring ones, or you can move from city to city.
St. Petersburg
Saint Isaac's Cathedral. Photo © nironadsu / flickr.com
Kazan
Moscow
Another obvious answer to the question of where to go in Russia in winter 2018-2019 is Moscow. The capital, like St. Petersburg, boasts a huge number of attractions. In winter, there are also fewer tourists and a lot of space for those who prefer to admire paintings, sculptures and other works of art and culture in solitude and without interference.
Useful articles about Moscow:
- Where to eat deliciously in Moscow (and also inexpensively)?
GUM. Photo © feel-the-silence / flickr.com
Sochi
Karelia
Karelia is simply charming in winter. Picturesque nature, clean air, peace and quiet ... You can ride dog sleds and snowmobiles, visit Kizhi and other churches, as well as see the Kivach waterfall. An excellent option is to rent a small house in Karelia and relax with your family from the bustle of the city.
The long New Year holidays in recent years have become like an additional vacation for Russians. With all that it implies - visits to Milan or Paris, vouchers to Egypt or Thailand, or, in extreme cases, pokatushki in the direction of close and inexpensive Ukraine and Belarus. This year, the alignment has radically changed: Europe has become too expensive, vouchers are also becoming more expensive, and tour operators go bankrupt faster than tourists have time to return to their homeland. Ukraine is now not the most welcoming place for Russians, and in Belarus, due to the weakening of the ruble, it is no longer so cheap. What remains is the beautiful endless Russia and
Where to go
Russia, however, is for New Year's holidays. If you aim towards the sea, then there is no point in expecting the same warm beach holiday as in Turkey on our coasts. In addition, post-Olympic Sochi is far from affordable for every citizen, and on the way to Crimea you can get stuck on. Surprising as it may seem at first glance, the Far North is best suited for a January trip. And if so, you need to enjoy it to the maximum.
One of the most interesting destinations is Murmansk, the Kola and Rybachy peninsulas. The landscapes are fabulous in their severity, the opportunity to see the magical northern lights in January (much cheaper than in neighboring Norway), and the sea is also here, however, White and cold.
Karelia, which, fortunately, we managed to preserve, is amazingly beautiful at any time of the year. In winter - especially. The second alternative to the west and south direction is the east. Of course, not for 10,000 kilometers, 11 holidays will not be enough for this, but within 2000-2500 - the distance to the Ural Mountains fits into this run. But if a very long road, especially in winter, frightens or the presence of children does not allow serious marches, the best solution is to take a ride to Veliky Ustyug. The distance of 1000 kilometers, especially if you plan to stop for rest, "adult" children will endure calmly - just cook for them. Near Veliky Ustyug there is the official patrimony of Father Frost with a whole fabulous town, where a lot of fun events and shows will take place during the New Year's holidays.
Even closer to Ulyanovsk - less than 900 kilometers: this route is a portal
A winter trip by car in Russia is even somewhat more pleasant than summer trips, since the roads hidden by snow are softer and smoother than summer potholes, and you can hardly find mud in northern directions. Owners of diesel cars have only to be careful - take into account the lack of high-quality fuel at distant gas stations and take diesel fuel additives with them. And to everyone -
What to have fun with
In the northern and northeastern directions, snow and winter weather are guaranteed. This means that you can count on skiing, including mountain skiing (although Russian ski resorts are not yet as comfortable and comfortable as foreign ones, but what if the crisis will serve as a good stimulus for development?), Skates and sledges. The abundance of rivers and lakes will provide winter fishing and hunting. Where to spend the night Because of the constant "swing" with exchange rates, the owners of hotels and recreation centers cannot decide what is more important for them - confident and calm guests or profit. Now, when ordering a hotel, the price for a room can change - naturally, upward, and literally in a day. You have to be ready for this. You don't have to book at your own risk
Advice from Ekaterina Fedotova, host of the Moscow and the Environs program, on where to go in Russia in winter.
There are so many interesting things near Moscow! And these are not empty words, this is verified. And, of course, everyone will have their own impressions, everyone will have different photographs, but the feeling of a traveler is unchanging and worth a lot. Traveling around Russia means understanding everyone who meets you, being able to read in their eyes how this person treats you, what he expects from you, it means not being afraid that they will cheat you on a dubious excursion or feed you nonsense, they will simply treat you as a piece of tourist meat (roughly? but figuratively). We have such an interesting country, and sometimes we repulse it so subtly that you cannot find fault. And the country is beautiful, wise, generous and kind. What do they say about the New Year? "How do you meet, so do you"? But what if you spend it in wisdom and beauty?
Ride from the mountains near Moscow
You can go to ski resorts without even knowing how to ski. Although there are those that are suitable exclusively for "gurney". "Stepanovo" - I do not argue, for feats. But it is also convenient to learn the very basics here. There are slides for beginners. True, sometimes it is not easy to get to the base. There are often traffic jams at the entrance due to the narrow road. But there are Volen and Yakhroma, generally similar in infrastructure, where priority is given not even to skiing, but just a good winter rest: just like that, to go out on the slope in the morning, take, for example, a “tube” and go with a squeal down, and in the evening, sipping hot cocoa in one of the local cafe-restaurants, admire how selfless heroes make their turns on skis and boards in the light of the lights (the pros, by the way, say that the slides here are ridiculous, and the lifts are not painfully comfortable, drag - you probably know what it is). Even in Balashikha - "Fox Mountain", you can also go there, the regulars praise.
Learn to kite on Pleshcheevo Lake
Continuing the theme of outdoor activities: you can try something new for yourself, such as a kite. This type of recreation is suitable for any time of the year, but in winter it acquires an extraordinary charm thanks to the white frosty fields, the pure breath of the wind, which literally take you to a fairy tale. There is no fear of choking on the water, as in summer (after all, in warm weather, kiters mostly wield on lakes or seas). True, you can unknowingly bruise yourself, but this is already the cost of almost any sport. And in order to get off with minimal losses, find where the people are professionally engaged in this. On the Pleshcheyevo Lake, for example, there is a group of children who are happy to teach anyone and have shown their class more than once in international competitions.
Buy a ticket to Kostroma
In general, winter recreation does not have to be sports. Buy a ticket to Kostroma! Especially if you are going to travel with children. And you will delight them, and you yourself will be touched: after all, this is Kostroma. There is her tower. True, during the New Year period, it is overcrowded with visitors, so you need to sign up for excursions. Seriously, when I entered there, I realized what I missed so much in my childhood! All these fairy-tale characters are real, kind, human, and not stupidly doing their job. The Snow Maiden herself is now advanced, sits on social networks, answers letters from fans. And also Kostroma is the flax capital of Russia! There is so much of this flax! The lowest prices that I personally came across were, oddly enough, in the Museum of Flax and the Museum of Wooden Architecture. In the second (for doll lovers, note), in any case, last year it was possible to buy a Tilda doll not for 1000 or more, as in Moscow, but for 500 rubles. And the performance is brilliant. The same is about all kinds of backpacks-trousers in the linen museum - inexpensive and decent.
Go to the bathhouse
For many, rest is complete solitude, such that without the sounds of civilization, with a bathhouse and heart-to-heart talk. I know that in Kimry there is a recreation center "Kolkunovo", where roosters crow in the morning, and wolves howl at night. At first, it even becomes creepy (ask if you are there, are there really wolves - the answer will frighten and interest you at the same time). Not far from Moscow - in the direction of Mozhaisk, a little further - there is the Vankovo eco-farm. It will be a pleasure to celebrate the New Year there! Since the hosts are very family, the welcome will be very warm. They will play with the children, drink fresh milk, and even teach you how to milk a cow or a goat, treat you with handmade sour cream and ice cream, and let you go fishing. All this is included in the price of the stay (and meals several times a day). And everyday life is in chic wooden interiors, which more resemble not huts, but teremki. True, people sign up there for a long time, so the availability of vacancies for these holidays should be clarified. Another of the secluded places is in Myshkin "Creative Dacha", its academicians built for their rest and periodically let tourists live there. The dacha, however, is within the city limits, but very nice. Two houses, with a bathhouse, barbecue. And shops (if you suddenly need anything) within walking distance.
Adopt a bison
Do you like communicating with nature? Go to the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve to watch bison! You can also take a walk in the winter forest, take many beautiful pictures and eat a rich soup (yes, I'm always talking about food: well, I like to try local treats, I can't do anything). And finally, for the most not indifferent there is an opportunity to adopt a bison! Yes, you may have your own animal: of course, you do not need to take it home, the responsibilities of the adoptive parent include financial support in the maintenance and visit more often: your own cub after all.
Take a pilgrimage
For pilgrimage, Zvenigorod with its Savvino-Storozhevsky monastery, again Kostroma and the Ipatyevsky monastery, are good, in Dubrovitsy there is a stunning Znamenskaya church (built in the Italian Baroque style, above - a crown). There is an amazing place in Sergiev Posad - Gremyachiy Klyuch. It's almost impossible to get there through mud and snow, except perhaps by an all-terrain vehicle! But you should visit there at least once, so that something clicked in your head, turned over, surprised with new truths. If somewhere there is a complete reassessment of the world and oneself in this world, it is here - at the waterfall of St. Sergius of Radonezh. You can doubt, you can remain a skeptic until the last moment, but once you have tried this water (and even if you don’t believe that it can cure something), you will return to yourself. The main thing here is not to get confused and remember this moment, this feeling in order to return to it from time to time as needed. It will come in handy in the capital.
For lovers of tasty things, a good direction is Pokrov. And not even because Pokrovsky chocolate has always been on the lips since childhood. By the way, chocolate is not easy in this city these days (although there is also a special museum that glorifies this sweetness). But Pokrovskaya gingerbread is something incredible! They are not at all the same as the Tula ones: more tender, with condensed milk. In an inconspicuous shop behind a gas station, almost at the exit from the city (to the right of the road), you can buy fresh ones and immediately drink tea with them (tea from bags, however, water from a cooler, but this is not the main thing). And also quite by chance we discovered the cafe "Oleg's". In it, pasta costs about a hundred rubles, and mushroom puree soup - about 70 rubles.
Where to go? No, the question is different: what to choose from a great variety of options. Now let's quickly estimate at least a dozen.
Give by hand
Why not consider the cities of the Golden Ring? Sergiev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Suzdal, Vladimir. This is a classic version of small tourism. All these cities are located at a short distance from Moscow (maximum 350 km), they are used to guests, and if you wish, you can drive all eight in three or four days, even with a family, with children, without denying yourself long stops, sightseeing, purchasing souvenirs.
A lot of impressions are guaranteed. Indeed, in every city you can stay for a long time, take a walk, see enough sights, taste local treats and even mead. With a certain diligence, it will be possible to book accommodation even during the New Year's holidays, although prices are inflated at this time. Of course, you will have to spend time studying the offers on some aggregator site. But the choice of a hotel or a private house for rent turns out to be an exciting experience. In the absence of places for accommodation in the city itself, I advise you to look in the suburbs or even the nearest villages. Most likely, there will be places there. Traveling 30-50 km by car is not such a problem, but it will be calmer in a private house in the village. And possibly cheaper.
Couldn't find options on the Golden Ring, or have you seen everything? Why not expand your geography? And not to go, for example, to the City of Craftsmen Tulu? From Moscow - 180 km along a good road, only 2.5-3 hours drive. And in the center of the city there are a lot of interesting museums, a freshly restored Kremlin. There are a lot of tourists, but so far less than in the same Yaroslavl and Vladimir. Hotels for every taste and budget. For a country walk, you can go to Yasnaya Polyana, the estate of L.N. Tolstoy. Only from December 31 to January 2, and on the 7th, at Christmas, the museum is closed, on other days it is waiting for guests. By the way, the Yasnaya Polyana brand produces delicious gingerbread cookies with a variety of fillings that do not stale for a long time. Another option is Old Tula gingerbread. In addition to tea (which is correct to drink for a long time and from a samovar, at least an electric one), you need to take Belev's pastille and Suvorov's sweets.
And on the way to Tula or on the way home, you can drop by in Polenovo, the estate of the artist Vasily Polenov (Tula region, Zaoksky district, p / o Strakhovo). Open from 11 am to 6 pm, days off - Monday and Tuesday. Horseback riding is offered.
At the same distance from Moscow, 180 km, just to the east, is Ryazan - also an ancient city founded in the XI century, beautiful, with a lot of sights. It is strange that he was not included in the same Golden Ring. However, this saves the city from an avalanche of tourists. And here, less than 30 km from the city, there is its own literary Mecca - the village of Konstantinovo, the birthplace of the poet Sergei Yesenin, beautiful at any time of the year. From 2 to 8 January, there will be a variety of New Year and Christmas programs for children and their parents, for example, "Bilbock da Brykalka". What it is? But go and find out.
A trip to Ryazan and Konstantinovo can be supplemented by a visit to Zaraisk, a 12th century town with its own Kremlin, many monasteries and cathedrals. In addition, here, in the very center of the city, there is an ancient settlement of people of the Paleolithic era, which is simply called "Zaraiskaya site". From the Moscow Kremlin to the Zaraisk one along the M4 highway - 178 km.
137 km south-west of Moscow - Tarusa, a city first mentioned in the chronicles of 1246, a favorite of musicians, artists and poets. Marina Tsvetaeva lived here, there is her house-museum, a monument to the poetess stands on the Oka embankment. In 2013, a monument to Bella Akhmadulina (the work of her husband Boris Messerer) was also erected over the Oka. It's a pity that the house-museum of Konstantin Georgievich Paustovsky, a great writer, before whom Marlene Dietrich, Remarque's muse, was adored, is rarely open. The famous actress was once struck by Paustovsky's "Telegram", read to her in German. Read or re-read in Russian. And, of course, Tarusa is associated with the "buoykeeper's house" by Svyatoslav Teofilovich Richter, the great pianist.
To the East
But why are we all circling around Moscow? Maybe you are ready to go further away? Say, 400-500 kilometers? Such a drive in a good car is easy even in winter, even with children. Why not go, for example, to Nizhny Novgorod? Even if you were there, but many years ago, the current state of the historical center will pleasantly surprise you. You will walk along the restored Kremlin, stand over the Volga on the Chkalovskaya stairs, walk along Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, cross the river on a funicular. This is a must-see program for visiting Nizhny Novgorod. The city is interesting both in itself and in its surroundings. Yes, and you can see something along the way. For example, Shorin's house in Gorokhovets and the monumental five-domed cathedral opposite. Yes, the same ancient Vladimir, one of the cities of the Golden Ring. Nearby - Bogolyubovo, where the famous Church of the Intercession on the Nerl stands. If the navigator offers to go around Vladimir by the side, do not agree. Better to organize an overnight stay there.
Nizhny Novgorod can be made as an intermediate point on the way to Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan. From Moscow it is 812 km. The city is interesting for its combination of Asian and European cultures, antiquity and modernity. There are a lot of sights and beauty. Many of them were created for the Universiade held here three years ago.
And how many different delicious dishes in Kazan! Having tasted everything, even getting up from the table is difficult. So if you decide to go to Kazan, plan to live in the city for at least three days. And on the way there or from there, be sure to look into Sviyazhsk, founded under Ivan the Terrible - a town reminiscent of Kitezhgrad and Lukomorye from the story "Monday begins on Saturday" by the Strugatsky brothers. The only thing I want to warn about is that in Tatarstan you need to be an overdisciplined driver, to follow the rules of the road as much as possible. Local traffic police officers are especially attentive to visitors.
To the west
It has its own classics - Seliger and Valdai, about 372 and 392 km by car. There are plenty of recreation centers, private houses and cottages for rent. I just (December 19) checked the accommodation in Ostashkov and Valdai, there are options in hotels, boarding houses, guest houses.
You can go to brotherly Belarus (Belarus). Prices for hotels and food are reasonable, there are many interesting places. And not only in the capital. Mir and Nesvizh castles, numerous churches and monasteries. Whether to visit the Brest Fortress and Khatyn - decide at the family council. Everyone needs to see them at least once in order to better understand the horror of war, but a heavy impression remains. It may be worth making a separate trip there, and it may be the topic of your next trip to Belarus, which you will surely enjoy. No visas are needed, the road is straight and good, from Moscow to Minsk is only 713 km. What you should take care of is to get a “green card” on time, a foreign type of OSAGO. You can even arrange it in Moscow or buy it in one of the many stalls in front of the border.
What if you have a passport with an open Schengen visa? In mid-December, one of his colleagues unexpectedly announced that he would drive with his wife in a car to the Baltic States, visit Riga and Tallinn. Of course, this is a greater distance, and the customs post on the border will have to go a little longer, but the Baltic cities look surprisingly cute in snowy weather. New Year and Christmas mood is guaranteed. As a bait - a few photos of Christmas Riga.
No? No foreign countries? Only domestic? In the same western direction there are ancient Pskov, Izborsk and Pechory, full of fortresses, temples and monasteries. Along the way, you can visit the Pushkin Mountains, the literary reserve named after the sun of Russian poetry and simply the most beautiful, beautiful place for walking. The only big "but": most likely, it will not be possible to stay overnight in the Pushkin Hills themselves (there are many tourists even in winter), so you will have to spend the night in one of the nearest cities (for example, Ostrov).
Since we have remembered Pushkin (which is not surprising, he is not only the greatest poet, but also a great traveler, even though he has seen only Turkey from abroad), let us turn our attention to the Grad of Petrov, St. Petersburg. Personally, I am ready to come to St. Petersburg always, at any time of the year, and I am always interested. In addition to St. Petersburg itself, there are several satellite cities that would also be worth paying attention to. Gatchina, where the palace of Paul I and the Priory palace are located, Peterhof (although in winter it is less interesting than in summer when fountains work), Kronstadt, a once closed military port, Shlisselburg with the Oreshek fortress, Koporye (and there is a fortress there).
If you are attracted by ancient history, from St. Petersburg you can go for a couple of days to Vyborg, which was once both Swedish and Finnish: take a walk in Mon Repos park and the streets of the old city, see unusual graffiti, climb St. Olaf's tower ... Decide to follow this advice - please dress as warmly as possible. Thermal underwear, windproof jackets, shoes with woolen socks. The most frequent visitor to the observation deck of the tower is a strong wind. But even if you dress well, then you still have to keep warm. For example, in the nearest "Krendel" or "At Knutsson's" (to the right and left of the monument to Torgils Knuttson, respectively).
South
You say, what have we forgotten about the south? Everything is simple here: take a map, remember how many free days you have, figure out the path that you master at the wheel every day. The roads in that direction, the main one of which is M4 "Don", are good, there are many paid sections, you go fast, but with very young children you should not cover more than 700 km a day. No rest will come of it. And if you stay in Voronezh (there is the birthplace of the Russian fleet, nearby - Kostenki, the parking lot of ancient people), Rostov-on-Don (the southern capital and the gates of the Caucasus), Krasnodar (the capital of the Kuban), you can just get to Sochi in a week and return home do not have time.
To the north
Better then to the north - to Vologda and Veliky Ustyug, to the official headquarters of the Russian Father Frost. This is a classic of New Year's tourism, and children will definitely love this trip. For those who are older and more enduring, we highly recommend visiting Karelia. What to do? Explore the beauty (the Ruskeala mountain park, the Kivach waterfall, the Kizhi museum of wooden architecture, feast on gates and kalaruoka, ride dog and reindeer sleds). The road is good, surrounded by sparkling snow and white-clad Christmas trees, along the way there are a lot of gas stations with cafes where you can make a “pit stop”. And on the spot - different entertainment programs for children and adults. Sorry, not free. So someone's going to have to fork out.
Wow, and there were even more than a dozen travel options. This set is clearly enough for the entire New Year holidays and beyond. And we will be glad if you offer your travel ideas. The last thing I want to say is that you can drive comfortably in the European part of the country. No special preparation is required if the machine is in good condition. And if you are going to the ends of the world - check out
