8 Russian cities to visit in the fall

1. Sortavala

Where to go in the fall in Russia: Sortavala

A trip to Karelia is a good idea at any time of the year. Amazing nature and clean air are here all year round. But resting in the fall has an additional advantage: you can explore forests and lakes without buzzing mosquitoes and crowds of tourists. Silence, solitude and tranquility are guaranteed.

Sortavala is a Karelian city with a rich history near the border with Finland. At one time it belonged to Sweden, the Russian Empire, Finland, and in 1940 it became part of the USSR. Therefore, the architecture in the city is unusual. In the center there are stone and wooden buildings, for example the former town hall, the United Bank of the Nordic countries, Leander's house.

You can look at the nature of Karelia in the Vakkosalmi park: there you must definitely climb Mount Kuhavuori, which overlooks Lake Ladoga and the whole city. And also from Sotravala it is convenient to get to the Ruskeala Mountain Park - one of the main attractions of the region. There are picturesque waterfalls and a marble quarry.

2. Pyatigorsk

The largest city in terms of population in the Caucasian Mineral Waters. In autumn, Pyatigorsk is still warm and very beautiful. Many buildings in the old part of the city were built of stone at the beginning of the 20th century. Some of them are abandoned and look very photogenic.

In Pyatigorsk, you should definitely try Caucasian cuisine and water from healing springs. If you want to see the Caucasus Mountains, climb Mashuk: an excellent panoramic view opens up from it.

By the way, at the foot of the mountain in 1841 a duel between Mikhail Lermontov and Nikolai Martynov took place, which ended with the death of the poet. Therefore, many places in the city bear the name of Lermontov or are associated with him: Lermontov gallery, Lermontov baths, Lermontov's grotto, Lermontov's house, a monument to Lermontov.

Another picturesque attraction of Pyatigorsk is Proval Grotto with a deep lake of beautiful turquoise color. Bacteria and sulfur give the water color, so be prepared for a bad smell.

3. Pushkinskie Gory

Where to go in the fall in Russia: Pushkinskie Gory

This urban-type settlement in the Pskov region will especially appeal to fans of Russian literature. Here, from 1824 to 1826, Alexander Pushkin was in exile. The poet lived in the Mikhailovskoye family estate, on the territory of which a museum-reserve is now open.

Houses and outbuildings in Mikhailovsky were destroyed during the Great Patriotic War, and later recreated according to archival documents.

There are two more estates in Pushkinskiye Gory: Trigorskoye - the estate of Pushkin's friends, the landlords Osipov-Wulf and Petrovskoye - the estate of the ancestors of the poet Hannibals. Also in the village is the Svyatogorsk Holy Dormition Monastery. Pushkin came there every week to talk with the abbot. The grave of the writer is located on the territory of the monastery.

In addition, Sergei Dovlatov lived and worked as a guide in the vicinity of Pushkinskie Gory for several months: he described his impressions of the trip in the book "Preserve". Now a museum is open in the house where the writer stayed.

Pushkinskie Gory will also be appreciated by those who are not interested in literature. The village has nice wooden houses and beautiful natural landscapes that you can admire for hours.

4. Plyos

Where to go in the fall in Russia: Plyos

Plyos ranks first in Russia in terms of the number of tourists per inhabitant. This small town on the Volga attracts people with its picturesque views: small colorful wooden houses, a long embankment and a sea of trees, because of which Plyos turns gold in autumn.

While walking around the city, you should definitely walk to the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. You could see this wooden building in Isaac Levitan's painting "Above Eternal Peace". Almost. The artist painted another church - the Peter and Paul Church: it was located at this place, but in 1903 it burned down. And in 1982, in order to restore the picturesque landscape, a very similar Church of the Resurrection of Christ was transported to Plyos from the village of Bilyukovo.

The picture was painted by Levitan not in Plyos, but in the village of Ostrovno, Tver region. But the church there seemed to the artist not beautiful enough, so he replaced it with the Peter and Paul Church. And when writing the picture, he used his sketch "Wooden Church in Plyos in the Last Rays of the Sun".

In total, Plyos has eight churches and one chapel, as well as several art galleries and a museum-reserve.

5. Vladimir

Where to go in the fall in Russia: Vladimir

The ancient city, founded in the X century, is included in the route of the Golden Ring of Russia. Vladimir is famous for its white-stone cathedrals: Dmitrievsky, Assumption, Bogoroditsky - they look especially impressive against the background of autumn trees.

Other sights of the city, no less pretty:

Golden Gate. An ancient Russian defensive structure, inside which there is a museum with a diorama of old Vladimir.
Water tower. Inside there is a museum and an observation deck.
Forge of the Borodins. A working smithy, which can be entered from Friday to Sunday.
Georgievskaya street. Pedestrian street with colored houses and monuments.
Temple of the Holy Rosary. Catholic church built in the 19th century.

For beautiful hiking trails, you need to go to the Patriarch's Garden, Lipki Park and Pushkin Park. In the latter, at the monument to Prince Vladimir, there is an observation deck, which offers an excellent view of the Klyazma River.

6. Sochi

In autumn, Sochi is still warm and beautiful, and there are several times less tourists than in summer. In October, you can have time to swim in the Black Sea and sunbathe, and in November, just walk, enjoying the scenery.

There are sights both within the city and in the suburbs. You can spend a day in the arboretum, stroll through the Olympic Park, climb Mount Akhun, go to the waterfalls, visit the Psakho and White Rocks canyons. And you should definitely get to Krasnaya Polyana to ride the cable car. An additional argument in favor of a trip to Sochi in the fall is housing prices. They are noticeably lower than in the season.

7. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Where to go in the fall in Russia: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

It's already cool in Kamchatka in autumn, but the landscapes are especially bright and colorful: white snow-capped peaks, red and yellow trees. There are few sights in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, but they are interesting. For example, Mount Mishennaya Sopka, sea lion seals rookery and the Volcanarium interactive museum of volcanoes are the only ones in Russia.

It's not worth spending the entire trip in the city, after all, the main thing in Kamchatka is nature. Head to Nalychevo Park, located 25 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. There are several volcanoes, thermal springs, and the lake of the same name on the territory. But keep in mind that getting to Nalychevo is not easy: you have to either walk or fly by helicopter.

Another picturesque natural attraction of Kamchatka is the Kronotsky Nature Reserve. You can get to it only by helicopter, but only there you can see the Valley of Geysers - the only geyser field in Eurasia.

8. Zelenogradsk

Where to go in the fall in Russia: Zelenogradsk

A beautiful and small resort town in the Kaliningrad region. Of course, swimming in the Baltic Sea or sunbathing on the beach in October will no longer work, but it is pleasant to stroll along the long and beautiful embankment and breathe in the sea air at any time of the year.

Beautiful German architecture has been preserved in Zelenogradsk: old houses, the Krantsevsky Kurhaus, a water tower, a Lutheran church, a Catholic chapel. Walking along the pedestrian street Kurortny Prospekt, you can meet a dozen cats: there is a free shelter for them in the courtyard of one of the houses. Next to him is a food vending machine: you can buy a portion and feed the fluffy beauties.

Another plus of Zelenogradsk is that it is convenient to get from it to the famous Curonian Spit. You just need to take a bus to the village of Morskoe: it takes you both to the Efa dune and to the Dancing Forest. And if you get bored in Zelenogradsk, in just half an hour by train or bus you will reach other large cities of the region - Kaliningrad and Svetlogorsk.

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