7 unusual places for travelers who are tired of familiar routes

1. Fishing village, Kaliningrad

Unusual places in Russia: Fish Village, Kaliningrad

How to get there: by plane. A ticket from Moscow and back costs about 7,000 rubles.
Where to stay: the city has a variety of accommodation options, from hostels and guesthouses to five-star hotels. Options with a good rating according to guest reviews (8 points out of 10 and above) will cost from 1,000 rubles per night.

The fishing village appeared on Oktyabrsky Island, not far from Kant Island, quite recently - the construction of the quarter was completed in 2010. However, this part of the city has already earned the love of tourists and townspeople. Half-timbered houses repeat the architectural style of Königsberg.

It's nice to just walk here, going to the souvenir shops on the ground floors. And you should definitely climb the observation tower in the form of a lighthouse: a wonderful view of the city opens from the fifth floor, on the third you can look into a small glass museum, and on the second, you can drink coffee in a nice restaurant.

2. Cave monasteries, Voronezh region

Unusual places in Russia: cave monasteries, Voronezh region

How to get there: to Voronezh by plane (ticket from Moscow and back - from 3,000 rubles) or by train (one way ticket - from 800 rubles), then either by trains and buses, or by car.
Where to stay: a room in a Voronezh hotel with good reviews will cost from 600 rubles per night.

In the Voronezh region, there are unusual monasteries, some of the premises of which are carved right into the rocks. Russian version of Turkish Cappadocia.

There are three monasteries here: Holy Dormition Divnogorsky, Belogorsky Voskresensky and Spassky cave in Kostomarovo. All of them are active, the first two are male, the last one is female. Anyone can visit.

Separately, we note the Divnogorie reserve, on the territory of which the cave church of the Sicilian Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God is located. The reserve was named after the divas - unusual chalk pillars that are located in this area. In addition to the church and the divas, you can explore the canyon, the archaeological park and the Paleolithic site. Interesting excursions are organized around the territory.

3. Arkaim, Chelyabinsk region

Unusual places in Russia: Arkaim, Chelyabinsk region

How to get there: fly to Magnitogorsk (a round-trip ticket from Moscow - from 5,200 rubles), and then take a taxi or a regular bus (however, it leaves early in the morning, and it will take about an hour to walk to Arkaim itself). It takes about two hours to get to the ancient city.
Where to stay: for the best immersion in the atmosphere, choose accommodation in Arkaim itself - several are available there. For a fee, you can set up your own tent at the campsite. Or book a hotel in Magnitogorsk (from 1,000 rubles per night).

The ancient city, which is more than four thousand years old, was discovered in the Urals only in 1987, and since then archaeologists and scientists have not stopped excavations. The place is really unusual: the city was built according to a well-thought-out plan with fortifications and complex architecture. Its inhabitants were engaged in pottery and weaving, knew about metallurgy.

Be sure to take one of the excursions: the guide will take you through the real dwellings of the Bronze Age, show you ancient manors and burial mounds.

By the way, a dozen more similar settlements were later found in the vicinity of Arkaim. The complex was called the Country of Cities, and if you wish, you can visit others - for example, Sintashta, which is located the closest.

4. Petroglyphs Kalbak-Tash, Altai

Unusual places in Russia: Petroglyphs Kalbak-Tash, Altai

How to get there: by plane to Gorno-Altaysk (a ticket from Moscow and back - from 9,000 rubles), and then take a car and go on a trip along the most beautiful highway in Russia - Chuysky tract. The Kalbak-Tai tract is located at 723 km, between the villages of Inya and Iodro.
Where to stay: the nearest are located in Kosh-Agach (two hours on the way to the destination). You can also choose one of the tourist centers along the way (from 500 rubles per night).

Rock paintings in the Kalbak-Tash tract are the largest collection of ancient petroglyphs in Siberia. There are over five thousand images here! The oldest were created in the Neolithic era (IV-VI centuries BC).

It is very interesting to look at the drawings: they depict both scenes from everyday life - for example, hunting - as well as fantastic animals and mythological images. Try to find images of unusual objects that some believe are spaceships, or people in spacesuits.

5. Romantsevskie mountains, Tula region

Unusual places in Russia: Romantsevskie mountains, Tula region

How to get there: the most convenient way is by car. In the navigator, indicate the name of the village of Konduki (250 km from Moscow), from which the road to the former quarries begins. It is better to go in dry and clear weather, in order to drive up almost to the very mountains.
Where to stay: you can go and return one day, but it is better to plan an overnight stay in neighboring towns (Bogoroditsk or Novomoskovsk).

Romantsevskie mountains were created not by nature, but by man - in the 60s of the last century there was a brown coal quarry here. It was finally closed in the 90s, and then rains and snows got down to business. As a result, today we see an almost alien landscape: black slopes, lakes with colorful water, trees twisted by the wind.

Distances are considerable here, and the best photos are taken at dusk and dawn, so it is ideal to stay overnight (if the weather permits, in a tent, or in one of the towns we wrote about above).

6. Lake Baskunchak, Astrakhan region

Unusual places in Russia: lake Baskunchak, Astrakhan region

How to get there: first by train to the village of Verkhniy Baskunchak (one-way ticket from Moscow - from 1,400 rubles, about a day on the way). Then you need to take a minibus or taxi to the village of Nizhny Baskunchak (it is 10 km away).
Where to stay: in Nizhny Baskunchak, you can find accommodation with local residents or stay at (from 1,900 rubles per night).

Baskunchak is a huge salt lake in the Astrakhan region. This is an amazing creation of nature, formed millions of years ago, when the ancient sea first stepped on the local territories, then retreated again. At the same time, salt deposits were formed, which over time were covered with silt and limestone. Later, underground springs began to bring salt to the surface, and the Russian Dead Sea turned out.

Today, there are several sanatoriums on the shore of the lake, where people come for treatment from all over the country and even from abroad. Baskunchak water is considered curative, and the air contains bromine and phytoncides.

Well, in the end, it's just very beautiful here, especially at sunset, when the water turns pink with the setting sun.

7. Nikola-Lenivets, Kaluga region

How to get there: most conveniently - by car from Moscow. The park is about 200 kilometers from the capital, but it should be borne in mind that the last 20 are on a bad road. So it is better to take a car with high traffic.
Where to stay: in the park itself there are several, including in very unusual buildings (cost - from 2,500 rubles for a single room). And if the weather permits, you can put up your own tent. True, for a place in the campsite you will have to pay 600 rubles per day.

An unusual art park in the Kaluga Region has been popular for ten years. Here, on a vast open-air area, there is a collection of unique works of art and modern architecture. Some can be climbed, others can be entered. And of course, you can just take pictures and ponder what the author who created "Beaubourg" or "Universal Mind" wanted to say.

It is good in Nikola-Lenivets at any time of the year: in summer, when you can ride bicycles through the fields and jump on a huge trampoline path, and in winter - bask in a local cafe and walk through the snow-covered expanses. We advise you to visit the art park during one of the festivals or events that take place here regularly.