5 amazing places in Russia worth visiting this year

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

From the domestic Taj Mahal in Bolgar to the Permafrost Museum in the Arctic.

Domestic tourism is gaining momentum. Of course, someone will prefer to go according to the “Moscow - Peter” standard or to the crowded beach of the Black Sea coast, while someone will go on new routes for vivid impressions. It is for such people that we have collected some of the most interesting tourist spots in Russia.

1. Abrau-Durso, Novorossiysk

Many people associate the melodious name of the resort village on the Black Sea coast with the famous sparkling wine. And for good reason. Here is indeed one of the largest vineyards in the region, and with it - the plant, founded by Alexander II.

If gastronomic tourism does not attract you very much (although after tastings many people get a taste), then you can turn to the classic routes and go in search of the fresh lake Abrau, which gave the name to the area. This secluded corner is located just 14 kilometers from Novorossiysk among wooded slopes and looks just amazing. Here you can swim and fish.

In the village itself, we also recommend admiring the evening show of the singing fountains. Note: the best view opens from the coastal area or water surface.

You can get to Abrau-Dyurso from Novorossiysk by private car or regular bus.

2. Bulgarians

With a trip to India this year, clearly did not work. But you can start acquaintance with oriental culture on the territory of Tatarstan, in the former capital of the Golden Horde. The White Mosque in Bolgar is a real pride of the region, similar to the famous wonder of the world, the Taj Mahal. The white-stone ensemble is a complex of marble buildings in the style of a religious Renaissance. In front of the buildings, there is a square with an artificial reservoir, rivers and a garden - as if an embodied landscape from oriental fairy tales. The largest Koran in the world is also kept here: the sacred scripture is decorated with Tatar national patterns, and its weight reaches 800 kilograms.

The city is located on the banks of the Volga, not far from Kazan. You can get here both by water and by land: a bus runs from the center of Kazan to Bolgar twice a day, and boats run in good weather. It is also comfortable to travel by personal transport - the road from the capital of Tatarstan takes no more than 2 hours.

3. "Kostroma Sloboda", Kostroma

"Kostroma Sloboda" is located on the territory of the Ipatiev Monastery, near the confluence of the Kostroma and Volga rivers - literally 10 minutes' drive from the coastal zone.

This is a whole open-air museum of wooden architecture. Its collection includes unique churches, huts and household buildings from the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Inside the huts, traditional peasant decoration has been preserved, and in the churches you can admire ancient frescoes with scenes from the Gospel.

The park hosts themed excursions, master classes and performances of folk artisans: you can watch a variety of curiosities cut from wooden blocks, mold a pot out of clay yourself and play the harmonica or harp.

4. Igarka

The Polar City, built on permafrost, is perhaps the most amazing and unexpected place to travel. Nevertheless, Igarka is very popular among tourists - all thanks to the fact that the Museum of Permafrost is located here. Its walls are covered with a thick layer of ice and snow, crystal growths are visible everywhere. Even in the warm season, the temperature here is subzero, and when there are severe frosts on the surface, a constant -20 ° C remains inside.

It is thanks to this cold that the rarest natural exhibits have been preserved in the museum. So, at a depth of 14 meters, you can touch the relic ice (it is, for a minute, 500 years old!) And examine the cuts of no less ancient coniferous trees.

Getting to Igarka is not easy, especially in winter. In the summertime, there is a choice between an airplane and a motor ship from Krasnoyarsk. But with personal transport it is more difficult: the distance between cities is great, and the travel time can take more than three days.

5. Mountain Park "Ruskeala", Karelia

The marble canyon, surrounded by pine and coniferous trees, has become the "tourist Mecca" of Karelia for several years. Campers and outdoor enthusiasts come here to look at the rich northern flora and explore both the highest and lowest points of the region.

Here you can admire a bird's eye view of the mountain range, go on a boat trip through the grottoes, take a bungee jump and even sink to the bottom of a flooded quarry, if you have a diver's license and the necessary equipment. The water in the quarry is so clear and transparent that you can see the caves at the bottom, as well as the flooded Finnish technique that has been used to mine marble since the 40s.

Despite the harsh weather, Ruskeala is a year-round tourist route. In winter, you can also have a great time here: ride a snowmobile along the river with beaver dams, stop by an old Finnish mill and admire the frozen waterfalls.

Ruskeala Park is located 37 km from the town of Sortavala. The nearest major transport hubs are located in St. Petersburg and Petrozavodsk, from where you can reach your destination either by your own car or by bus in 3-5 hours.