Volgograd: attractions, cafes, souvenirs

Where to stay

In 2018 Volgograd became one of the cities in Russia that hosted the FIFA World Cup. Thanks to this, the hotel business was pumped up here: they built several prestigious hotels, renovated old buildings and rooms, opened hostels. Now you can find a place to sleep in any area of the city.

If you are looking for something more interesting, not just a room for sleeping and placing things, then you can pay attention to Scotch Hostel - the first designer hostel in Volgograd. The cost of a bed is from 570 rubles per night. Hostel Leon is located a little further from the city center, but near the ground transport and underground tram stops, so getting to the main attractions of Volgograd will be easy. Accommodation in a dormitory room costs from 500 rubles, for a separate one you will have to pay 1,200 rubles per day. The most democratic option is Hostour hostel (350-400 rubles per night).

Lovers of history will find the Volgograd Hotel built on the site of the destroyed Stolichny Nomers Hotel, which was opened in 1890. The object is located in the very center of the city, from it in 5 minutes you can walk to the Square of the Fallen Fighters, the railway station, the central embankment and other attractions. You can stay here for 3,215 rubles.

A little further from the center there is the Yuzhny Hotel, where not only rooms, but also apartments are available at a price of 3,616 rubles. There is also a bar, a restaurant and a delicatessen shop.

Airbnb has a lot of accommodation options. For example, here is a small and very bright apartment for two people in the center of the city, on Sovetskaya Street. There are more spacious options: for example, five residents can already accommodate here, it is also indicated that you can take an animal with you.

How to get around Volgograd

Volgograd is one of the longest cities in Russia: it stretches along the Volga for 65 kilometers. It takes about two hours to get from one end of this settlement to the other, so we recommend that you immediately set the time for movement. Of course, you can limit yourself to visiting the central part of Volgograd - the most famous sights are located a maximum of five stops from each other.

If you still decide to go to the southernmost district of the city, Krasnoarmeisky, then choose an electric train for this: it will take you there in just an hour, without traffic jams and crowds.

Of course, there are also trams, buses, trolleybuses and minibuses in Volgograd. But in the evenings in the whole city there are traffic jams, and getting to the right place without assistance can be problematic, especially if you travel outside the center. In this case, the easiest way is to take a ticket for the famous Volgograd underground tram, which we will describe below.

What sights of Volgograd to see

Mamayev Kurgan

The main attraction of the city, by which Volgograd is recognized not only by residents of Russia, but also by foreigners.

In addition to the famous sculpture by Yevgeny Vuchetich "The Motherland Calls!" Here you can see the introductory composition-high relief "Memory of Generations", walls-ruins, the Hall of Military Glory and many more monuments associated with the history of the Battle of Stalingrad.

You can visit Mamayev Kurgan free of charge, there are also excursions on the territory of the complex: the cost is 150-500 rubles per person.

Museum-panorama "Battle of Stalingrad"

The second most famous landmark of Volgograd, which is also associated with the Great Patriotic War. The Panorama Museum includes eight exhibition halls, where you can see original documents of that era, military uniforms and weapons, as well as get acquainted with the way of life of people during the war. Themed panoramas are also available to visitors, the most famous of which is “The defeat of the Nazi troops at Stalingrad”. On it you can see many buildings that have become symbols of the hero-city: Pavlov's house, Gerhardt's mill, railway station water tower, elevator and others.

The museum is temporarily closed to visitors due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, you can independently inspect the exposition of military equipment: tanks, guns and trains. Also, this historical and cultural complex includes bas-reliefs on Pavlov's house and the ruins of Grudinin's mill - we will tell you more about them.

Ruins of Gerhardt's mill

What to see in Volgograd: the ruins of Gergardt's mill

The ruins of Gerhardt's mill, or Grudinin's mill, as it is also called, are located a stone's throw from the museum. The double name is associated with the former owners of the building: the Gerhardt Mill - “Wikipedia” was built by the Gerhardt family of entrepreneurs in 1899, and in 1929, after nationalization, the mill was named after Konstantin Grudinin, the secretary of the party cell. During the war, the building became the citadel of the Penza defense unit (after the name of the street of the same name), bombs and shells were repeatedly dropped on it. The mill could not be destroyed to the ground, and after the end of the war they decided not to restore it: the ruins became a monument of the Second World War and were recognized as an object of cultural heritage.

Pavlov's House

Opposite the ruins is another witness of the war years - the Pavlov house, in which Soviet soldiers held the Pavlov House for 58 days. After the war, the building was restored, and ordinary Volgograd residents still live in it. But at the same time, bas-reliefs were placed on two walls of the house, turning it into a historical monument. One element can be seen from the side of the Battle of Stalingrad Museum, the other is located from the side of Lenin Square.

Embankment of the 62nd Army

This is the central embankment of Volgograd. Now it is undergoing renovation, but part of the renovated territory is already available for residents and guests. Swings and fountains were installed here, bike paths were equipped, the rotunda and balconies were restored, from which you can look at the Volga.

If you go down the central staircase down, you can see the river port, called "Washer" because of its round shape. In size, it is capable of being equal to Red Square, and at the same time six motor ships can stop here. Here you can book an excursion along the Volga on a river tram, an hour's walk will cost 450 rubles.

There is not much entertainment on the embankment itself yet. Here you can walk, ride a bicycle and a scooter - there are enough rental points. You can see several monuments - both to war heroes and other historical figures, for example, Peter and Fevronia. The walking area will lead to the floodplain of the Tsaritsa River, where the museum "Russia - my history" is located. In the Volgograd Historical Park, you can learn more about the times of the Golden Horde, the origin of the Cossacks and the events of the Battle of Stalingrad.

Volgograd Planetarium

The opening of this planetarium was a gift to Joseph Stalin for his 70th birthday. The ten thousandth collective of the plant in the German Democratic Republic worked on the Zeiss Planetarium stellar apparatus, and the famous Vera Mukhina was also involved in the work on the building project: her sculpture "A woman with a raised hand releases a dove of peace" crowns the roof of the structure.

The Volgograd Planetarium became the third in the USSR, after the Moscow and Kiev ones. Inside you can see models of spacecraft, Foucault's pendulum, pieces of meteorites and a mosaic portrait of Stalin. The central part is occupied by the Star Hall, in which the Zeiss Planetarium apparatus is located.

There is a working observatory next to the main building. A telescope is installed here, with the help of which constant observation is carried out. The observatory is open to the public, but not every day. The schedule of her work depends on the visibility and the presence of interesting celestial phenomena.

An excursion to the planetarium costs only 50 rubles. In the Star Hall, lectures are held with a full-domed cinema demonstration - the stars, planets and astronomical phenomena can be observed on the huge ceiling. For such a pleasure you will have to pay 200-300 rubles. And observation at the observatory will cost 300–500 rubles.

The planetarium is temporarily closed due to the pandemic. However, you can walk in the small garden near it, look at the sculptures and take pictures.

Volgograd Metro Tram

The uniqueness of the Volgograd metro is that out of 22 stops, five are underground, and one more is on an overpass, it is built right into the cliff.

Most of the trains today are modern wagons. But you can also ride on the Czech red and yellow Tatra cars. Because of them, they had to build unique underground tunnels. Usually metro lines intersect with each other and the exit turns out to be either on the right or on the left. But the doors of old trams opened only on one side, therefore the underground tram tracks pass one above the other so as not to cross.

Volgograd high-speed tram covers four out of eight districts of the city. On it you can get to the central embankment (stop "Komsomolskaya"), the museum-reserve "Battle of Stalingrad" (stop "Lenin Square"), as well as to the stadium and Mamayev Kurgan. The fare is the same as for other municipal public transport: 25 rubles.

Where else to go in Volgograd

Museum-reserve "Old Sarepta"

To visit this museum, you have to go to the other end of the city, where trams do not run. But for those who are not in Volgograd for the first time, this is a great opportunity to see something unusual.

Historical and ethnographic complex "Old Sarepta" is a mini-town in the city, 23 buildings that were built by the Germans at the end of the 19th century. As the employees say, it was here that the first in the Lower Volga region appeared a water supply system, an elevator, a museum, a public library, a kindergarten and a mustard oil mill.

Now here you can see the largest library in the region with books in German, listen to an organ concert in the church, visit exhibitions that tell about the life of the Volga Germans. The cost of a ticket for each event is in the range of 200-700 rubles. Periodically, excursions descend into the cellars - legends about local ghosts have attracted participants in the Battle of Psychics to Volgograd to expel the ghosts from the Old Sarepta Museum even the film crew of the Battle of Psychics TV show.

The museum is temporarily closed due to the pandemic. But it is still possible to take a picture in the park against the background of German buildings of the last century.

Volgo-Don shipping channel

If you have reached the Krasnoarmeyskiy district, do not forget to look at the arch of the lock No. 1 of the channel, which connected the Volga and the Don. Both the Turkish Sultan and Peter I wanted to unite the rivers, but this was only possible in 1952.

In addition to the "triumphal arch", the Volga-Don Canal is famous for other sights. So, at the entrance you will find a 57-meter monument to Vladimir Lenin - one of the tallest monuments in the world, it was even included in the Guinness Book of Records as the Monument to V. I. Lenin in the Krasnoarmeysky District. You can reach the object along the Sevastopol embankment - in terms of the presence of interesting architectural structures and nearby cafes, it is significantly inferior to the central one, but there are fewer people and much quieter.

Creative space "Ikra"

The place where all the creative crowd of Volgograd gathered. Here you can find showrooms of local designers, listen to lectures by famous Volgograd residents, or just look at the Volga from the balcony.

Offices occupy two floors in the riverport, and you can also go up to the roof, where the teahouse is located. There is also an excellent view of the Volga from there. From time to time, yoga classes or film screenings are held here, but it is better to find out about this from the receptionist.

Bars and cafes

In the center of Volgograd, at the intersection of Komsomolskaya and Sovetskaya, there are several restaurants and bars at once. Due to the increased concentration of such establishments, the locals call this area the drinking street. It starts with two bars. The Harat's Pub is located on the top floor, and Friends are located in the basement. If you go further to the embankment, then you will come across the pub "Bamberg", the cafe "Gretel" and the Italian restaurant "Villa Capri".

For local fast food, it is best to go to the Central Market. A summer terrace is already open, verandas are working. So you can order noodles at Tomy Yamy noodles, drink wine at Innocent Games, taste Mexican food at Taco Loco. For lovers of cocktails there is a Viper Bar and a Vedrov Bar.

Before the pandemic, Central Market hosted live music parties on Fridays and Saturdays. We hope that soon all the bans will be lifted and there again it will be possible not only to eat, but also to have great fun.

What to bring from Volgograd

Traditional souvenirs

The statuette with the Motherland may seem like a banal souvenir, but it is perfect for older relatives. But what to hide, many Volgograd residents themselves are not averse to placing a small copy of the famous sculpture at home.

Simple options include postcards with city views from local artists. There are also souvenir products with unusual words that are found only in the speech of Volgograd residents. You will finally be able to find out what "kulya", "ridge" and "rastyka" mean.

Mustard oil

A more interesting and delicious option would be mustard oil. Volgograd is the only region in Russia where it is produced. And once Sarepta supplied this product to the court of the Queen of England.

You can take both the classic version and the bottle of additives. They are also sold in ordinary supermarkets, but it is better to go to Sarepta - there is a larger assortment there.

Coffee and sweets

In Sarepta, you can also buy other unusual souvenirs - for example, watermelon coffee. It is made from ground watermelon seeds. The Volga Germans invented the recipe when natural coffee cost a lot of money. Now a common drink is available everywhere, while a watermelon drink can only be bought in Volgograd.

If you have a sweet tooth among your friends and relatives, you can please them with original Volgograd delicacies. In Sarepta, they sell traditional Sarepta gingerbread and watermelon honey - nardek. All the recipes had to be restored from the archives, which is why these sweets are available only in the museum's souvenir shop.

And of course, we must not forget about the legendary Volgograd sweets from Confila. The most popular are the thematic sets: "Book of Volgograd", "Tsaritsinsky", "Battle of Stalingrad", "Evening Volgograd". You can take Volgogradskie sweets by weight. Each label depicts an important city object: the station, the New Experimental Theater, the planetarium, the embankment rotunda and others.

Clothes and accessories

Arina Boganova's wedding dresses are best known from local brands. However, in the showroom in "Ikra" you can also find interesting evening dresses and suits, T-shirts and business clothes.

From simple and accessible things to everyone - the CLO RE brand with linen collections. True, designer Evgenia Reznikova does not have an offline store. But you can order a dress or top in advance, and then pick it up yourself. Natural clothes are the best for walking around Volgograd, especially in 40-degree heat.

As for jewelry, here you should pay attention to the jewelry brand Ventiquattro. You can find rings, earrings and brooches made of brass, silver and copper. The avant-garde works of Stanislav Frolov will perfectly fit into any image.