Sale of train tickets for August is open – time to think about where to go at the end of summer, since prices are now the best. We have prepared for you several routes in the most attractive destinations: for short trips from Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as for a “classic” summer vacation in warm regions. We advise you to hurry up with your purchase, because it won’t be cheaper!
South
Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik
One of the most popular resorts in the Russian south, Gelendzhik, does not have a train station. You need to get to Novorossiysk, and from there by bus along the mountain serpentine road. Novorossiysk is a port city, not intended for a beach holiday. You can easily spend a day exploring Tsemes Bay and the cruiser-museum “Mikhail Kutuzov”. In Gelendzhik, a neat embankment and excellent beaches (even a few sandy ones) await you. The picturesque surroundings also deserve attention: Pshad waterfalls, the Blue Abyss tract, the Zhane River, famous for its ancient dolmens, the Dzhankhotsky forest of Pitsunda pine and the Parus rock. If you follow the walking route from Kabardinka to Cape Doob, you can see the stranded cargo ship Rio—thanks to social networks, it has turned into a real landmark. While vacationing in Gelendzhik, take one day to visit Lake Abrau and taste local sparkling wines in the village of Abrau-Durso.
Sochi and Abkhazia
Sochi has long become the capital of domestic southern recreation. And if Black Sea beaches can be found in other cities, then the “mountainous” part of Sochi is absolutely unique for our country. Rosa Khutor, Esto-Sadok, Krasnaya Polyana are European level resorts. It’s a good time to come here in August to take a break from the summer heat: since many ski lifts continue to operate, you can reach the snow-capped peaks and drink a glass of sparkling wine on the terrace of a high-mountain restaurant with a magnificent view. In general, everyone will like it in Sochi: fans of hiking will enjoy the route along the White Rocks in Khosta, lovers of leisurely walks will appreciate the Sochi Arboretum, and extreme sports enthusiasts will enjoy the Skypark with a suspended pedestrian bridge and sea regattas from the Power of the Wind.
From Sochi you can also get to Sukhum, the capital of Abkhazia: there are tickets for direct trains from Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as single tickets with a transfer to a bus in Adler. Abkhazia is a country of low prices and magnificent nature: Lake Ritsa, Gegsky waterfall, Dombay-Ulgen peak, Mount Mamzyshkha and the New Athos cave will definitely not leave you indifferent.
Crimea
A trip to Crimea by train is a great chance to cross the recently opened Crimean Bridge. The Tavria train takes a little more than a day from Moscow, and almost two days from St. Petersburg. At the same time, on the territory of the peninsula he stops in Dzhankoy, Simferopol, Bakhchisarai and Sevastopol.
There are a lot of interesting activities in Crimea. You can swim in the Black Sea (they say that the best beaches are near Balaklava), go to the mountains (for example, look at the bizarre optical effects of the Valley of Ghosts in Demerdzhi), walk around Ai-Petri and the Yalta Nature Reserve, visit the Crimean Stonehenge (ancient Temple of the Sun), explore historical sights (Genoese fortress, Livadia and Vorontsov palaces, Bakhchisarai Khan’s palace, Chufut-Kale and Tauride Chersonese). And also – ride horses, watch sea creatures with a mask, taste Crimean wines and eat sea creatures.
Nalchik
The journey from the capital to Nalchik is not fast: it will take more than a day. However, good company and a comfortable compartment carriage will make time fly by.
This is where the stunning nature of the mountainous Caucasus begins: after you have had your fill of Khychin in the city, go to the Bermamyt plateau (from there you have a stunning view of Elbrus), in the Ushtulu tract and to the archaeological complex “Upper Balkaria”, where the filming of the film “War” by Balabanov took place. You can come with a tent to the Chegem or Bezengi gorges, the Gedmishkh waterfall or the Blue Lakes.
Makhachkala
Dagestan is one of the most fashionable destinations today. The train from Moscow takes just under two days, but the time spent on the road is worth it: the region is distinguished by incredible nature and breathtaking panoramas. And also – southern hospitality and excellent North Caucasian cuisine.
Of course, Makhachkala today is a modern and stylish city, but most travelers prefer not to sit still and explore the natural beauty of Dagestan. Among them are the sky-colored lake Kezenoy-am, the Sulak canyon (the deepest in Europe), the abandoned village of Gamsutl and the mountain village of Chokh, the “troll’s tongue” near Goor, the Tobot waterfall and the Karadakh Gorge. Be sure to go to Derbent – this is one of the oldest cities in the world with a unique attraction on the local beach – the world’s only rocket ekranoplane “Lun”.
From Moscow
Nizhny Novgorod
The train is the fastest way to get from the capital to Nizhny Novgorod: the journey will take less than 4 hours. Express trains go here “Strizh” and “Lastochka”, as well as regular long-distance trains with reserved seat and compartment cars (for example, the branded train “Volga”, the route of which begins in St. Petersburg).
This year the city turns 800 years old. It is not surprising that there are many historical attractions there: the Kremlin, the Nizhny Novgorod Fair, the State Bank building, the baroque Nativity (Stroganov) Church of the 17th century, the Old Fair Cathedral, built in the style of classicism. You should definitely go down to the embankment along the Chkalov Stairs and walk to the confluence of the Volga and Oka. Also in Nizhny there is the longest cable car in Europe, which will take you across the Volga to the town of Bor.
Yaroslavl
The fastest way to get from the capital to Yaroslavl is the high-speed trains “Lastochka” (runs once a day, travel time is 3 hours) and “Day Express” (runs three times a day, the journey takes 3 hours 26 minutes), in which, in addition to seats, there is also a compartment carriage. You can also take passing long-distance trains, but in this case the trip may be longer and less comfortable.
It is possible to see the key attractions of the city in one day. Start the route from the Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve (a 16th-century fortress) and go through the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, the Volzhskaya and Kotoroslnaya embankments, Strelka, the Governor’s Garden, the fire tower, the Volkov Drama Theater, the Znamenskaya Tower and the Church of Elijah the Prophet. This ancient town captivates with its comfort and cleanliness: most likely, you will want to stay here longer. We also recommend getting to the Tolgsky Monastery, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Myshkin, Uglich or Rybinsk.
Ivanovo
The Lastochka takes you to the “city of brides” from Moscow in 3 hours 40 minutes, leaving from the Kursk station four times a day.
Ivanovo is known for its eccentric buildings: on the streets you can find a “horseshoe house”, “ship house”, “bullet house” and even a real castle in the Art Nouveau style – the Duringer estate. Among the textbook attractions are the red-brick St. Vvedensky Monastery, the Transfiguration Cathedral, the Shchudrovskaya Tent and numerous museums (for example, the Museum of the Soviet Automotive Industry and the D.G. Burylin Museum of History and Local Lore). From Ivanovo you can take a bus to one of the most beautiful cities in the European part of Russia – Plyos.
Kazan
Several trains a day leave for the capital of Tatarstan from Moscow; there are both branded ones (with Wi-Fi and meals on board), and two-story ones. You can stay in a reserved seat, compartment or SV. Travel time – from 11 to 13 hours.
Particularly loved by tourists, of course, were the Kazan Kremlin with the “leaning tower” of Syuyumbike and the Kul-Sharif Mosque, the eclectic Temple of All Religions, the modern Millennium Park, the Kazan Wedding Palace, the Palace of Agriculture and the elegant Peter and Paul Cathedral of the 18th century. Walk along the Kazan “Arbat” – Bauman Street, and visit the mansion of Zinaida Ushkova, reminiscent of a miniature of the Portuguese Quinta da Regaleira park. Buy some chak-chak at Bakhetla. From Kazan you can also make interesting one-day trips: to the ancient capital of Bolgar, to the island town of Sviyazhsk, to the Raifa Monastery and to the fabulous town of Yoshkar-Ola.
Astrakhan
The branded Lotus train runs from Moscow to Astrakhan in just over a day. You can stay in a compartment or a reserved seat; there is Wi-Fi on board and a buffet. August is perhaps the best time to visit this city. Despite the fact that the Astrakhan region is one of the hottest regions of our country, it is at this time that lotuses bloom here, especially attracting travelers. Also, the Astrakhan banks of the Volga are known as a place for excellent fishing. In the city itself, go to the Kremlin, the Persian courtyard, the Assumption Cathedral and, of course, to the Selenskie Isady fish market, where everyone buys black caviar and sturgeon balyk. Of the most interesting places around Astrakhan, we will highlight, perhaps, the Volga delta with its branches, the salt lake Baskunchak and Mount Bolshoye Bogdo, the city-museum of Sarai-batu, where the film “Horde” was filmed, and the archaeological complex Selitrennoye fortified settlement.
From St. Petersburg
Pskov
Three high-speed Lastochka trains depart from the Baltic Station in the direction of Pskov daily: travel time is 3 hours 30 minutes.
Pskoye has its own Kremlin (though it’s called Krom), There are many ancient temples, chambers and fortifications. Even more interesting things to see in the Pskov region. Many locations here are associated with the name of Pushkin: for example, the poet’s grave can be found at the Svyatogorsk Monastery, the Mikhailovskoye estate is rightfully called his poetic homeland, the Petrovskoye estate once belonged to the Hannibal family, and Alexander Sergeevich often came to Trigorskoye for tea with his old friends – the landowners Osipov -Wulf.
Veliky Novgorod
Road from St. Petersburg on Lastochka it takes from 2 hours 50 minutes. Mostly trains with seated carriages go there, but you can get there in a compartment or reserved seat on the passing train St. Petersburg – Kaliningrad.
Veliky Novgorod is one of the most ancient and significant Russian cities. Here history really comes to life: you can feel it in the Novgorod Kremlin, at Yaroslav’s Courtyard, in the ancient cathedrals – St. Sophia, St. George, Nikolo-Dvorishchensky, Znamensky. One of the most interesting places in Veliky Novgorod is Vitoslavlitsy, a museum of wooden architecture standing on the shore of Lake Myachino.
Sortavala
The best option to get here from St. Petersburg is the high-speed train “Lastochka” (departs in the morning and evening from the Finlyandsky Station). The journey will take 4 hours 9 minutes.
Sortavala is a nice small town, which at different periods of its history was under the rule of not only Russia, but also Sweden and Finland. It is from here that many travelers begin to explore Karelia; the Ruskeala Express departs from Sortavala – Russia’s only daily retro locomotive-powered train with recreated ancient interiors. And from the city pier ships delivering tourists and pilgrims to the island of Valaam depart.
Valdai
One train a day departs from Moskovsky Station to Valdai: the high-speed Lastochka leaves at 07:06, travel time is 4 hours 47 minutes.
Valdai is a small but very colorful town on the shore of the lake of the same name. The main attractions of the surrounding area are the Valdai National Park with lakes and forests, pristine beaches (in August, particularly daring travelers can still swim) and the secluded 17th-century Iversky Monastery on Selvitsky Island.
Kaliningrad
Photo: Alex Tihonovs/Shutterstock.com
Not long ago, railway communication with the enclave of our country – the Kaliningrad region – was resumed. The train from St. Petersburg takes a little more than a day: you can stay in a compartment or a reserved seat. Departure at 10:04 from Moskovsky station.
The Kaliningrad region is called “Russian Europe” for a reason: ancient German buildings remain in almost every town in the region. Kaliningrad itself is famous for its zoo, the Museum of the World Ocean, the Koenigsberg Cathedral restored from old photographs and the ethnographic complex “Fish Village”. From Kaliningrad you can go to the Baltic Sea – to the resort cities of Zelenogradsk and Svetlogorsk, as well as to the Curonian Spit National Park.
Photos: unsplash.com, shutterstock.com
