There is a long weekend ahead, which means you can discover for the first time or rediscover one of the most beautiful, well-equipped and unusual cities in the world. Yes, yes, we are talking about Moscow or St. Petersburg. Do you want to walk along an ecological trail, find cherry blossoms and live in an 18th century palace? We tell you how to spend the holidays in the capitals.
Go on an unusual excursion
For those who do not want to limit themselves to Red Square and the Kremlin museums, we invite you to look at Moscow from a new perspective. Classic sightseeing walks around St. Petersburg can also be supplemented with something interesting and relevant. Walking excursions are suitable for this, where you will walk along atypical tourist routes. Or according to the classic ones, but in a new format.
Moscow
On the excursion “Moscow with your eyes closed”, together with a guide, you can walk along the main streets of the capital, visit art spaces, squares and parks without opening your eyes. This is an unusual option to experience the city by taste, sound, smell and touch.
For literature lovers, we recommend the excursion “Marina Tsvetaeva: poetry of life and capital addresses.” On it you will listen to the poetess’s poems and learn the details of her biography.
On the excursion “Red October”: chocolate and street art” you will be told about the history of the confectionery factory, how “Little Red Riding Hood” was created, and you will also see floor tiles and stairs from the early 20th century, adjacent to modern art. objects.
St. Petersburg
“Russian Museum with a psychologist guide” – a meeting at which the guide will communicate with you in the language of associations and pictures. This format is suitable for those who are ready to share their impressions with strangers and are committed to exploring themselves.
Fans of rock music will definitely enjoy the excursion “Heroes and Villains. In the places of the group “The King and the Clown”. You will walk through the courtyards where the fairy-tale plots of the songs were born, see the club where the group debuted, and also wander through Mikhail Gorshenev’s favorite St. Petersburg places.
“Walk through St. Petersburg Montmartre” is suitable for those who are close to the spirit of the Silver Age. Together with your guide, you will find the addresses of artists Benois, Dobuzhinsky, Somov and walk through the ancient St. Petersburg district of Kolomna.
Rate all the cuisines of the world
If you want to get access to all national cuisines at once, go to gastro markets and food malls. There you can try restaurant-quality dishes at slightly lower prices due to self-service.
Moscow
Fashionable gastro markets in the capital are “Depo”on the site of the former tram depot on Mendeleevskaya, “Depot. Three stations” on Komsomolskaya, Ginza Project holding project “Danilovsky market” on Tulskaya and noisy “Central Market” with jazz on Trubnaya.
If you don’t like crowded markets, book a table in advance at an authentic tiny restaurant “Moscow – Delhi” with Indian cuisine.
For lovers of stylish establishments, the projects of famous restaurateurs Pinsky, Losev and Istomin are suitable – Italian Loona and elegant cafe with open kitchen Ava on Patriarch’s.
A fashionable restaurant among Muscovites She – a hybrid of Italian and Japanese cuisine. The creators describe the format of the establishment as a wellbeing bistro.
St. Petersburg
All the cuisines of the world, united under one roof, can be found at the food court Vokzal 1853 in the Warsaw Station building, at Vasileostrovsky market and CITY FOOD in the City Mall shopping complex.
If you want to be transported to Italy for one evening, go to the restaurants Caffe Italia and Amarcord on Vosstaniya Square and CASADEICAFFE, where real gelato is prepared.
For Asian lovers, we recommend trying sushi at Subzero (branch on Rubinshteina Street) and ordering a huge Pad Thai at the Pan-Asian restaurant Umami on Vladimirskaya. Look for decent Israeli cuisine in the pit bar “Babaganush”on Vosstaniya Square and street food bar “Bekitser” on Rubinstein.
Delicious breakfast recommendations from locals – “Dreamers” on the Fontanka embankment, as well as coffee shops Aster and Cake&Breakfast on Mayakovskaya.
Escape the city
If you are not in a hurry and have a few days to rest, dedicate one of them to a short trip outside the city to an eco-farm, a landscape park, or to various cultural sites. If you wish, you can do it in half a day.
Moscow
In the north-west of the capital, 2 km from Krasnogorsk, hidden Arkhangelskoye Museum-Reserve – a unique palace and park ensemble that has preserved the main elements of the buildings of the 18th–19th centuries, collections of paintings and sculptures, a library and a scenery theater built according to the design of the Italian artist Pietro Gonzaga. This is an ideal place to take a break from the city and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Russian princes and emperors.
Peredelkino– a holiday village near Moscow, where Boris Pasternak, Korney Chukovsky, Evgeny Yevtushenko, Andrei Voznesensky, Bulat Okudzhava, Bella Akhmadulina and others lived at different times. Currently it has the status of a historical and cultural reserve. Significant objects on the territory of the village are the House of Writers’ Creativity, the house-museums of Boris Pasternak and Korney Chukovsky. Now there is a modern coworking space, a library, a bar, a restaurant and an author’s residence. Take a tour to learn more about this extraordinary place.
If you are traveling with children, pay attention to the Russian Alpacas farm in the Dmitrovsky district. There you can meet llamas, alpacas from North America, Scottish cows, rabbits and even camels. Group and individual excursions and photo sessions are available to guests.
St. Petersburg
About an hour’s drive from the Northern capital is the city of Vyborg, rich in architectural and historical monuments. One of them is Vyborg Castle, a medieval fortification of the 13th century, founded by the Swedes. The structure is located on a small island and is surrounded by water. Excursions, knightly tournaments, performances and jazz festivals take place here.
25 km from St. Petersburg there is a small town-museum Pushkin, also known as Tsarskoe Selo or Detskoe Selo. Imperial people lived here, Alexander Pushkin studied, famous writers and poets walked here. The most popular sites here are Catherine Park, Catherine Palace, Amber Room, Admiralty, Chinese Village, Alexander Palace, picturesque bridges, well-kept parks and museums.
“Forest Hut”– a reserve where reindeer, rare breeds of horses, as well as dogs and cats live. Just an hour’s drive and you will find yourself far from city noise, in a protected area of the Federal Forestry. You and your children will be able to feed the reindeer by hand, ride in a sled, learn more about the inhabitants of the North and drink tea by the fire.
Have a picnic
Finding a piece of nature inside Moscow and St. Petersburg is quite possible. There are many green parks in the capitals, some of them are modern and well-equipped, others are wilder. You can walk there, ride a bike, feed the ducks, or have a picnic if the weather permits.
Moscow
Serebryany Bor is a specially protected natural area in the Khoroshevo-Mnevniki region. This is a real monument of Moscow’s nature; the first mention of it dates back to the 17th century. The park is located on an artificial island, has several beaches, including the largest nudist one in Moscow, two ecological trails, rich flora and fauna, free gazebos and recreation areas, rental of SUPs and kayaks.
Sokolniki Parkmore touristy. It is located near the city center and is one of the most visited in Moscow. For children there are attractions, a games room, a ropes course, a skate park and paved paths for bicycles and scooters.
VDNH – there is a lot of entertainment for children and adults, cafes and photo locations. The park is perfect for leisurely walks along the alleys, as well as for active recreation and sports – here you can play tennis, badminton, cycling and rollerblading. In the landscaped area, feed the ducks near the Garden Pond, relax on the Kamenskie Ponds beach and walk along the eco-trail.
St. Petersburg
Tavrichesky Garden– a large landscape park in the center of St. Petersburg. It was defeated during the reign of Catherine II by the English master William Gould. This place is perfect for relaxing after long walks around the city. The main building of the park is the Tauride Palace, which can be visited on a guided tour. There is also a greenhouse on the territory, where there are exhibition and concert halls, a flower shop and a cafe.
In terms of diversity of vegetation “Primorsky Victory Park” on Krestovsky Island ranks second in St. Petersburg after the Botanical Garden of Peter the Great. Oaks, lindens, maples, elms, fir, silver spruce and other trees grow here. In May, you can find cherry blossoms here, a gift from Japan for the city’s 300th anniversary. Also on the territory there is an amusement park “Divo Island”, six ponds, a swan nursery and a rowing channel.
“Central Park of Culture and Recreation named after. CM. Kirov”– a historical park on Elagin Island. The complex includes the Elagin Palace of the 19th–20th centuries, the Orangery, Kitchen and Stable buildings, a music pavilion, a pop theater and more. The park has a café, tennis courts, a boat dock and a volleyball court. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to feed the squirrels and other forest dwellers.
Drink in the beautiful
Masterpieces of world art await you in the main museums of the country. We urge you not to waste time and go see the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery and the Hermitage. If you don’t want to queue, check if you can buy a ticket online on the museum’s official website.
Moscow
State Tretyakov Gallery on Lavrushinsky Lane offers a permanent exhibition “Masterpieces of Russian Art of the 11th – Early 20th Century”. There you can see paintings by Serov, Bryullov, Shishkin, Surikov and other famous artists. New Tretyakov Gallery on Krymsky Val presents Russian art of the 20th century – avant-garde, socialist realism and other “underground”.
State Museum of Fine Arts named after. A. S. Pushkina – a complex with a rich collection. The main building displays works and objects of antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, paintings by Botticelli, Rembrandt and Rubens. In the building across the street from the main building there is a Gallery of European and American art of the 19th – 20th centuries. There you can enjoy the world masterpieces of Manet, Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Rousseau and more.
Museum of Russian Impressionism is a modern private museum dedicated to the art of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. Here are paintings by outstanding Russian artists: Polenov, Korovin, Serov, Grabar and other authors who worked in the impressionism style.
St. Petersburg
State Hermitage Museum– a huge museum complex, without which an acquaintance with the city would be incomplete. It consists of several buildings where paintings, graphics, sculpture, objects of applied art and archaeological finds are collected.
Russian Museum is the largest museum of Russian art in the world. Its collection covers all periods, genres, movements and schools of Russian art from the 10th to the 21st centuries. The museum complex consists of several buildings, the main ones being Mikhailovsky Palace and Benoit Building.
Faberge Museum – a collection of works by the famous jewelry house. The collection includes nine Easter eggs created by Carl Faberge for the last two Russian emperors, as well as jewelry and accessories, ceremonial silver, precious haberdashery and interior items.
Understand contemporary art
After the classic exhibition halls, give yourself a little provocation and look at the objects and spaces of contemporary art.
Moscow
House of Culture “GES-2”on the territory of the oldest power plant in the center of Moscow. Here you will find modern exhibition halls, a library, a cinema, a concert hall, workshops, shops, a restaurant and cafe, a children’s playground, and you can also attend lectures.
GUM-Red-Line – gallery of contemporary art on the third floor of the GUM shopping complex. Contemporary Russian artists Vladimir Dubossarsky, Pavel Pepperstein, the art group AES+F, Georgy Totibadze and others exhibit there. Please note that from April 27 to May 10 Red Square will be closed in preparation for the Parade, so plan your route in advance.
Triumph Gallery is a private gallery of contemporary art in Kitai-Gorod. Collaborates with Russian and foreign authors, as well as with state museums of Russia. The main directions are painting, murals, sculpture, video and sound art, photography, installation.
St. Petersburg
Erarta is Russia’s largest private museum of contemporary art on Vasilyevsky Island. Here, on five floors, there are exhibitions of paintings, graphics, sculptures, photographs and art objects. Guests also have access to cinema halls, children’s programs, a cafe and a restaurant.
“Sevkabel” – art space overlooking the Gulf of Finland on the territory of a former factory in the industrial zone of Vasilievsky Island. There are exhibitions, master classes, festivals and performances, there are playgrounds, bars and cafes. Currently there is an installation based on the work of Banksy and an exhibition “Manga Art” dedicated to Japanese graphic stories.
For fans of the Leningrad rock club and contemporary art “Center for Contemporary Art of Sergei Kuryokhin.” The museum has a permanent exhibition of photographs of the musician, his friends and colleagues. Also in the museum’s collection you can find works by contemporary artists – representatives of the Leningrad underground.
Live in style
To make your holidays even better, choose all-inclusive hotels or city center accommodation options. This way you can think about nothing but your rest.
Moscow
Five-star hotel “Petrovsky Travel Palace” — from 5,500* rubles per night for two.
The luxurious building of this hotel was built in 1796. Here you can swim in the pool, go for a massage or go to the spa. In the morning, allow yourself to be lazy and order breakfast in bed.
Four-star hotel “Seasons” — from 8,100* rubles per night for two.
A small hotel with cozy interiors in a modern building. Within walking distance of the Anglican Church, museums and cathedrals of Moscow, Old Arbat. Here you can feel like a neighbor of N.V. Gogol, because the hotel is located 300 meters from his house-museum.
Four-star hotel “P 17” — from 9,200* rubles per night for two.
Stylish hotel with a bright interior in the center of Moscow. The historical hotel building is surrounded by museums, theaters, parks, cultural and architectural monuments. Just go outside and your feet will lead you to something interesting.
St. Petersburg
Five-star hotel “Renartiss Isaac” — from 11,400* rubles per night for two.
Choose this hotel if you want to wake up with a view of St. Isaac’s Cathedral or the rooftops of St. Petersburg. In addition to stylish bed and breakfast rooms, guests can enjoy a fitness center, swimming pool, saunas and a restaurant.
Five-star hotel Talion Imperial — from 16,500* rubles per night for two.
Luxurious hotel with royal interiors in the heart of St. Petersburg. It has all the infrastructure for recreation: restaurant, swimming pool and massage. At the same time, you are within walking distance from the Hermitage and the Kazan Cathedral.
Five-star hotel “Belmond Grand Hotel Europe” — from 18,000* rubles per night for two.
Premium rooms and suites with stylish interiors, restaurant and cafe in a building dating back to 1875. The hotel is located in the city center, and you can easily walk to the Catherine Garden, Mikhailovsky Square, the Russian Museum and the Kazan Cathedral.
*Prices are current at the time of publication.
