Suzdal is a small town 200 kilometers from Moscow, with a population of just under 10,000 people. Despite its smallness and provincialism, Suzdal is a fairy-tale city with a thousand-year history, with its cozy winding streets, fairy-tale houses with carved frames and the picturesque Kamenka River, which winds like a ribbon throughout the city.
Suzdal is an open-air museum city. More than 200 architectural monuments are collected on an area of just 15 square meters. km. You will not find such a number of temples, monasteries and bell towers in any other small city.
Approximate travel budget for one person – from 3,200 rubles*.
- There is no railway in Suzdal, so the easiest way to get there is by buses, which run every hour from Vladimir. Round-trip train tickets (from Moscow) from 499 rubles*.
- 1 night in a hostel – from 413 rubles* or in a 3* hotel – from 2700 rubles*;
- The average bill in a cafe is 300 rubles;
- Walks around the city, travel on public transport, souvenirs – 600 rubles.
Suzdal Kremlin
Photo: @olga_lomakina93/Instagram.com
The most ancient part of Suzdal, the historical center of the city, surrounded along the entire perimeter by defensive ramparts of the 11th-12th centuries, supposedly exists since the 10th century. On the territory of the Kremlin, the Bishops’ Chambers of the 18th century, the wooden St. Nicholas Church and the pearl of Suzdal – the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Cathedral of the 12th century, originally erected by decree of Prince Vladimir Monomakh, have been preserved. The Cathedral preserves frescoes from the 13th century, church utensils of rare beauty, as well as a unique monument of decorative and applied art – the “Golden Gate” of the early 13th century. The sons of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky, as well as representatives of various princely and boyar families, are buried in the necropolis of the cathedral.
Where is: Kremlyovskaya street, 27
Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 18:00, Tuesday – day off
Museum of Wooden Architecture and Peasant Life
Photo: @alexyshevchenko/@xvenya/Instagram.com
The Museum of Wooden Architecture in Suzdal appeared on the site of the Dmitrievsky Monastery destroyed by the Mongol-Tatars. The history of the museum began in the 60s of the 20th century, when a plan was developed to create a museum in Suzdal, where significant wooden architectural monuments from all over the Vladimir region would be collected. Now here you can see how middle peasants or wealthy peasants used to live, look at unique tent mills, a stepping well, “summer” and “winter” wooden churches. The museum hosts significant holidays for the city – Trinity Day, Cucumber Day, Maslenitsa festivities and Goose Fights.
Where is: Pushkarskaya street, 27B
Opening hours: Sunday-Thursday from 9:00 to 19:00, Friday-Saturday from 9:00 to 21:00
Trading area of Suzdal and Gostiny Dvor
Photo: @photosuzdal/@olichkrolich/Instagram.com
The Suzdal trading area dates back to the 12th century and still remains essentially unchanged, which is unique in itself. The square was always busy with fair trade and big city festivals. Here also stands Gostiny Dvor, built in the 19th century according to the type of St. Petersburg Gostiny Dvor, but in a much smaller version. The main part of the courtyard shops are trading ones. Here you can see antique and souvenir shops, visit a mead tasting or a restaurant. At the shopping area you can safely trade for delicious cucumbers, pickles, honey, sweets, as well as buy such unusual products as cucumber or pine cone jam, and take fireweed tea to wash it down.
Where is: Lenin Street, 63A
Monasteries
Deposition of the Robe Convent
Photo: @andrey.bass/@edwardroyzman/Instagram.com
One of the oldest monasteries in Rus’, was founded in 1207 and is closely connected with the name of the locally revered Saint Euphroinia of Suzdal, daughter of the Chernigov prince Michael.
The most ancient building on the territory of the monastery is considered to be the Nativity Cathedral from the 16th century. At the beginning of the 19th century, in honor of the victory of Russian troops over Napoleon, the Venerable Bell Tower, 72 meters high, was erected on the territory of the monastery, becoming the tallest building in the city. Now there is an observation deck open here, where everyone is allowed.
Where is: Lenin street, 79
Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery
Photo: @photosuzdal/Instagram.com
It was founded in 1352, by decree of Prince Boris Konstantinovich of Nizhny Novgorod. On the territory of the monastery, which is now considered a museum complex, there is the Transfiguration Cathedral (1594),
with a unique interior painting from the 17th century by an artel of craftsmen under the leadership of the Kostroma master Gury Nikitin. Exposition “Golden Pantry” with a collection of antiques: icons, church utensils, gold and silver embroidery. On the territory of the monastery you can visit the belfry and hear the incredibly beautiful ringing of the monastery bells. In the summer, the complex contains an “Apothecary Garden”, in which a large number of medicinal herbs, berries and vegetables are grown.
The entire architectural complex of the monastery is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Where is: Lenin Square
Holy Intercession Convent
Photo: @scarafagi0/Instagram.com
The Holy Intercession Convent was founded in 1364. This monastery became a place of imprisonment for noble women of Rus’. One of the first noble prisoners was the wife of Tsar Vasily III Salomonia Soburova, who received the name Sophia upon tonsure, and after her death was canonized as Venerable Sophia of Suzdal. To this day, in the necropolis of the Intercession Cathedral there are burials of noble women exiled here at different times.
Alexandrovsky Monastery
Photo: Photo: @o.n.ac/@kar.arrr/Instagram.com
According to legend, the monastery was founded by decree of Prince Alexander Nevsky in 1240. The Church of the Ascension of the Lord built in 1695, built at the expense of Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna, the mother of Peter I, has been preserved on the territory.
Where it is: on the left bank of the Kamenka River behind the Pokrovsky Bridge
Vasilievsky Monastery
Photo: putidorogi-nn.ru
Founded back in the 13th century, it was originally a powerful fortress – a fortification on the outskirts of the city. According to legend, on the site where Vasilievsky Cathedral now stands, there used to be a church in which Suzdal was baptized by the will and example of Prince Vladimir Red Sun.
Where it is: the monastery is located on Vasilyevskaya Street
Where to eat
Photo: @amaneser_/@mommy_nata/Instagram.com
You can try traditional Russian cuisine not far from the Kremlin at the “Russian Restoration” restaurant. The dishes here are prepared according to ancient recipes, and are served by waitresses in national Russian costumes and dishes made of clay, wood and on painted trays. Here, according to reviews from guests, these are some of the most delicious dumplings, of which there are up to 11 varieties in the restaurant, and for drinks we recommend trying cranberry and kvass.
Where is: Kremlyovskaya street, 10B
Preview photo: @_kuzemka_/Instagram.com
