The first month of summer is leaving in small steps, with partly cloudy weather. Nizhny Novgorod, like any other million-plus city, receives crowds of tourists. Of course, you can take a standard excursion along Rozhdestvenskaya Street, look at houses and churches with a lot of history. In the evening you can stroll along the Fedorovsky embankment, watch the sunset while sitting on the banks of the Volga, and see the city strewn with thousands of lanterns. But, you must admit, this is too boring and banal. It is much more interesting to visit the places where Nizhny Novgorod residents themselves like to go and spend time.
- Round-trip train tickets from Moscow from 2,300 rubles*;
- 1 night in a hostel – from 360 rubles* or in a 3* hotel – from 1000 rubles*;
- The average bill in a cafe is 400 rubles;
- Walking around the city, travel on public transport, souvenirs – 800 rubles.
Interesting excursions from local residents in Nizhny Novgorod
Daily trains to Nizhny Novgorod also come from Vladimir (3 hours on the way), Ivanovo (5 hours travel), Saransk (7.5 hours travel), Yaroslavl (8.5 hours travel), Ryazan (9.5 hours on the way).
1. Cable car
The cable car connects Nizhny Novgorod and Bor, a small satellite town known throughout the country for its glass factory. This is the only crossing over water in Russia and Europe, with a length of 3.6 kilometers. In a 15-minute journey you can enjoy scenic views of the city. Upon arrival on the left bank of the Volga, you can buy a ticket and go back. It’s better to take a walk along Victory Square in the city of Bor; a two-minute walk is the Museum of Military Equipment.
You won’t be left on the other side: cabins run every 3-5 minutes. Perhaps this is the cheapest attraction in the city. The cost of a one-way ticket is 90 rubles.
Kazanskaya embankment, 8A.
Operating hours: Mon-Thu 6:45 -21:00.
Fri-Sat 6:45-22:00.
Sun 9:00-22:00.
*The last booths leave the stations 15 minutes before until the end of work.
2. “The Seventh Guest at Mayakovka”
A fashionable and popular establishment combines a coffee shop, a chocolate bar and a pastry shop. The menu includes many signature desserts and drinks.
Light walls, large windows, lots of light, unobtrusive music – the whole atmosphere is conducive to a leisurely feast.
The pastry shop is located on the top floor of a five-story building. The calling card of this establishment is the observation tower, which offers stunning views of the Christmas side. The floor below is occupied by the theater venue “Mayakovka, 10”, and this means that gastronomic pleasure can be complemented by aesthetic pleasure – a trip to the theater.
St. Rozhdestvenskaya, 10 (5th floor).
Opening hours: daily from 11:00 to 22:00.
info:+7 (831) 291-76-81.
3. Architectural and Ethnographic Museum-Reserve “Shchelkovo Farm”
In the very center of Nizhny there is a monument of wooden architecture “Shchelkovsky Farm” – the most famous museum in Russia of the architecture and life of the peoples of the Nizhny Novgorod Volga region of the late 17th and early 20th centuries. The exposition is located on a large forested area of 36 hectares. The most valuable exhibits of the museum are peasant houses brought from different parts of the Nizhny Novgorod region, old churches, outbuildings, carved wells, and century-old mills. Museum workers regularly conduct educational excursions, introducing visitors to the life and rituals of bygone centuries. “Shchelkovo Farm” has served as a film set more than once: scenes from “The Barber of Siberia”, “Children of the Arbat” and “The Cherry Pool” were filmed here.
St. Gorbatovskaya, 41.
Operating hours: Tue-Sat 10:00 — 16:00.
info: +7 (831) 422-40-55.+7 (831) 422-40-56.
4. State Center for Contemporary Art “Arsenal”
The only organization in the entire Volga region that is engaged in the development of contemporary art in every sense: organizing exhibitions, creating its own projects, research activities, working with children and teenagers to develop talent and taste. The center often hosts international exhibitions. Among the exhibits you can see both complex instrumental exhibitions and a simple museum poster. The building of the Center for Contemporary Art, restored over 11 years, has great historical value. This building once housed a cartographic archive, and in 2003 its place was given over to exhibition space.
Kremlin, 6.
Operating hours: Tue-Sun 12: 00 -20:00.
info: +7 (831) 422-75-55.
+7 (831) 422-45-54.
*Entrance every Wednesday free.
Photo: Gallery “FUTURO”
5. Gallery “FUTURO”
The private gallery “FUTURO” is located in a house built back in the 19th century at the expense of the benefactor and industrialist Perepletchikov. For two centuries there was so much here: inns, offices, a hotel, a bank, communal apartments, and later – the Mayakovsky Theater.
The preserved walls of the house with high ceilings and stucco provide an excellent backdrop for painting. Nowadays there are opening days and lectures on fashion, there is an exhibition hall and an art incubator.
St. Rozhdestvenskaya, 6.
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 12:00 – 20:00.
info: +7 967 713-67-50.
6. Museum of the History of the Gorky Automobile Plant
In the GAZ History Museum you can see the first models that came off the assembly line – GAZ-AA, iconic cars from the times of the USSR – GAZ-21 Volga, GAZ-13 Chaika, as well as trucks. In addition to the cars, factory relics are presented: the banner of the State Defense Committee, the Grand Prix of the Brussels car exhibition GAZ-21 “Volga”, GAZ-13 “Chaika” GAZ-52, documents on awarding the car plant with the Order of the Soviet Union and many others.
pr. Lenina, 95, building of the GAZ Group training center.
Operating hours: Mon-Thu 9:00 -18:00.
Fri 9:00 — 17:00.
Sat 9:00 — 16:00.
info: +7 (831) 290-86-98.*The last Friday of each month is a sanitary day.
7. Rock-Bar
Scratched walls, stylish posters, a motorcycle suspended from the ceiling, a bar counter that sometimes serves as a dance floor – this is what you will see when you come here.
The bar opened in the early 2000s as a meeting place for the city’s rock scene. Russian and foreign performers performed on the stage of the establishment. Even during the heyday of club life, the “Rock Bar” did not lose any of its popularity.
Among Nizhny Novgorod artists, the bar is a symbolic place; it’s quite an honor to be on its stage. Every week from Friday to Sunday, city residents have fun here at fiery parties.
info/reserve: 4192636.
+7 (831) 419-26 -36.
8. Excursion tram
A long four-hour trip, of which 1.5 hours are devoted to a walk around the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin and the historical center – the pedestrian street Bolshaya Pokrovskaya. The excursion includes a visit to the Nizhny Novgorod Museum of Electrical Transport. In the summer, the excursion tram-cafe is especially popular, so you should sign up for the walk in advance.
Excursion schedule and ticket reservations: nn.kassir.ru.
info: +7 (831)430-00-68.
9. Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street
The main walking street of Nizhny Novgorod, connecting Minin and Pozharsky squares, Teatralnaya, Gorky and Lyadov squares. Until the beginning of the 20th century, only nobles and local nobility lived on the street.
Bolshaya Pokrovskaya stretched for about two kilometers, most of which were for walking and closed to traffic. The buildings of ancient mansions now house numerous cafes, restaurants, shops and stalls where you can buy souvenirs made by craftsmen.
On the cobblestone street there are interesting sculptures of a policeman, a cheerful goat, a fashionista in front of a mirror, and a shoe shiner, with whom tourists love to take pictures.
10. Chkalov Staircase
Consists of 560 steps descending to the Volga embankment from the St. George Tower of the Kremlin. On a clear summer evening, this is one of the best places to watch the sunset.
At the top of the stairs there is a monument to test pilot and Hero of the Soviet Union Valery Chkalov, whose name it bears. It was founded in honor of the victory in the Battle of Stalingrad and was built by German prisoners of war with the participation of the local population. The cost of construction at that time amounted to 7.5 million rubles, for which the then chairman of the city executive committee was accused of embezzlement of budget funds, removed from office and arrested.
* Prices for travel and accommodation are indicated at the time of writing. The cost indicated in the material and the final price may vary depending on the season and time for which tickets are purchased.
Text author: Elizaveta Vysotskaya
