Opportunities to travel abroad are still limited, but this is not a reason to be upset: on the contrary, it is an excellent opportunity to explore the Moscow region. OneTwoTrip selected cities for travelers in different directions from the capital and planned activities for every taste. The choice is yours: you can make a pilgrimage to Sergiev Posad, visit Russian Switzerland – Zvenigorod, stay alone with nature in Pereslavl-Zalessky, visit the miniature Kremlin and eco-farms in Zaraysk, or enjoy the best pastila and kalachi in Kolomna.
Zvenigorod and Dunino
How to get there
From Moscow to Zvenigorod is about 70 kilometers. You can overcome them by car, train or bus. Electric trains to Zvenigorod depart from the Belorussky railway station, but you can also board at Savelovsky, the Begovoy, Fili or Kuntsevo MCD stations. Travel time is 1 hour 20 minutes. A one-way ticket costs an average of 160 rubles. From the station to the city center you will have to take a minibus – this is another 40 minutes and 30 rubles. You can get to Zvenigorod a little faster by bus, which departs from the Tushinskaya station (No. 455), “Kuntsevskaya” (No. 452) and “Strogino” (route 881).
What to watch
The surroundings of Zvenigorod with the natural reserve “Valley of the Storozhka River” are called Russian Switzerland. One of the main places of attraction is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, built at the end of the 14th century. It is believed that he was the first to receive lavra status in Russia. Nearby is the Savvinsky monastery – a cave where Savva Storozhevsky, a student of Sergius of Radonezh, lived in solitude. You can get there on foot.
In the city you will be able to touch the places of Chekhov – the writer worked here as a doctor. Excursions lead to a linden stump – this is all that remains of the tree under which the prose writer loved to relax and write.
Not far from the Zvenigorod railway station is the Vvedenskoye estate, the former residence of Prince Lopukhin. At one time, Bondarchuk Sr. filmed “War and Peace” here. You can take a walk through the pine forest and the estate with a guided tour (for 400 rubles). Complete your tour of the city with a visit to the Museum of Russian Dessert, where sweets are prepared according to ancient recipes. Try lefties (the old-fashioned equivalent of chewing gum), rye gingerbread, Guryev porridge and carrot sweets. Admission is free.
If you go on this trip by car, on the way back stop at Dunino, where the Prishvin house-museum in the style of Northern architecture is located. Here you can feel the old dacha atmosphere, because the decor of the summer dacha has been perfectly preserved. Walk along the trails and be inspired by the local nature, surrounded by spruce, linden and apple orchards, and before the road, drink tea from a samovar.
A sightseeing tour will cost 200 rubles, it is better to sign up in advance.
Kolomna
How to get there
From Moscow to Kolomna is a little more than 100 kilometers. You can get there by bus (No. 460) from the Kotelniki metro station, travel time is 1.5-2 hours.
There is a train from the Kazansky station, you need to get off at the Golutvin station (travel time – 2-2.5 hours). The cost of a train ticket and a bus ticket is the same, about 300 rubles one way. Tram number 3 runs from the station to the old town.
What to watch
It’s worth visiting the city for the historical center: the lovely Kremlin with the Pyatnitsky Gate, numerous cathedrals and fortress walls near the embankment. Perhaps the main thing people come to Kolomna for is pastila. Therefore, a mandatory point of the program is a visit to the cafe at the Pastila Museum. The best way to spend an autumn day is to warm up with “herbal” tea with a bite of multi-colored marshmallow, which, they say, was Dostoevsky’s favorite delicacy. The local kalach will appeal to those indifferent to sweets. The main kalachnaya is located to the right of the Kremlin, the most popular type of filling is goose pate.
The Museum of Organic Culture deserves special attention, where works of the Russian avant-garde of the early last century and a collection of naive art are presented.
Not long ago, a new modern space appeared in the city – a creative co-working space in the building of a former silk factory. Master classes and excursions are held here, where they will talk about the history of the factory and teach how to work at the machine. We recommend just taking a walk around the city to feel its desolation and romance, see historical buildings and rickety huts, and also find the most beautiful houses with a mezzanine.
Sergiev Posad and Abramtsevo
How to get there
Sergiev Posad is located 60 kilometers from Moscow. The most convenient way is to take bus No. 388 from VDNKh station (travel time 1.5 hours). The train that departs from the Yaroslavl station travels the same amount; you can get there by express in an hour. Ticket prices are 200-300 rubles.
What to watch
The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, the heart of the city, attracts not only Russians, but also tourists from all over the world. The largest monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built in the 14th century and known primarily as the place where Andrei Rublev painted his famous Trinity icon.
This year is probably the best time when you can visit the monastery and carefully study the icons without crowds of foreigners. There is an observation deck in the city center, from where you can admire the view of the autumn laurel from a swing.
And don’t limit yourself to just the laurel. In the vicinity of the city there are plenty of equally beautiful monasteries; you can also stop by the Abramtsevo Museum-Reserve, creative residence of Polenov, Repin, Levitan, Vrubel and Vasnetsov.
Pereslavl-Zalessky and Pleshcheyevo Lake
How to get there
The city is located 130 kilometers from Moscow. The most convenient way to get there is by bus, which regularly departs from the Shchelkovsky station and the Northern Gate bus station. Travel time is two hours, one-way ticket starts from 500 rubles.
What to watch
Start acquaintance with the ancient city from traditional attractions: the Transfiguration Cathedral of the 12th century, where Alexander Nevsky was baptized, the Sorokosvyatsky Church, St. Nicholas and Nikitsky monasteries, the Kremlin. There are many thematic museums in Pereslavl: the Iron Museum, the Museum of Steam Locomotives, the Museum of Cunning and Ingenuity, the Museum of Peasant Design “Horse in a Coat” and others.
Within the city there is an Arboretum with an area of about 60 hectares, where you can get acquainted with the flora of the Far East, Japan and even North America.
City tourists are especially attracted by the huge Pleshcheyevo Lake. It was here that the Russian fleet was born under Peter I, and the Boat of Peter I museum houses the only surviving boat of the amusing flotilla. The northeastern shore of Lake Pleshcheevo is hills, offering a breathtaking view of the city. There are also places for camping here. Fans of active recreation can ride sup-boards, kite or windsurf on the lake.
Pereslavl is also famous for its fishing, so don’t miss the opportunity to try the local vendace. To have time to see the city and enjoy nature to the fullest, set aside two days for the trip.
Zaraisk
How to get there
From Moscow to Zaraysk 145 kilometers. Bus No. 330 runs from the Kotelniki metro station (costs about 400 rubles), Approximate travel time is 2.5 hours. You will have to travel by train through Kolomna (cost about 300 rubles): from the Kazansky station, go to the Golutvin station (2-2.5 hours), and then another hour on bus number 31 to Zaraysk.
What to watch
Zaraisk is known for the smallest military Kremlin. In recent years, the city has been actively improving: you can see it by walking along the main Krasnoarmeyskaya Street, going to the legendary bakery of the Zaraisky Bread Factory and the “Tavern at the Tower” for lunch. But some places are not yet accessible: repairs to the embankment are being completed, and the park with a rose garden and a lake with swans is closed for restoration. But this is not a reason to postpone your trip: for 100 rubles, climb the water tower, which offers views of the city from a height of 30 meters. Learn more about the history of the city at the Zaraisky Kremlin Museum-Reserve and visit house-museum of Golubkina – the first female sculptor.
Zaraisk is known as Dostoevsky’s small homeland: the writer spent his childhood in the Darovoye estate. Nearby is the village of Monogarovo, where the Dostoevsky family went to services at the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit.
In the vicinity of Zaraysk there are many farms, which, alas, are almost impossible to reach by public transport: the Zolottsev apiary, where you can feel like a beekeeper, a farm in Zlykhino, where the owners will be happy to give you a tour. Families with children will be interested in visiting the “Angel” equestrian club.
Text author: Ulyana Bondarenko
