Russian cities are rich in historical and natural monuments. Together with TASS we have prepared a selection of places in different parts of the country where you can go for a few days in March.
Curonian Spit in the Kaliningrad region
Photo: Olesya Melnikova/TASS
The world’s largest sand bar, 98 kilometers long, is located in the north of the region. Part of it lies on the territory of Russia, part – in Lithuania. Around the Curonian Spit there are sand dunes, a coniferous forest with unusual trees whose trunks are twisted into loops, wild animals that like to go out onto the road in the evening to be fed by drivers, an ornithological station and ecological trails.
The highest point of the spit is the top of the Orekhovoy dune – Efa (62 meters above sea level). On the route to it there are equipped observation platforms with views of the bay, sea and the nearest settlement. There is a strict rule: you cannot walk on the dunes: they are destroyed by human impact. For violation there is a fine of about 4000 rubles.
You can get to the spit all year round. All information about the time, opening hours and conditions of visiting (entrance to the territory of the national park is paid) is on the official website of the national park.
How to get there and where to live:
You need to fly to Kaliningrad. The cost of a round-trip air ticket per person is from 3,600 rubles*.
The spit itself can be reached from Kaliningrad or coastal resorts. The most convenient way to travel around the Kaliningrad region is by car – this way you can see a large number of attractions without being tied to the public transport schedule. Renting a car on OneTwoTrip at Kaliningrad airport will cost from 2600 rubles* per day.
We have selected several accommodation options for you:
Ibis Kaliningrad Center – from 3100 rubles* per night per person;
Universal (Svetlogorsk) – from 2400 rubles* per night per person;
Boutique hotel PARADOX (Zelenogradsk) – from 3100 rubles* per night per person.
Teletskoye Lake in Altai
Photo: Kirill Kukhmar/TASS
This is the largest lake in the Altai Mountains. Most of the reservoir is surrounded by the Altai Nature Reserve. Locals call the lake Golden – it received the name “Teletskoye” about 400 years ago, because the Turkic Telesy tribes lived on its shores.
This is one of the four deepest freshwater lakes in Russia; at a depth of 323 meters there are sunken boats, cars, and crashed planes. Fish do not fall below 100 meters. There are many legends and mysteries associated with the reservoir; mystical stories can be heard from local fishermen or tour guides.
The water in the lake is cold, and even in summer it warms up to about 16 degrees. For swimming, local guides advise visiting the heated pools at local recreation centers.
How to get there and where to live:
A plane ticket to Gorno-Altaisk will cost from 15,100 rubles* per person round trip.
You can stop, for example, in the village of Artybash. We selected several options:
Hotel “Artybash” – from 4600 rubles* per night per person;
Guest House Kedroviy Dvorik – from 3000 rubles* per night per person;
Taezhniy prival – from 1800 rubles* per night per person.
By car you will get to the village of Artybash in about two and a half – three hours.
Lake Proval in Pyatigorsk
Photo: Sergey Fadeichev/TASS
A natural well on the southern slope of Mount Mashuk was discovered after the failure of limestone rocks. The diameter of the lake is small – only 11 meters, and the water is crystal blue due to sulfur.
It was the representatives of the “water society” who looked at him from above in Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time.” Today you can see the lake from an observation deck fenced with a lattice; to do this you will need to go through a 40-meter tunnel in the mountain or climb up a stone staircase.
You can’t swim, but at least you can wet your feet with water from the lake in the natural bath located next to the Proval.
How to get there and where to live:
You need to fly to Mineralnye Vody. The cost of an air ticket is about 3,900 rubles* round trip per person.
You can rent a car right at the airport (from 5,100 rubles* per day on OneTwoTrip) – the travel time from the airport to Pyatigorsk will be just over half an hour. You can also use railway transport, getting from Mineralnye Vody to Pyatigorsk in about 30-40 minutes.
Accommodation options in Pyatigorsk:
Hotel “Beshtau” – from 3700 rubles* per night per person;
Congress Hotel “Intourist” – from 3300 rubles* per night per person;
Hayat Spa Hotel – from 3000 rubles* per night per person.
Kizhi in Karelia
Photo: Ilya Timin/TASS
On the island in Lake Onega there are ancient wooden chapels, mills, barns and houses. One of the largest open-air museums in Russia has 82 monuments. At the heart is the ensemble of the Kizhi churchyard with the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, which is crowned with 22 chapters.
The temple, built in 1714, has been under restoration for the last 10 years and opened in the summer of 2021. But the church was closed back in the 80s of the last century, and it was impossible to see it from the inside. Over the course of a decade, it was possible to restore logs and 16 wooden domes, on which 34,000 ploughshares—traditional aspen tiles—were replaced. The iconostasis of the late 17th and early 18th centuries has been completely preserved.
You can visit the museum all year round, conditions depend on the time of year, details are listed on the official website.
How to get there and where to live:
A flight to Petrozavodsk will cost from 5,000 rubles* per person round trip. We recommend visiting Kizhi as part of an excursion that includes the road to the island.
We have selected several accommodation options for you in Petrozavodsk:
Hotel “Severnaya” – from 2700 rubles* per night per person;
“Cosmos Petrozavodsk Hotel” —from 3400 rubles* per night per person;
Spa Hotel “Karelia” – from 2800 rubles* per night per person.
Bulgars in Tatarstan
Photo: Egor Aleev/TASS
The city was founded by Turkic-speaking tribes of the Volga region, but after the attack of the Golden Horde in the 13th century it was almost completely destroyed. What its appearance was like before the Mongol invasion is no longer known. The Bolgars were rebuilt from stone, and today this is practically the only place with ruins from the times of the Golden Horde.
In 2012, a modern White Mosque with domes, minarets and traditional Islamic stained glass windows opened in the city. In the evening, the entire complex is illuminated and the lights are reflected in the artificial lake. Near the temple there is a memorial sign in honor of the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgars in 922.
How to get there and where to live:
You can fly to Kazan. The cost of an air ticket is from 4,400 rubles* per person round trip. We recommend visiting Bolgar by going there from the capital of Tatarstan; here are several accommodation options in Kazan:
Hotel “Europe” – from 3800 rubles* per night per person;
Ibis Kazan Center – from 2800 rubles* per night per person;
Mansion on Theater — from 2000 rubles* per night per person.
You can rent a car on OneTwoTrip right at the Kazan airport (from 4,000 rubles* per day). The journey to Bolgar from the capital of Tatarstan will take about two and a half hours.
*Prices valid at the time of publication
Main photo: Irina Mandrykina/TASS
