Many centuries ago, Tver had every chance of becoming the capital of the state. But today Tver is just a city between two capitals. At one time, he was greatly favored by Catherine II, who said: “Tver is a small corner of St. Petersburg.” There are still ancient buildings preserved here, a picturesque embankment, and a bridge spanning the Volga, the twin of which stands in Budapest.
Spending a weekend in Tver will be interesting for residents of Moscow and the Moscow region, Yaroslavl, Veliky Novgorod, Smolensk, Vladimir and other nearby cities, the journey from which will not take much time.
Approximate travel budget for one person – from 3500 rubles*.
- Round-trip train tickets from the capital from 824 rubles*;
- 1 night in a hostel – from 300 rubles* or in a 3* hotel from 2100 rubles*;
- The average bill in a cafe is 400 rubles;
- Walks around the city, travel on public transport, souvenirs – 1000 rubles.
1. Trekhsvyatskaya Street
Photo: @ufootage_senkin/Instagram.com
Tver has its own local “Arbat” – this is Trekhsvyatskaya Street. Locals simply call it “three”. There are shops and cozy coffee shops where young people and street musicians gather, and artists exhibit their works. You can buy souvenirs at the stalls on nearby Radishcheva Boulevard. There is also a trendy coffee shop called Buna Buna, where creative meetings are often held and interesting coffee with rosemary, violet whipping, creamy desserts with lavender, various braids and much more are served. Wherever you turn from Trekhsvyatskaya, you will almost always come across ancient houses. On Krylov Street, for example, you will see the Tver “Swallow’s Nest”, reminiscent of a medieval castle.
2. Imperial Palace
Photo: @welcome.tver/Instagram.com
The palace is the calling card of Tver and a real find for lovers of art and architecture. It was built by order of Catherine II as a place where Her Majesty could stop to rest on the way from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Emperor Alexander I, his sister Ekaterina Pavlovna and her husband Prince Georg of Oldenburg stayed here, and the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II also visited the palace. In November 2017, the palace opened after almost five years of restoration. Today there is an art gallery here. The royal halls retained their rich decoration; the palace’s grand staircase was literally restored piece by piece, the Pink Hall was dressed in marble, and the Armorial Hall was decorated in the ancient Russian style. The Palace displays a collection of Russian artists dating back to the 18th century: paintings by Venetsianov, Levitan, Serov. There are icons and frescoes from the 15th-16th centuries.
Address: Sovetskaya street, 3
Entrance ticket cost: 250 rubles
Site: gallery.tver.ru
3. Embankment and city garden
Photo: Baturina Yuliya
To the right of the Imperial Palace is the city garden. In addition to flower arrangements, the park has interesting art objects: a wrought-iron carriage, a sofa made of grass, a lover’s bench, and in the summer, a dress made of roses. Here you can go on rides and look at the city from above from the Ferris wheel. From the garden there is access to the embankment. There is a monument to Alexander Pushkin here, and on the opposite bank there is a monument to the famous navigator Afanasy Nikitin. You will see that there are two bridges across the Volga. Openwork is the Old Bridge. It is very similar to the Freedom Bridge in Budapest. Only in Budapest is it green, and in Tver is it gray.
4. Memory Island
Photo: @andreydamirov/Instagram.com
Memory Island is a picturesque place in the center of Tver. Here the Tmaka and the Volga merge, an obelisk of Victory is installed, an alley is spread out, and on the edge of the bank there is a small chapel of Mikhail Yaroslavich. From here you have a beautiful view of the city. Now this territory is part of the former Tver Kremlin, which completely burned down in the 18th century.
Where it is: Victory Square (the island is located behind the Victory Obelisk)
5. Boat trip
At the River Station there is a pier where ships dock. If you wish, you can also take a walk along the Volga and look at the city from the water. The boat ride will take about forty minutes. On the shore near the pier you can buy souvenirs and also take pictures against the backdrop of large green letters “Tver”. The height of the art object is 3.5 meters, length is almost 15 meters.
Cost of a boat trip: on weekdays – 350 rubles, on weekends – 400 rubles. Motor ships also depart from the city garden.
6. Botanical Garden
Photo: @redhot_nasty/Instagram.com
The Botanical Garden in Tver is a great place to take a break from the bustle of the city. There is a small forest, an old pond, and greenhouses with flowers. The garden preserves the landscape of the ancient Zavolzhsky settlement of Tver from the 13th century! Walking here, you can forget that you are in the city, it is so quiet and pleasant here.
Page on the social network of the botanical garden
Address: Shevchenko street, 16
7. Morozov barracks
Photo: @athlet69/Instagram.com
Another ancient, beautiful, but, alas, dilapidated landmark of Tver is the Morozov Barracks. These houses are over a hundred years old. The town was built at the end of the 19th century by the Morozov merchants for workers who worked in their textile factory. Once there was its own hospital, theater and even an observatory. One of the last to appear was the “Paris” barracks, as the residents call it. At the beginning of the 20th century, this architectural complex won the Grand Prix at an international exhibition. Red brick, Gothic and Art Nouveau – the complex is still of architectural value to this day. And today, despite the devastation, the Morozov barracks remain special. There is even a saying among the townspeople: whoever has not seen the Morozov barracks has not seen Tver.
Where are: Dvor Proletarki street (Paris barracks – building 70)
8. “Glass”, or panorama from the 22nd floor
Photo: @katja_daniel/Instagram.com
If you want a beautiful selfie, go to the Tver “shot glass”. This is what the city calls the Tver business center for its unusual architectural appearance. This building was originally intended as a hotel for the 1980 Olympics, but for almost 30 years it became a long-term construction project. Now the 22-story center houses offices, and there is a panoramic platform on the roof. You can also have lunch here with a view of the city. The Panorama restaurant is located on the last 22nd floor. The cuisine here is classic, European. But what a view!
There are no problems with where to eat in Tver. There are many cafes, bars and restaurants here. For example, “Bourgeois” serves trendy burgers, bar BUDWEIS has an atmosphere like in Czech pubs, and “Barbeque” (Bar B.Q) has delicious food and an interesting interior: don’t be surprised if mini-pigs run up to you during dinner – little domestic piglets! If you come by car, be sure to go to the farm of Italian cheesemaker Pietro Mazza. He prepares cheeses using ancient Italian technologies. It takes about half an hour to get to his farm from Tver (Mednoe village, towards Torzhok).
Panorama restaurant website: panorama-tver.ru
Budweis website bar: budweisbar.ru
Pietro Mazza agricultural website: italferma.ru
Page on the social network of the burger bar “Bourgeois”
Page on the social network Bar B.Q.
* 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.
**Operating hours of organizations are indicated at the time of publication of the text. Opening hours may vary depending on the time of year.
Preview photo: @welcome.tver/Instagram.com
Author text: Evseeva Ekaterina
Oforyou can book hotels online on the website or in the OneTwoTrip app.
