The Kursk Magnetic Anomaly is the most powerful iron ore basin in the world. If you take out a compass here, you will notice the uncharacteristic behavior of the needle: it will not point north. The process of mining in giant quarries can be observed from an open observation deck. Such a mesmerizing panorama is worth traveling for several days. The trip will also be enhanced by other interesting sites of the Kursk region: Pripyat’s twin brother – the city of Kurchatov, the luxurious Maryino estate and the miraculous Korennaya Hermitage.
How to get to the Kursk region?
Kursk is connected to many cities by railway. For example, from Moscow you can get there by Lastochka in six hours, the ticket price starts from 880 rubles*. It will be faster by plane, in just over an hour, the price of the flight is from 7500 rubles* per person round trip.
But the most interesting option is to go by car: not all locations located in the Kursk region and along the road are well accessible by public transport. Rent a car in Moscow on OneTwoTrip, rental cost per day is from 2500 rubles*.
Features of the region
In many settlements of the Kursk region there is a speed limit of 30-40 km/h. Pay close attention to the signs to avoid fines.
Where to stay
Tourist Base Hostel – from 800 rubles* per night per person;
Aurora business hotel and spa – from 3600 rubles* per night for two;Business hotel “Element” – from 4900 rubles* per night for two.
Day 1: Moscow – Dubrovitsy – Orel – Kursk
From Moscow to Kursk is approximately 500 km, which can be covered along the M-2 highway in seven hours. However, we recommend leaving early as there are several long stops along the way.
Dubrovitsy (Podolsk)
The Dubrovitsy estate, which belonged to the Golitsyn family, is located approximately 40 km from the Moscow Ring Road along the Simferopol highway. It is famous for its unparalleled Baroque Church of the Sign. The lush, rocket-shaped building made of dark stone is decorated with numerous figures of people, angels, flowers, leaves and fruits. Instead of a dome, it is crowned with a crown. The temple is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Inspection time: 30 minutes.
Eagle
From Dubrovitsy to Orel is almost 380 km. And if you plan lunch in this period, then the safest thing to do would be to stop at one of the Tula restaurants on the way. The city of Orel is located next to the M-2 highway. Writers Ivan Turgenev, Afanasy Fet, Leonid Andreev, Mikhail Prishvin and Nikolai Leskov were born and lived on Oryol land. The only memorial house-museum of N. S. Leskov in Russia is located in the city. A monument to the author and his characters has been unveiled in a nice park on the banks of the Orlik River. The square with the rotunda “The Noble Nest” repeatedly appears on the pages of Russian literature, and the giant art object “Eagle” is installed on the station square.
Time for visiting the museum: two hours.
Entrance to the museum: 70 rubles*.
Kursk
After another 160 km, the M-2 highway leads directly to Kursk. Today there will only be time to have dinner, decide on a hotel and prepare for tomorrow’s busy trip around the Kursk region.
Day 2: Maryino Estate – Kurchatov – Kursk
Maryino Estate
Photo: Vladimir Mulder/shutterstock.com
In the 19th century, the luxurious estate of the Baryatinsky princes outshone many royal residences. They say that the treasury often borrowed from a wealthy family. During the Soviet period, the assets of the estate, located approximately 110 km from Kursk, were either transferred to other museums or lost. But today the estate building and the magnificent park with the lake have been restored. And by 2026, the reconstruction of the interiors should be completed. The park is open from 9:00 to 17:00, and it is better to check the opening days by phone before your trip.
Time for inspection: hours.
Entrance with guided tour: 300 rubles.
Kurchatov
The city of nuclear scientists Kurchatov is located 60 km from Maryino towards Kursk. The Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, one of the largest nuclear power plants in Russia, built according to a project similar to Chernobyl, still operates here. A walk along the cooling pond gives an idea of what Pripyat could have become if the accident had not happened. After all, Kurchatov is practically its twin with minor differences in layout. An obligatory photo point on the route is the amazing “Peaceful Atom” monument near the Prometheus cinema.
Inspection time: one and a half hours.
Kursk
Photo: cad_wizard/shutterstock.com
An hour after leaving Kurchatov we return to Kursk and end the evening with a small city tour of the main points of the city. We start our walk from the elegant red and white building of the Assembly of the Nobility, and then examine the ensemble of Red Square. Let’s take a look at the neighboring Park named after. On May 1 and further along Lenin Street we will come to the Resurrection and Elias Church with a mirror twin reflected in the walls of the neighboring bank. Tourists usually look for a funny angle for a photo here. Opposite the temple we notice a monument to the Antonovka apple and continue along Lenin Street past the tower-like Kursk branch of the State Bank to Perekalsky Square, where we photograph the sculpture “Date”, which depicts a young man flying through time. We finish the walk with a tour of the Kursk Bulge Memorial Complex. To save time, you can travel several stops by public transport.
Time for a walk: two hours.
Day 3: Kursk – Root Desert – Kursk Magnetic Anomaly (Zheleznogorsk) – Mtsensk – Moscow
Red deserts
This monastery, 30 km from Kursk, is known as a holy place where real miracles happen. Childless couples often come to one of the most important Orthodox centers in Russia to pray for procreation. The indigenous miraculous spring, according to legend, appeared here 700 years ago. It is pleasant to wander in silence in the cozy abode, made in blue and blue tones.
Inspection time: 30 minutes.
Zheleznogorsk (Kursk Magnetic Anomaly)
One of the largest quarries for the extraction of iron ore – Mikhailovsky GOK – is located 120 km from the Korennaya Hermitage near Zheleznogorsk. The depth of the quarry is 373 meters. Giant mining trucks, cranes and trains look like toys from the height of a specially equipped observation platform. The ground around repaints the car’s wheels a characteristic red color. In Zheleznogorsk it is worth visiting the monument to the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly, and not far from the development site there is a parking lot for BELAZ trucks – huge dump trucks whose wheels are 2.5 times larger than the height of an adult.
Inspection time: 40 minutes.
Mtsensk
After another 160 km – a short stop in the county town, which became famous as the birthplace of Ivan Turgenev (Spasskoye-Lutovino estate). Its surroundings appear repeatedly in the author’s works.
The city is also known as the location of the events of N. Leskov’s essay “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District”. In the prosperous house of the merchant Izmailov, which, according to urban legend, stands at the intersection of Lenin and Sovetskaya streets, the writer “settled” the main character of the story. However, there are no documentary facts confirming that the tragedy described by the author occurred here.
Inspection time: 40 minutes.
*Prices valid at time of publication
