Tired of standard rooms with the same furniture and banal interior? Or you just want unusual sensations on vacation? We tell you how to plunge into the atmosphere of the novel “The Master and Margarita”, where to live in a fairy-tale kingdom with big-eyed mushrooms or in a taiga village, spend the night in imperial style or in the spartan conditions of a former prison castle.
The era of crinolines: the Hermitage Hotel, St. Petersburg
The official hotel of the State Hermitage carefully preserves the majestic spirit of imperial St. Petersburg. Luxurious interiors recreate the atmosphere of a palace museum with its grand staircases, Italian marble, sculptures and elegant halls. At the hotel entrance, guests are greeted by a doorman in an authentic tsarist uniform, and the Catherine the Great restaurant serves Russian cuisine based on historical recipes from the Winter Palace menu. Even the tableware was made at the imperial factory, which once supplied tableware to the court. From the summer terrace on the roof there is a beautiful view of the center of St. Petersburg.
In the world of literature: boutique hotel “Biblioteka”, Vologda
This is not an ordinary stay for a couple of nights, but a designer hotel for book lovers. Each of the ten volumes is designed in the style of a cult work: paintings, interior details, color combinations and quotes are tastefully selected.
Yellow flowers transport you to the atmosphere of “The Master and Margarita”, colorful arabesques and oriental motifs are reminiscent of Scheherazade’s fairy tales, and the “volume” of “Dandelion Wine” is permeated with lightness and summer warmth. We recommend reading and discussing your favorite novels in a gastrobar-lounge or a local bookstore. Tired of friendly discussions and interpretations of the author’s plans, go to the pool or hammam – the bath club is located right in the hotel.
Among the mushrooms with eyes: hotel “In a certain kingdom”, Ryazan
A fabulous entertainment complex in a bright old Russian style with a great variety of sculptures, knights, dragons, boats, carved gazebos, cozy towers and lakes with swans. Exploring the spacious territory will be interesting for both children and adults: stylized playgrounds and houses, a rope park and entertaining art objects will not let you get bored. Walk along unknown paths, look for traces of unprecedented animals (or visit animals already known to science on a farm) and take a photo with the unofficial symbols of Ryazan – giant mushrooms with eyes.
In a hermit’s spirit: “Taiga Dachas”, Zvenigorod
Stumpy huts rooted in the ground, moss on the roof and logs darkened by bad weather and time – it seems that in this remote taiga harsh tracker-hunters could hide or ascetic hermits could live for decades. Inside there is the appropriate surroundings: a whitewashed stove with shelves, huge logs instead of furniture and pottery. In addition to hunting lodges, in the settlement you can live in a dacha that is more familiar to a city dweller. Entertainment includes walks through the forest and photo sessions with haystacks.
Siberian hard labor: hostel “Prisoner”, Tobolsk
An option for those who are not afraid of ghosts. Once upon a time, the Prison Castle was a grim milestone on the convicts’ route to Siberia and one of the most terrible places of detention, first in the Russian Empire and then in Soviet Russia. Among the thousands of transported shackles and convicts, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Nikolai Chernyshevsky and Vladimir Korolenko visited here. The latter described the horrors of prison life in the story “Yashka” – re-read it before the trip to get into the spirit of those events.
Today in the Tobolsk Central there is a Museum of Siberian hard labor and exile, as well as the “Prisoner” hostel – its rooms are equipped in former cells. The surroundings have been partially preserved, including massive wooden doors with bars and locks, dim light and small windows. The hostel is located on Red Square, a couple of minutes walk from the Kremlin.
Among contemporary art: art park “Nikola-Lenivets”, Kaluga region
The Nikola-Lenivets Art Park is the largest in the European part of Russia. There are a lot of accommodation options here, from the usual guest houses to tents on the podium, tents, eco-friendly modular houses, skate headquarters and original art residences made of concrete slabs. The creations of contemporary artists can be seen right from their doorstep. The theme of the Archstoyanie 2022 festival, which will be held from July 29 to 31, is “Happiness is ?.” The program includes music, open-air dancing and creativity. It is better to book accommodation in advance.
In the spirit of the Middle Ages: Nesselbeck Castle, Kaliningrad Region
The Teutonic fortress was recreated according to ancient drawings and conveys the spirit of the Middle Ages: round towers, an imitation drawbridge, luxurious four-poster beds, fireplaces, coats of arms and hunting trophies on the walls. In the backyard of the castle, knightly tournaments and horse-and-fire shows take place. Guests can watch a gallery show, try on armor, practice archery, or explore the dark side of the era at the Torture Museum. After the experience, a restaurant with its own brewery and a spa complex with a hammam, sauna and beer baths will help restore peace of mind.
Chasing the beast: Bronze Boar Hotel, Voronezh
The symbol and guiding star of this design hotel, housed in a building from the first half of the 19th century, is a funny pig, embodied in sculptures, logos and various figures. The name refers guests to Andersen’s famous fairy tale – you must agree, you wouldn’t expect to find such an association in Voronezh. Don’t be surprised by the “bare” concrete and brick areas in the interior – during the reconstruction, the owners tried to preserve the ancient details as carefully as possible, including wooden beams, tiles and wall masonry. After walking along the embankment and learning about the history of Voronezh shipbuilding at the Goto Predestination Museum, an elegant replica of the first battleship of the Russian Navy, spend the evening in the watery element of the hotel spa area.
Closer to the hobbits: domed house, Sochi
The structure itself resembles a cross between a hobbit hole, a domed hotel and a nomad yurt. The green-gray sphere seemed to have rolled between the spurs of the mountains. The interior is a whimsical mixture of oriental motifs, grandmother’s woven rugs, smoothly curved walls and an impressive Buleryan stove instead of a traditional potbelly stove. On the territory there are two more studio houses with an original design – there is enough space even for a large company. In the evening, you can arrange gatherings around a common fire amid a riot of flowers and unusual landscape design.
In a capsule hotel on the slope of Elbrus
Among the eternal snows on the southern slope of the highest point in Russia, futuristic capsules of a modern mountain shelter froze. The modules, similar to alien ships, are equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable stay – from sleeping bags to wireless Internet. The panoramic windows of the wardroom allow you to admire fantastic sunrises and sunsets in the warmth. Accommodation includes three meals a day at a buffet table. All this will make you doubt whether you need to climb this mountain.
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