Beautiful, sunny Krasnodar is included in the rankings of the best cities every year and deservedly so. First of all, the number of parks, squares and flowerbeds, the amazing cleanliness and tidiness of the streets are impressive. The narrow streets of the old center, paved with paving stones, with preserved architectural monuments, coexist with busy streets with an endless stream of cars and glass high-rise buildings. In the capital of Kuban, everyone will find a place to their liking.
Spending a weekend in Krasnodar will be interesting for residents of Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd, Sochi, Novorossiysk and other nearby cities, the journey from which will not take a little time.
Approximate travel budget for one person: from 4,500 rubles.
- Train tickets round-trip from 1,900 rubles*;
- 1 night in a hostel – from 450 rubles* or in a 3* hotel – from 1,100 rubles*;
- The average bill in a cafe is 400 rubles;
- Walks around the city, travel on public transport, souvenirs – 800 rubles.
You can get from Moscow to Krasnodar by train in 1.5 days or by plane in 2 hours. Ticket prices start from 1,750 rubles and 2,290 rubles, respectively. There are 14 flights from Moscow to Krasnodar per day and the same number of trains departing.
1. Krasnaya Street.This is Arbat on a local scale: many monuments, city museums, the Musical and Drama theaters, the Philharmonic and even the main temple are located on this street. In addition to architectural and historical monuments, there are many cafes and restaurants. Every gourmet will be able to choose an establishment to suit his taste. On weekends, Krasnaya hosts fairs and performances by street performers. The total length of the street is 6 kilometers.
2. Singing fountain near the Aurora cinema. In 2014, a huge singing fountain appeared next to the famous cinema, the evening “show” of which is really worth watching. During the warm season, every day from 20:30 to 23:00, any passerby can watch a light and music show performed to classical music. Jets of water soaring into the air to the height of a 5-story building are a grandiose and incredibly impressive sight.
3. Sunny Island Park. One of the favorite vacation spots of Krasnodar residents. The park is actually located on an island whose area is more than 39 hectares. On its territory you can find entertainment for every taste and age. There is a tennis court, an ice skating rink (open only in winter),
an amusement park, an “upside down” house, various cafes, restaurants and the largest private zoo in Russia – Safari Park with an area of 9 hectares. The zoo is home to giraffes, tigers, hippos, lemurs, monkeys and other animals: about 120 species and more than 1,500 individuals from all over the world. Many children are especially impressed by the Dinopark – an area inside the zoo inhabited by realistic moving figures of dinosaurs – there are about a hundred exhibits in total.
When visiting the zoo, don’t forget to bring treats for the squirrels – they are very tame here.
4. FC Krasnodar Stadium. In 2016, a new grandiose attraction appeared in the city – the stadium of the Krasnodar football club with 34 thousand seats. Every resident of the city knows that the stadium was built by a private individual – the owner of the Magnit retail chain, Sergei Galitsky; construction took 3 years and 20 billion rubles. The UEFA Commission assigned the highest, fourth category to the stadium, and we, of course, advise every guest to visit it. The stadium is not accessible outside of the playing season, so you should plan your trip around the game schedule, which can be viewed here. Impressive architecture, well-kept area around, a large and unusual park nearby, interior equipment with the latest technology – all this deserves attention.
5. Thai Restaurant (THAI).Those seeking gastronomic experiences should definitely visit the atmospheric THAI restaurant. Its peculiarity is its unusual interior, stylized as a tropical forest. Large exotic trees are entwined with vines, the walls resemble the ruins of an ancient temple, and twilight reigns all around. The menu consists of Thai dishes.
6. Rivership Graveyard.On the site of the old cargo port, relatively close to the city center, abandoned barges while away their days in the backwaters. This place is quite specific and gloomy, but very interesting. On both sides of the backwater there are old barges and cranes, docks and outbuildings. It is quite clean here and there is practically no garbage typical of abandoned places.
7. Shopping and entertainment center Oz Mall and the children’s city of Minopolis.Oz Mall is famous for its “cosmic”, very original architecture. The interior matches the appearance and resembles a space station from science fiction films. The range of goods here is quite traditional, but one of the children’s entertainment centers is worth traveling here even from the other end of the city. It’s called Minopolis. This place is unique for Krasnodar – on an area of more than 5,000 square meters, a real city has been built for children, with all the necessary infrastructure. Every new “resident” of the city is required to receive a passport and a certain amount of cash. Then everything is like in life – you can start earning money, or you can spend it all. Children from 4 to 14 years old have access to 150 different professions, each of which has its own difficulties and characteristics. Children under 7 years of age are allowed into the city only if accompanied by their parents; children over 7 years of age can be in the area independently.
8. One Theatre.A very atmospheric and pleasant theater with non-standard original productions. The cozy interior with various decorative elements in the loft style captivates and enchants. The theater was created in an old Soviet building, which the authors of the project deliberately did not restore, they only equipped it with everything necessary and added elements of art decor. Theatrical productions that can be seen at the One Theater are also far from classical. A minimum of scenery and makeup, a maximum of human feelings and experiences.
9. Relaxation on the water. When the summer heat falls on the city, all residents strive for reservoirs. The most popular vacation spots near the water in Krasnodar are the banks of the Kuban River and the Krasnodar Reservoir. They are, of course, not suitable for swimming, you can even get a fine for this, but you can have a good time, good fishing and barbecue there.
The banks of the Krasnodar reservoir are practically not equipped for tourism. Here you can stay either at one of the few recreation centers, or relax as a “savage”.
The Kuban River, which flows within the city, is much better suited – the bank is landscaped and conducive to walking. The most picturesque section of the embankment runs through the territory of the park named after the 30th anniversary of the victory and starts from the Bridge of Kisses – an iconic place for all newlyweds and lovers. In the depths of the park there is the Olympus sports complex. Next to it, three outdoor swimming pools were built in 2016, which can be visited completely free of charge. Of course, it is worth considering that there are always enough people who want to swim there. Continuing the theme of swimming pools, it is worth talking about an unusual format for Krasnodar – a swimming pool on the roof of the 16-story Development-South business center, which offers a beautiful view of the city.
* 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.
Text author: Anna Lelechenko
