When compiling the rating of tourist cities in Russia, the top three are determined accurately. Three capitals - Moscow, St. Petersburg and Sochi - invariably occupy the top lines. In total, more than 35 million tourists. What other cities are of interest to travelers?
Kazan
The top ten most popular tourist cities in Russia, regardless of the version of the rating, includes another capital. Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, is one of the oldest cities in the Russian Federation. For more than 1000 years of history, Kazan has experienced many great and tragic events. The Golden Horde, Volga Bulgaria, the Kingdom of Moscow, the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union - each period left its mark on the appearance of the city.
More than 80 museums will help tourists to get acquainted with the history of the city and its modern life. The Museum of the 1000th Anniversary of Kazan, the Tatarskaya Sloboda, the House of Tatar Culture and Crafts will tell about the peculiarities of everyday life and the traditions of the peoples inhabiting the city. Museum of Weapons Spirit of the Warrior andThe cannon yard demonstrates military history from the times of nomads to the present day. For lovers of contemporary art, the doors of the Gallery of Paintings, the workshop of Slava Zaitsev and the Gallery of Modern Art are open. You can also visit Khazine and the Kazan Art Gallery, where works by masters of various genres and areas of fine art are presented.
Mandatory sightseeing itinerary includes:
- Visit to the Kazan Kremlin. A monument of history and architecture of the 12th century, in which the Kul-Sharif mosque and the Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation, a Turkic tower and a palace in a classical European style are located on the same territory.
- Hiking along Bauman Street. On the site of the old Nogai road there are architectural monuments of different eras, cafes and restaurants, souvenir shops.
- Introduction to the Temple of All Religions - a building of modern times, uniting 16 religions, has an exclusively symbolic meaning.
Peter and Paul Cathedral, Syuyumbike Tower, the Palace of Farmers and Alexander Passage - there are enough sights for everyone.
3 million tourists make their itineraries through the ancient city every year.
Vladivostok
Swiftly gaining popularity among the most tourist cities in Russia - the country's easternmost million-plus city. The APEC Forum, held in 2012, attracted the attention of investors, thanks to which modern urban infrastructure is booming.
You can start exploring the city from the railway station. Building built XIXcentury, for 100 years now it has been the initial or final (it all depends on the chosen direction) station of the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway. Then we advise you to take a walk along Aleutskaya Street and Vladivostok Arbat, where many monuments related to the history of the city are installed, visit the Vladivostok Fortress - one of the best seaside bastions in the world. Tourists prefer to have a rest in the Admir alty Square among the rare trees of the Ussuri taiga. In the evening, it is best to admire the panorama of the Golden Horn Bay and appreciate the elegance of the new Golden Bridge.
Every year, about 3 million tourists make many hours of trips and flights to see Vladivostok.
Yekaterinburg
Another million-plus city among the most touristic cities in Russia. Distance from Moscow in more than 1, 5 thousand km does not stop 2 million tourists who come here every year. In 2002, Yekaterinburg was included by UNESCO in the list of 12 ideal cities in the world.
Sights of the "mountain city" (so, according to the royal decree, Yekaterinburg is officially called) is an amazing fusion of history and a modern outlook on life.
Ploshchad 1905 Goda - the central square of the city, formerly called Trade and Cathedral. All tours start from here. Many tourists in their reviews recommend visiting the Museum of the History of Architecture and Industrial Technology of the Urals. After all, the whole history of the formation of the city is the history of the industrial development of nearby mineral deposits.
City Pond Dam,built in 1723, affectionately renamed Plotinka by the locals, remains the most popular vacation spot for citizens today. The monument to the founders of the city, the House of Sevastyanov, the House of Metenkov are symbols of the grateful memory of the descendants. The place of pilgrimage was the Church on the Blood, or the Royal Calvary - a museum complex that includes the Ipatiev House, an Orthodox church and the Museum of the Holy Royal Family.
Selfie lovers will be attracted by the keyboard monument, a land art object opened in 2005, and an obelisk on the border between Europe and Asia.
Astrakhan
Apparently, guided by the phrase from the famous film: "Kazan took, Astrakhan took …", more than 2 million tourists went to the city on the Volga last year.
Many people start their tour from the Astrakhan Kremlin, one of the most ancient in Russia. This military engineering structure was created in the second half of the 16th century on an island surrounded by the waters of the Volga, Kutum and Cossack Erik. Today, there is a museum on the territory of the Kremlin, most of whose exhibitions have a military theme.
History lovers will also be interested in seeing the Shatrov Tower and the Demidov Compound. The house of the merchant Tetyushnikov, the Kustodiev Museum, the St. Cyril Chapel and the house-museum of Velimir Khlebnikov - acquaintance with the city will definitely not be limited to one day.
The number of tourists is 4 times higher than the number of people living in the city, which gives Astrakhan the right to confidently include Astrakhan in the list of the most tourist cities in Russia. The tourist potential of the city is huge and the interest of travelers to Astrakhancontinues to grow.
Gold Ring
The top tourist cities in Russia traditionally include ancient Russian cities: Sergiev Posad, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Suzdal.
Each city tells its own story, each has its own legends and heroes. The main purpose of a visit to Sergiev Posad, as a rule, is to visit the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, an important symbol of Orthodoxy. But even outside the walls of the Lavra, tourists find objects of interest to themselves: the Horse Yard museum complex and the Toy Museum.
In Yaroslavl, more than 800 architectural monuments of Ancient Russia are ready to meet tourists. A city with a 1000-year history has managed to preserve them to this day, despite the storms of time.
Kostroma is the birthplace of the royal Romanov dynasty and the magical Snow Maiden. For adults, the Museum of Ancient Architecture has collected unique examples of the architecture of the past. And the Terem of the Snow Maiden and the elk farm will be appreciated by the youngest tourists. The Ipatiev Monastery is considered the hallmark of the city.
Suzdal is an open-air city-museum, almost every building of which is an architectural monument. Walking around the city, you can see and visit the perfectly preserved Suzdal Kremlin, the Nativity Cathedral, bishops' chambers, ancient wooden churches and monasteries. The lack of modern buildings in the city creates an amazing atmosphere of unity with history, travelers note.
Each of these cities can be called the most touristic city in Russia. 2 million tourists choose Sergiev Posad, 1.7 million - Suzdal, 1 million - Yaroslavland 1 million - Kostroma.
View from the outside
Tourists coming from abroad are traditional in their choice of places to visit. The most tourist cities in Russia for foreigners are the same as for Russians.
Life is a book, who does not travel reads only one page.
St. Augustine
Most of the "readers" come to us from China, Finland, Germany and the USA.
