Each Russian city is beautiful in its own way, each has its own flavor, each is a matter of pride for its inhabitants. Therefore, it was so difficult to choose only 10 out of 1,100 cities of the Russian Federation. We decided not to include Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan on the list, because only the lazy did not write about the wonders of the “three capitals”. Instead, we tried to select the city, which together could show all the beauty and diversity of Russia.
We recommend our ratings:
- 10 most beautiful cities in the world
- The most beautiful places in Russia
10. Pskov
Opens the top 10 most beautiful cities in Russia an ancient Russian city, Pskov. It, perhaps, has the most ancient monuments per unit area than in most others. The remnants of ancient buildings that are found at almost every step and that cannot be restored but carefully preserved for posterity make a particularly strong impression - as if you feel the breath of centuries on your face.
Attractions recommended for visiting:
- The rattle tower.
- Chambers of the Menshikovs.
- Trinity Cathedral.
- Toadstools chambers.
- Pskov Kremlin.
9. Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk, a seaport that has long been Russia's only access to the sea, is distinguished by restrained, dim northern beauty. The vast expanses of the Northern Dvina, somewhere on the horizon merging with the White Sea, are especially good during the white nights, which last from May to July.
The architectural difference of the city is a lot of wooden buildings, which, despite regular fires, still survived to our time.
Attractions recommended for visiting:
- Museum of Wooden Architecture Malye Korely, is in the open.
- Seating yards.
- Cathedral of Michael the Archangel.
- Kenozero National Park.
- Chapel of the Matrona of Moscow.
8. Astrakhan
Like Arkhangelsk, Astrakhan is located in a river delta - it is here that the Volga, as we know from school, flows into the Caspian Sea.
The charm of Astrakhan is in the contrast of the old and the new. The grandiose buildings of the last decade stand out sharply against the background of the semi-village houses of old Astrakhan and the ancient Kremlin of the 16th century. A giant promenade with trendy fountains stretches, and a stone's throw from it are the old stone buildings of the district Russian city. And around the city, the Volga is divided into many rivers, streams, canals and old ladies, so densely overgrown with plants that it is better to swim there only on a punt with a pole.
Attractions recommended for visiting:
- Astrakhan Kremlin.
- Musical fountain.
- Shed Batu.
- The bridge of lovers.
- Assumption Cathedral.
7. Reach
Ples is a small town in the north of the Ivanovo region. Its main pearl is the marvelous beauty of nature. Levitan, having first arrived in Ples, was so fascinated that for several summer seasons in the city he painted about two hundred paintings. With his initiative, Ples became very popular as a place of rest and inspiration for the creative intelligentsia.
Attractions recommended for visiting:
- Monument to Levitan.
- Merchant Mansion.
- Museum of the wedding.
- Museum-Reserve.
- The only landscape museum in Russia.
6. Tobolsk
One of the oldest cities in Siberia is now becoming increasingly popular with tourists. It was built back in the 16th century by Cossacks who recaptured this place from the Tatar Khan.
Today, the symbol of Tobolsk is the Kremlin, which offers a beautiful view of the old city and the Irtysh river. The “lower” city, although somewhat neglected, is worth a careful examination, because it houses ancient churches, wooden houses with a two-hundred-year-old history, with which the typical Soviet high-rise buildings of the “new” city sharply contrast.
Attractions recommended for visiting:
- Tobolsk Kremlin.
- Hot spring.
- Alexander Garden.
- John Vvedensky Convent.
- Garden of Ermak.
5. Gelendzhik
The list of the most beautiful cities in Russia would not be complete without the southern resort city. Let us leave aside the Crimea, which has yet to fully recover, and the excessively advertised Sochi, and turn our eyes to one of the oldest Black Sea resorts - Gelendzhik.
Strictly speaking, Gelendzhik is an agglomeration - a "big" city and a number of villages and popular tourist places that have joined it. A wonderful climate, wonderful air, lush subtropical greens, the sea and fragrant air, filled with the aromas of flowers - all this is enough to fall in love with these places forever.
Attractions recommended for visiting:
- Dolmens near the village of Renaissance.
- Dolphinarium.
- Safari Park.
- Central embankment.
- Old park.
4. Vladimir
Small in population, but huge in cultural significance, the city of Vladimir is considered one of the most beautiful cities of the Golden Ring. An interesting story, a beautiful and varied relief of the city and many architectural masterpieces for every taste - from the ancient Golden Gate to the shopping arcades of the XIX century.
The peculiarity of the city is a bizarre combination of ancient grand princely solemnity and sleepy calm of Vladimir today. True, the pleasure of contemplating the frescoes by Andrei Rublev is somewhat spoiled by draconian prices in local hotels.
Attractions recommended for visiting:
- Assumption Cathedral of the XII century.
- Golden Gate.
- Museum "Babusya-Yagusya".
- Church of the Intercession on the Nerl.
- Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve.
3. Irkutsk
The charm of the “Siberian pearl” lies both in the harsh beauty of the surrounding nature (Lake Baikal is nearby) and in ancient architecture - the entire city center is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Although the city is only 400 years old, he managed to visit the outpost of the development of Siberia, the center of industry and trade, and even the capital. The importance of Irkutsk led to the heyday of construction in the city - many masterpieces of stone and even wooden architecture have survived to this day.
Attractions recommended for visiting:
- Art Museum named after V.P. Sukachev.
- Spasskaya Church.
- Homesteads of the Decembrists S. G. Volkonsky and S. Trubetskoy.
- Aquarium of the Baikal seal.
- Icebreaker "Angara".
2. Nizhny Novgorod
The French writer Teofil Gauthier was so struck by the beauty of Nizhny Novgorod that he doubted whether it was possible to live without seeing it with his own eyes.
One of the reasons for the city to be on our list is its beautiful landscape. Nizhny Novgorod was built on the hills at the confluence of the Volga and Oka. A series of folds and elevations has a peculiar effect, inherent, perhaps, only to the Lower. A tourist had just been in the city center, surrounded by cars and people, but if he literally went around the corner, then there was silence, peace, greenery, the wind was making noise and the birds were singing.
And if you add a huge number of iconic architectural structures to the wonders of nature, it becomes clear why everyone who managed to visit there was fascinated by the beauty of Nizhny Novgorod.
Attractions recommended for visiting:
- Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.
- Private zoo "Limpopo" is one of the largest in Europe.
- Annunciation monastery.
- Toy railway.
- Exotarium.
1. Kaliningrad
The charm of one of the most beautiful cities in Russia is in its European style, cute old houses, as if they got here from the pages of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, pavers, neo-Gothic Latin churches, fishing houses on the shore and, of course, the harsh beauty of the North Sea, splashing right next to the city .
Only two hours drive from the city center is the magnificent Curonian Spit, which in summer is a favorite vacation spot for locals and tourists. She is a clear example of the bizarre work of Mother Nature, which placed sand dunes next to each other, meadows covered with moss and lichen, as well as birch, pine and spruce forests. The entire territory of the spit covers 98 km and stretches from Russian Zelenogradsk to Lithuanian Klaipeda. Kaliningrad begins 35 km from the beginning of the spit.
By the way, prices in Kaliningrad are not very high, so you can admire its beauty without much damage to your wallet.
Attractions recommended for visiting:
Cathedral.
Amber Museum.
Dancing forest.
The fishing village.
Museum of the World Ocean.
Interestingly, the originally single city of Kaliningrad did not exist. In its place there were three independent settlements, and the city was named after the fortress of the Teutonic Order of Koenigsberg, which lasted until 1968. Kaliningrad, renamed from Koenigsberg, got its current name on July 4, 1946, when the Kaliningrad Region was formed.
