Moscow is a fascinating city full of old world charm mixed with post-Soviet growth. It is full of old buildings with beautiful carved facades and pale pastel colors. Old women wearing head scarves and young people scantily clad can be seen rushing up and down the streets. It is the land of the bare midriff and garishly dyed hair! English is not really spoken at all here, though, and you won’t find signs in English, so learn how to read the Cyrillic alphabet and learn some basic phrases! A helpful guidebook is essential, with a metro map in English and Russian inside. The city is known to be a bit rough, so don’t showcase that you are a tourist. Also, don’t drink the water! All warnings aside, this is a great place to come see the beauty of Europe and tour the place where so much history has been played out. It’s also less touristy than most places, so you will feel like your travels are more authentic and adventurous!
1. Go to the Moscow Metro Stations to see amazing architecture and ride old Soviet trains. The Moscow metro has got to be the best in the world. I have never waited for more than one minute for a train, it’s cheap, and the best part is how beautiful they are. Each station is sumptuous, with marble, chandeliers, carvings…and they have wonderful old wooden escalators that go incredibly deep into the ground.
2. If you’re not staying in one of the Moscow hotels, stay at a small and cozy hostel instead, like the Trans-Siberian Hostel. Your experience in Russia will be much more authentic if you stay in one of the flats and are in a neighborhood. It feels like going back in time and you have a chance to live with or around Russians.
3. Go and see the Ballet (the Bolshoi was touring when I came, but any ballet you see here will be amazing). Even if you don’t like ballet, this is a huge part of Russian cultural history and a night at the theatre seeing Swan Lake, composed by the Russian Tchaikovsky, will make you feel like you are back in Tolstoy’s Russia.
4. Of course you must go to Red Square, an important place in Russian history, as well as a great place to see many famous Russian landmarks. My favorite part of Red Square is St. Basil’s Cathedral, which is beautiful inside and out. I highly recommend going inside, it’s worth the few extra rubles.
5. In the big red building in Red Square, opposite St. Basil’s Cathedral, is the State History Museum. It’s comprehensive and fascinating. Save some money by getting a joint ticket to the museum and St. Basil’s at the museum entrance. The collection is impressive, dating from early human history in Russia and each room is beautiful and each one is decorated differently.
6. Go see the most famous mummy in the world, that of Comrade Lenin, in the Lenin Mausoleum. This is also in Red Square. The line isn’t too bad and though the viewing is quick, it’s pretty amazing to see the man (even if he is dead) that has played such an important role in human history. Stalin’s grave is there too and you can give his state the evil eye.
7. Get away from the hubbub by visiting the Novodenichy Convent. Not only is this large building impressive and beautiful, but the grounds are very peaceful and nuns in black habits roam about. It is beside a lovely lake, so bring a picnic lunch for a nice day out. If you are interested, you can visit the cemetery next door, which houses famous Russians such as the playwright Anton Chekhov.
8. Take a walk through the neighborhoods. While it may seem like an obvious suggestion, a lot of people forget to leave the well-trod sight path and never get a chance to really begin to understand a city and its people. Moscow has scores of old and charming buildings and churches that are tucked away behind the main streets, as well as fascinating people watching. The city is very walkable and you will often see a nice place to have a meal or get a coffee.
9. No trip to Moscow, or Russia for that matter, would be complete with a rest in one of the lovely parks. I went to Statue Park which is across from Moscow’s most famous park, Gorky Park. Statue Park is a lovely place to spend a few hours as it is chock full of old and new statues and has been benches than people. It’s quiet, peaceful, and easy to get to. There are many examples of Soviet-era statues with a propaganda bent, as well as a number of lovely and unique art sculptures. If you are in the mood for more park, you can always walk across the street to Gorky Park.
10. Head over to the Kremlin. I found the long lines and lack of things to do once inside unappealing, but it is one of the most famous landmarks of the country. There are, of course, lovely churches inside the Kremlin as well as the Tsar’s Cannon. If you’re lucky like I was, you may get to see Putin’s convoy drive by.
More Resources:
St. Petersburg Hotels
Exploring Moscow
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Guest writer Demetria Fehst chronicles her travel experiences and tips in her Realtravel blog, In Wanderland.
