Where to go by train in summer

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Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik

of railway tickets for August is open – it’s time to think about where to go at the end of summer, since the prices are now the most favorable. We have prepared several routes for you in the most attractive directions: for short trips from Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as for a “classic” summer vacation in warm regions. We advise you to hurry up with the purchase, because it won’t be cheaper!

Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik

One of the most popular resorts in the Russian south – Gelendzhik – does not have a railway station. You need to get to Novorossiysk, and from there – by bus along the mountain serpentine. Novorossiysk is a port city not intended for beach recreation. It is quite possible to spend a day exploring Tsemesskaya Bay and the cruiser-museum “Mikhail Kutuzov”. In Gelendzhik, you will find a neat embankment, excellent beaches (even a few sandy ones). Also noteworthy are the picturesque surroundings: Pshadsky waterfalls, the Blue Abyss tract, the Zhane river, famous for its ancient dolmens, the Dzhankhot forest of the Pitsunda pine and the Parus rock. If you follow the walking route from Kabardinka to Cape Doob, you can see dry cargo ship Rio grounded — thanks to social networks, it has turned into a real attraction. While relaxing in Gelendzhik, set aside one day to visit Lake Abrau and tasting local sparkling wines in the village of Abrau-Dyurso.

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Sochi and Abkhazia

Sochi and Abkhazia

Sochi has long turned into the capital of domestic southern recreation. And if the Black Sea beaches can be found in other cities, then the “mountain” part of Sochi is absolutely unique for our country. Rosa Khutor, Esto-Sadok, Krasnaya Polyana are resorts of the European level. It is good to come here in August to take a break from the summer heat: since many lifts continue to work, you can reach the snow-capped peaks and have a glass of sparkling wine on the terrace of an alpine restaurant with a magnificent view. In general, everyone will like Sochi: fans of hiking – the route along the White Rocks in Khost, lovers of leisurely walks will appreciate the Sochi Arboretum, and extreme lovers will like the Skypark with a suspended pedestrian bridge and sea regattas from the Force of the Wind.

From Sochi, you can get to Sukhum, the capital of Abkhazia: there are tickets for direct trains from Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as single tickets – with a change to a bus in Adler. Abkhazia is a country of low prices and magnificent nature: Lake Ritsa, Gegsky waterfall, Dombai-Ulgen peak, Mamzishkha mountain and New Athos cave will definitely not leave you indifferent.

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Crimea

Crimea

A trip to Crimea by train is a great chance to cross the recently opened Crimean bridge. The Tavria train runs from Moscow a little over a day, from St. Petersburg – almost two. At the same time, on the territory of the peninsula, he stops in Dzhankoy, Simferopol, Bakhchisarai and Sevastopol.

There are a lot of interesting activities in Crimea. You can swim in the Black Sea (they say that the best beaches are near Balaklava), walk in the mountains (for example, look at the bizarre optical effects of the Valley of Ghosts in Demerdzhi), walk along Ai-Petri and Yalta Nature Reserve, visit the Crimean Stonehenge (the ancient Temple of the Sun ), explore historical sights (Genoese fortress, Livadia and Vorontsov palaces, Bakhchisarai Khan palace, Chufut-Kale and Tauric Chersonesos). And also – horseback riding, watching sea inhabitants with a mask, tasting Crimean wines and overeating sea reptiles.

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Nalchik

Nalchik

The journey from the capital to Nalchik is not fast: it will take more than a day. However, good company and a comfortable compartment carriage will make it so that time flies by.

The stunning nature of the mountainous Caucasus begins here: after you have eaten enough of the Khychins in the city, go to the Bermamyt plateau (a stunning view of Elbrus opens from there), to the Ushtulu tract and to the archaeological complex “Upper Balkaria”, where the filming took place “War” by Balabanov. You can come with a tent to the Chegem or Bezengi gorges, the Gedmishkh waterfall or the Blue Lakes.

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Makhachkala

Makhachkala

Dagestan is one of the most fashionable destinations today. The train from Moscow takes a little less than two days, but the time spent on the road is worth it: the region is distinguished by incredible nature and breathtaking panoramas. And also – southern hospitality and excellent North Caucasian cuisine.

Of course, Makhachkala today is a modern and stylish city, but most travelers prefer not to sit still and explore the natural beauty of Dagestan. Among them are the sky-colored Lake Kezenoy-am, the Sulak canyon (the deepest in Europe), the abandoned village of Gamsutl and the mountain village of Chokh, the “troll’s tongue” near Goor, the Tobot waterfall and the Karadakh gorge. Be sure to go to Derbent – this is one of the oldest cities in the world with a unique attraction on the local beach – the world’s only Lun rocket ekranoplan.

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From Moscow

Nizhny Novgorod

Nizhny Novgorod

Train is the fastest way to get from the capital to Nizhny Novgorod: the journey will take less than 4 hours. The high-speed “Strizh” and “Lastochka” run here, as well as ordinary long-distance trains with reserved seat and compartment cars (for example, the signature train “Volga”, the route of which starts in St. Petersburg).

This year the city turns 800 years old. It is not surprising that there are many historical attractions there: the Kremlin, the Nizhny Novgorod fair, the building of the State Bank, the baroque Christmas (Stroganov) church of the 17th century, the Old Fair Cathedral, built in the style of classicism. You should definitely go down to the embankment along the Chkalovskaya stairs and reach the confluence of the Volga and Oka. The longest cable car in Europe also operates in Nizhny, which will take you to the town of Bor through the Volga.

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Yaroslavl

Yaroslavl

The fastest way to get from the capital to Yaroslavl is the high-speed trains “Swallow” (runs once a day, travel time is 3 hours) and “Day Express” (runs three times a day, the journey takes 3 hours 26 minutes), in which, in addition to the seated, there is also a compartment carriage. It is also possible to board passing long-distance trains, but in this case the trip may be longer and less comfortable.

You can really see the key sights of the city in one day. Start the route from the Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve (this is a fortress of the 16th century) and go through the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, Volzhskaya and Kotoroslnaya embankments, Strelka, the Governor’s Garden, a fire tower, the Volkov Drama Theater, the Znamenskaya Tower and the Church of Elijah the Prophet. This old town captivates with its coziness and cleanliness: most likely, you will want to stay here longer. We also recommend getting to the Tolgsky Monastery, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Myshkin, Uglich or Rybinsk.

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Ivanovo

Ivanovo

Lastochka will take you to the “city of brides” from Moscow in 3 hours 40 minutes, which departs from the Kursk railway station four times a day .

Ivanovo is known for its eccentric buildings: on the streets you can find a “horseshoe house”, “house-ship”, “house-bullet” and even a real castle in the Art Nouveau style – the Dühringer’s estate. Among the textbook attractions are the red-brick Svyato-Vvedensky Monastery, the Transfiguration Cathedral, the Shchudrovskaya tent and numerous museums (for example, the Museum of the Soviet Automotive Industry and the DG Burylin Museum of Local Lore). From Ivanovo by bus you can get to one of the most beautiful cities in the European part of Russia – Plyos.

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Kazan

Kazan

Several trains a day leave from Moscow to the capital of Tatarstan; there are both branded (with Wi-Fi and meals on board) and two-story ones. You can accommodate in a reserved seat, compartment or SV. Travel time – from 11 to 13 hours.

Of course, the Kazan Kremlin with the “leaning tower” of Syuyumbike and the Kul-Sharif mosque, the eclectic Temple of all religions, the modern Millennium Park, the Kazan wedding palace, the Agriculture Palace and the elegant 18th century Peter and Paul Cathedral were especially loved by tourists. Walk along the Kazan “Arbat” – Bauman Street, and visit the mansion of Zinaida Ushkova, which resembles a miniature of the Portuguese park Quinta da Regaleira. Purchase chak-chak at Bakhetle. You can also make interesting day trips from Kazan: to the ancient capital of Bolgar, to the island city of Sviyazhsk, to the Raifsky monastery and to the fabulous town of Yoshkar-Ola.

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Astrakhan

Astrakhan

The Lotus branded train goes from Moscow to Astrakhan for a little over a day. It can be accommodated in a compartment and reserved seat, there is Wi-Fi on board and there is a buffet. August is perhaps the best time to visit this city. Despite the fact that the Astrakhan region is one of the hottest regions of our country, it is at this time that lotuses bloom here, especially attracting travelers. Also, the Astrakhan banks of the Volga are known as a place of excellent fishing. In the city itself, go to the Kremlin, the Persian courtyard, the Assumption Cathedral and, of course, to the Selenskiye Isady fish market, where everyone is bought with black caviar and sturgeon balyk. Of the most interesting places around Astrakhan, we can single out, perhaps, the Volga delta with its branches, the salt lake Baskunchak and the Bolshoye Bogdo mountain, the city-museum Saray-batu, where the film “Horde” was filmed, and the archaeological complex Selitrennoe settlement.

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From St. Petersburg

Pskov

Pskov0

Three high-speed Lastochka trains leave from the Baltic station in the direction of Pskov daily: travel time – 3 hours 30 minutes.

Pskoe has its own Kremlin (though it is called Krom), many ancient temples, chambers and fortifications. There is even more interesting things in the Pskov region. Many locations here are associated with the name of Pushkin: for example, the poet’s grave can be found at the Svyatogorsk monastery, the Mikhailovskoe estate is rightfully called his poetic homeland, the Petrovskoe estate once belonged to the Hannibals family, and Alexander Sergeevich often dropped in for tea at Trigorskoe at his old friends, the landowners Osipov -Wolfe.

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Veliky Novgorod

The road from St. Petersburg to Lastochka takes from 2 hours 50 minutes. Basically, trains with seated cars go there, but you can get there in a compartment or reserved seat on the passing St. Petersburg – Kaliningrad train.

Veliky Novgorod is one of the most ancient and significant Russian cities. Here the story really comes to life: you can feel it in the Novgorod Kremlin, in the Yaroslav’s courtyard, in the old cathedrals – Sophia, Georgievsky, Nikolo-Dvorishchensky, Znamensky. One of the most interesting places in Veliky Novgorod is Vitoslavlitsy, a museum of wooden architecture on the shores of Lake Myachino.

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Sortavala

The best option to get here from St. Petersburg is the Lastochka high-speed train (leaves in the morning and evening from Finland Station). The journey will take 4 hours 9 minutes.

Sortavala is a pretty small town, which at different periods of its history was ruled not only by Russia, but also by Sweden and Finland. It is from here that many travelers begin to explore Karelia; from Sortavala, the Ruskeala Express departs – the only daily retro train in Russia on a steam locomotive with recreated old interiors. And ships departing from the city pier, delivering tourists and pilgrims to the island of Valaam.

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Valdai

Valdai3

There is one train a day from Moskovsky railway station to Valdai: the high-speed Lastochka departs at 07:06, travel time – 4 hours 47 minutes.

Valdai is a small but very picturesque town on the shore of the lake of the same name. The main attractions of the surrounding area are Valdai National Park with lakes and forests, pristine beaches (in August, especially daring travelers can still swim) and the secluded 17th century Iversky Monastery on Selvitsky Island.

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Kaliningrad

Photo: Alex Tihonovs / Shutterstock.com

communication with the enclave of our country – the Kaliningrad region. The train from St. Petersburg runs a little more than a day: you can accommodate in a compartment and reserved seat. Departure at 10:04 am from Moskovsky railway station.

The Kaliningrad region is called “Russian Europe” for a reason: old German buildings remained in almost every town in the region. Kaliningrad itself is famous for its zoo, the Museum of the World Ocean, restored from old photographs by the Konigsberg Cathedral and the ethnographic complex “Fish Village”. From Kaliningrad you can go to the Baltic Sea – to the resort cities of Zelenogradsk and Svetlogorsk, as well as to the Curonian Spit National Park.

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Photos: unsplash.com, shutterstock.com