Monument to Mikhail Tverskoy on Sovetskaya Square in Tver
Legion MediaSince Russia’s second capital, St. Petersburg, was founded more than 300 years ago, many of the country’s most prominent people, from Imperial rulers to poets, often traveled between the two centers of power. Not surprisingly, Russia’s first paved roads were between Moscow and St. Petersburg, and the country’s first major railway line
Writer Alexandr Radishchev was imprisoned for his report, Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow (1790), and was almost executed by Catherine the Great for penning this travel diary. In the end, the monarch spared his life and he was exiled to Siberia.
Today, there are several ways to travel from Moscow to St. Petersburg (high-speed train, overnight train or plane), but you can also enjoy an amazing road trip between the two host cities of The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™.
Monument to Pyotr Tchaikovsky in Klin
Ruslan Krivobok/SputnikComposer Pyotr Tchaikovsky spent the last years of his life in Klin, so you’ll also see monuments and signs of his memory everywhere. There is a house museum devoted to his life and art, and it’s said that Tchaikovsky wrote his famous “Nutcracker” in the city.
In 1569, Ivan the Terrible called for a campaign to punish the rebellious city of Veliky Novgorod, and since Klin was on this route it was almost burnt down by the vicious shock troops known as the
Take a boat tour on the Volga River
Peggy LohseAfter about another 1.5 hours you’ll reach Tver. The city was once a rich and powerful competitor to Moscow. Located at where the Volga and Tvertsa rivers meet, Tver was once a prosperous merchant city. Today, it’s more of an average provincial town.
In summer, take a boat tour on the Volga River. The one-hour ride allows you to see the whole city, including Catherine the Great's recently restored Imperial Travel Palace that now hosts a fine art gallery. Other sites to keep an eye out for include the huge train wagon factory, and the picturesque embankments on both sides of the Volga.
Take a stroll along the Trekhsvyatskaya pedestrian street, and greet Pushkin, Afanasy Nikitin
St. Boris and Gleb Monastery
Peggy LohseNot far from Tver is the small cozy town of Torzhok where you can find a wide range of activities.
In the gastronomical
Today, you can sample them in almost every restaurant, especially next to the poet’s museum. By the way, the museum’s garden offers the best view of the city from above.
Apart from more mundane matters, Torzhok was once a powerful religious center with the monumental St. Boris and Gleb Monastery, located at the steep shore of the Tvertsa River.
Many centuries ago a local monk showed Kievan Princess Olga a precious local traditional skill: goldwork. In the Goldwork Museum, you can learn how Torzhok masters embellish clothes and accessories with golden embroidery. Read more about Torzhok here.
Monument to Ilya Repin next the Academic Dacha of the Russian Artists Union
Peggy LohseIn another hour you’ll be in the “Russian Venice!” You might wonder why this ambitious moniker? Vyshny Volochyok is an old merchant town, located on a large canal system. Prior to the 19th century, the Vyshny Volochyok Waterway connected St. Petersburg with central Russia, and the canals made possible cargo routes for all sorts of supplies, from food to construction materials.
To the benefit of Russian culture, Vyshny Volochyok was a “place of inspiration” for famous artists including Ilya Repin, Isaac Levitan
At night it’s cold? No problem. The original Valenki manufacturer, and its nice museum and
Valday Iversky Monastery
Legion MediaDing, dang, dong... this is how Valdai greets visitors! In 1910, Georgy Andreev founded a bell factory here, where they produced church bells as well as secular ones. Why here? Because in this region for centuries fast-going winter
Walk around the small Palace Park and guess which Russian tsarina made Valdai a city and built a beautiful estate here? Catherine the Great, of course! In fact, she built ‘small’ travel houses in almost every major city in order to rest on her long journeys.
In the tiny white rotunda in the
When you leave the city on the way to Veliky Novgorod stop at the picturesque Iversky Monastery, which is located in the middle of a dark forest next to a large lake. Founded in the 17th century by Patriarch Nikon, who was on his way to the Solovetsky Islands in the north, the monastery grounds offers a chance to enjoy nature, peace
Russia's oldest kremlin
Legion MediaVisit the extraordinary State Gallery and Regional Museum inside the
Next to this tiny village and it’s Open Air Museum of Russian Wooden Architecture you can also take a glance on the famous St. Yuryev Monastery. Founded in 1030 by Yaroslav the Wise, it’s one of Russia’s oldest monasteries. Read more about Veliky Novgorod and its surrounding here.
What next? In about 200 km there will be a few smaller tsarist summer palaces, and in about two or three hours you’re back in civilization – in exquisite St. Petersburg.
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