| |
Guide to Moscow, Russian Federation
|
Click to go to Flight Prices for Moscow
|
MoscowThe center of European Russia, Moscow is the nucleus of all that is Russian. The citys contrasts are many, and most societal issues are the results of uneven distribution of wealth and the poverty that slowly spreads throughout the city. This can both add to and take away from your experience of Moscow, but ones view of the city is heavily dependent on where you go and what you see. Despite its problems, Moscow is enticing for its connections to ancient civilization and its recent restorations of historic churches. Of course, it isnt the most beautiful city to look at, but the real treasures lie below the faade of the high-rises in little annexes in and around its center.
When to go:
Moscow sees spring, summer, autumn and winter, but the only noticeable seasons are summer and winter. Winter seems to last extra long, and summer hits at full force starting in May. For many travelers, it is unusual to see such frosty conditions in the spring and autumn months, but this is typical throughout much of the former-soviet region. If you visit during summer, be prepared for peak day temperatures of over 100F (38C). Add to that the number of rainy days and youll wonder why summer is Moscows peak tourism season. If you can book a flight for early autumn, do so; youll be pleased with the fairly decent weather, long days, and colorful foliage dotting the city streets.
Getting there and around:
Most international flights (UK, Europe, US, Australia) fly into Sheremetevo-2, Moscows busiest airport. There are a number of smaller hubs that service domestic flights along with those from fellow former-soviet states, but chances are youll be arriving at Sheremetevo-2. The terminal is quite far from the city, but a metro ride will make the 30km go by quickly. If you have quite a bit of luggage, you can arrange for a taxi, or meet up with one outside.
The metro is an indispensable key for those who want to see a lot of the city in a short amount of time. Theres no traffic, little wait time (2 minutes at most), and 150 stations. Its a system that is serves about 9 million riders each day, so its safe to say the metro is your best option. If you cant get to a metro station, or if youre feeling the need to go the suburban way, take a taxi or a bus.
Attractions:
The Arbat sector in Moscow is not brilliantly adorned with skyscrapers or classic architecture, but it has different aspects to catch your interest. Walk through the pedestrian mall and youll see easels dotting the markets with artists giving passing locals and tourist instant-portraits. In between the pastel buildings full of shops and cafes you may even run into a few troubadours and other public performers. Its outdoor Russian life to the fullest in Arbat.
In central Moscow youll find a few buildings worth a look, such as St Basils Cathedral, though we dont recommend peeking inside the exterior is quite spectacular, but the interiors emptiness lowers ones opinion of the Cathedral a bit. A walk up Tverskaya Ulitsa, the most famous and most trodden street in the city, youll see palaces in between the apartment blocks and glimmering churches. If youve ridden the metro by this time, youve also found the stations to be so lavishly decorated that they may just stop you in your tracks; there are more chandeliers and more marble than all of the citys palaces combined.
Moscow is not home to a great number of museum, or even very notable ones at that, but a few of its cultural centers seem to hold treasures of their own. The Pushkin State Fine Arts Museum has an emphasis on European work and especially highlights Renaissance artists. Interestingly enough, most of the pieces housed in this museum were confiscated from private collections. The Central Artists House holds a great collection of contemporary art. You may be disappointed if youre on the prowl for famous work, but the Central Artists House will suit you fine if you generally enjoy the genre. Along with art, Moscow showcases museums of famous literati as well, including: Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Gogol. Each novelists tribute is located inside their own residence.
|
|
|
