The reality of the long May holidays is this: in St. Petersburg, there is an hour-and-a-half queue at the legendary Pyshechnaya, and in the cities of the Golden Ring it is impossible to take a picture without extra people in the frame. But we in Ostrov know non-trivial routes along which you can rush by car to really relax and see something new, rather than squeezing through the crowd and suffering in search of a free parking space. Take note and plan your mini-vacation in advance!
Content
- Lipetsk region
- Sortavala and Priozersk
- Kazan
- Minsk
- Tobolsk
Lipetsk region: we are leaving Moscow
An unusual destination for a May vacation, which can be your personal discovery. A fire-breathing dragon lives here, ancient mansions preserve the way of merchant and noble life, lace of unprecedented beauty is woven, and in the silence of the old house the lines of Bunin’s “Cold Autumn” are remembered.
How far to go
It will take at least 6 hours to cover 470 km from Moscow to Lipetsk along the M-4 Don toll highway. The fare, according to the website avtodor-tr.ru , starts from 1,480 rubles.
What to do
- Visit the Kudykina Gora Art Park: marvel at the 15-meter fire-breathing dragon, inspect a replica of an ancient Russian fortress and a huge heroic helmet and find a way out of the maze with a sculpture in the form of a giant tomato. The entrance to the park is free, and the entrance to the fortress is 250 rubles. Keep in mind that Gorynych roars from Friday to Sunday, as well as on public holidays, at 20:00.
Kudykina Gora Art Park. Photo: S.O.E/Shutterstock.com
- Cultivate in the museums of ancient Yelets. We recommend visiting the Museum of merchants and estates, located in the handsome mansion of the merchant of the first guild Zausailov (ticket price — 50-100 rubles), the memorial museum of Ivan Bunin (50-150 rubles) and the Museum of Folk crafts and crafts (50-100 rubles).
- Take a walk around Lipetsk, take a sightseeing tour, or complete a quest at the City Council Museum (100-350 rubles) and get nostalgic about Soviet retro machines at the Avtolegenda Museum. On the last day, we advise you to book an excursion in advance, it is held on Sundays, the cost is 200-500 rubles.
- Visit the Semenov-Tyan-Shansky Museum estate in the village of Ryazanka, feel its atmosphere, walk through the park with century-old trees and try to understand what force prevented the geographer and traveler from staying in this cozy house. Don’t forget to buy branded jam according to the recipe of the owner — made from apples, cranberries and pine nuts. The ticket price is 100-150 rubles.
- Visit the good museum of local lore in Zadonsk (tickets cost 50-80 rubles) and the four-hundred-year-old Zadonsky Nativity-Bogoroditsky monastery. Don’t forget to dress appropriately (there are shawls and skirts for women).
Zadonsky Nativity-Bogoroditsky Monastery. Photo: Viktor Karasev/Shutterstock.com
Supporters of a thorough approach
We have compiled the top 16 attractions of the Lipetsk region for those who seek to embrace the vast and make the most of any vacation.
Where to stay
Goritsy Hotel & Resort
Mini-hotel Kupecheska Manor
is for those who want to immerse themselves in the merchant past as much as possible. A brick mansion in the quiet center of Zadonsk will delight with ancient brickwork, lamps with shades and samovars in the rooms that seem to have come down from the pages of novels. Decorous, noble, romantic — at least arrange a photo shoot.
LoftAp apartments
Goritsy Hotel & Resort.
Sortavala and Priozersk: we are coming from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Petrozavodsk
Going to Karelia is almost always a winning option: the Northern Capital is surrounded by stunning nature, delicious local cuisine, lots of outdoor activities and interesting museums. Of course, you won’t be able to kayak on Lake Ladoga or ride a husky sled in May, but it will still be beautiful and exciting.
How much to drive
- From Moscow — 980 km, that’s at least 10 hours on the road. Part of the route to St. Petersburg runs along the M-11 Neva toll highway, the fare starts from 3,550 rubles.
- From St. Petersburg — 276 km and almost 4 hours.
- From Petrozavodsk — 360 km, about 5 hours.
What to do
- Explore the Korela fortress in Priozersk and see with your own eyes the round towers, the arsenal and the pit where the family of rebel Yemelyan Pugachev languished for many years. The ticket price is 150-300 rubles.
- Stroll through the center of Sortavala and admire the Finnish architecture: visit the town hall, the fire station and the Winter estate.
You can explore the Korela fortress in Priozersk and see with your own eyes the round towers, the arsenal and the pit. Photo: Stetiukha Kristina/Shutterstock.com
- Go to Ruskeala, find out all the secrets of the marble quarry, go down into the mine and get acquainted with the Marmoricks— the dwarf guardians of the mountain park. Entrance to the park is 600 rubles, guided tours — from 800 rubles.
- Visit the Museum of the Northern Ladoga region with ethnographic exhibits (ticket — 100-200 rubles) and the museum of Kronid Gogolev, an original craftsman who carves detailed paintings from wood (ticket — 250-350 rubles).
- Try the traditional lohikeitto fish soup, gate pies, local smoked trout and Karelian gold cloudberry jam. Delicious lochikeitto and wickets with different fillings in Sortavala are served at the Dom Berg restaurant, as well as pies with cloudberries, blueberries, lingonberries or trout can be found at the Historia bakery. For the gifts of the generous local forests, go to the Karelian Courtyard, and for fish for yourself and your loved ones, go to the Jarvikala store.
- Visit the fragrant ivan Tea Museum in Lahdenpohja, taste teas and jams, including porcini mushrooms, stock up on healthy drinks and buy gifts for friends.
In Ruskeala you will learn all the secrets of the marble quarry. Photo: Igor Tichonow/Shutterstock.com
Where to stay
Rodina Hotel
A comfortable 4* hotel with a view of Lake Ayranne, a 20-minute walk from the center of Sortavala. It serves delicious and beautiful a la carte breakfasts, and you can also have lunch or dinner at the Mayakovsky restaurant.
Kaunis Hotel
Berry Village Glamping
Glamping “Berry village”.
Are we going to the seaside?
Of course we’ll go! Catch our selection of car routes to beaches and azure. Swimming in May is unlikely to work if you are not a walrus, but you can definitely sunbathe, breathe in the breeze and look for a place for the summer.
Kazan: we are leaving Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod
Sometimes it’s useful to turn things inside out to see new details and touches. It seems that tourists traditionally go to Kazan for the New Year holidays. But in May, the capital of Tatarstan will delight with warmth, flowers on the streets, as delicious as on winter holidays, echpochmaks and the freshest chak-chak. And a ready-made trip plan for a couple of days to Kazan is already available!The blog.
How much to drive
- From Moscow: 830 km along the M-12 Vostok toll highway, at least 8 hours on the road. The fare starts from 4825 rubles.
- From Nizhny Novgorod: 400 km along the M-7 Volga highway will be completed in 6 hours.
What to do
- Stroll through the Kremlin: take the obligatory photo with the leaning tower
