I’ve been living in the capital of the Urals for a long time, and I often travel around the area. On weekends, I like to change my surroundings, spend time in nature, and explore new places. I’ll tell you where you can go for a walk near the city, get a lot of vivid impressions, and add to your collection of positive emotions. And yes, I really want the summer to last forever!
Have a fun weekend
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Contents
- Lake Turgoyak
- Kamensk-Uralsky
- Nizhny Tagil
- Kungur
Lake Turgoyak: relax on the Ural Sea
- How to get there: from Yekaterinburg by car in 3.5 hours or by bus to Miass in 4 hours.
Do you dream of going to the sea, but your vacation is still a long way off? Spend your weekend at Lake Turgoyak, where you’ll find sandy beaches with clear water.
Plan for the first day. You can just sunbathe and swim, or rent a stand-up paddleboard (from 500 rubles per hour) or a kayak (3,000–5,000 rubles per day or from 1,200 rubles per hour).
On the second day, you can go hiking to the Zaozerny Range: the trail is easy, the cliffs, especially the Great Wall, are impressive, and the panoramas make you grab your camera. A lighter route is a walk to Cape Horn, where you can take a photo shoot against the backdrop of the lake and the sky. It is especially beautiful here in the golden autumn, when the birch trees turn yellow on the shores.
Another must-do activity is a water trip to Vera Island on a trimaran (1,500 rubles) or a yacht (10,000 rubles). Vera Island is known for its megaliths, which are religious structures that are about 6,000 years old. There are signs and boards on the hiking trail, so the walk will be easy and fun.
Spend your weekend at Lake Turgoyak, which has sandy beaches and clear water. Photo: Synthetic Messiah/Shutterstock.com
Where to stay
- Designer apartment in a residential area — stylish apartments in a village, starting at 5,200 rubles.
- Turgoyak-City Apartments are located on the lake shore with their own beach, starting at 10,000 rubles.
- Apartments at 76 Bogdana Khmelnitskogo Street in Miass are an affordable option on the way to Lake Turgoyak, starting at 4,287 rubles.
A designer apartment in a residential area.
Kamensk-Uralsky: admire the rocks and rapids on the Iset River
- How to get there: you can travel 100 km by the Finist high-speed train in 1.5 hours or by car in 2 hours.
This quiet, green town on the banks of the Iset River is a great place to recharge your batteries.
Plan for the first day. I recommend a walk through Razgulyayevsky forest park: find the sculpture of an orange moose and admire the picturesque cliffs and river bends.
Then go for a water trip: at your service comfortable and bright boats Triton and Neptune (tickets – 600-700 rubles). The quiet current, coastal cliffs and green banks will definitely make you forget about the working week.
If you are not afraid of the load, bring your own or rent a bike in the city and go towards the village of Beklenishcheva, it is about 30 kilometers. Along the way – dirt paths along the river and rocks, birch forest, thickets of ripe wild strawberries, and in the end – the coolness of the Smolinskaya cave, the impressive Isetsky canyon and the threshold Revun.
Revun Rapids. Photo: Timofeev Vladimir/Shutterstock.com
Plan for the second day. The program includes a tour of the Pyatkov and Co. bell factory (from 100 rubles). Here, you can try your hand at ringing the bells. History enthusiasts should visit the local history museum (ticket price: 50 rubles), while families with children can explore the Cosmos Park, which features numerous figurines of children’s fairy tale characters. And don’t forget to take a walk along the photogenic embankment overlooking the arched bridge.
Where to stay: the city offers a wide range of accommodation options, including many affordable apartments. Here are a few suggestions:
- Apartments at 26 Lenin Street, near Razgulyaevsky Park and Cosmos, starting at 3,100 rubles.
- Apartments on Tchaikovsky, 19 — also within walking distance of parks, from 2300 rubles.
- Two-room apartment in the center — in light colors, from 2600 rubles.
Apartments at Lenin 26.
Nizhny Tagil: explore mining heritage
- How to get there: by Finista in 2 hours or by car in the same amount of time — the track is quite decent.
A trip to Nizhny Tagil will appeal to those who are fond of industrial tourism.Like most settlements in the Urals, Tagil was born out of an ironworks: its history is closely connected with the Demidov family.
Plan for the first day. It is worth starting with a walk through the historical center of the city. It is well preserved — the reserve “Gornozavodsky Ural” unites a dozen thematic museums. Entrance tickets will cost up to 250 rubles. Here you can see the old blast furnaces in the industrial technopark “Old Demidov Plant”, as well as the turbines and forges of the Demidov times at the exhibition of factory mechanisms.
Techies and inventors will definitely like the museum “House of the Cherepanovs” and the tour of the Uralvagonzavod (ticket – 60 rubles, tour – 300 rubles per group). If you prefer spinning wheels and samovars to tanks and machines, I recommend a visit to the Museum of everyday life and crafts. And if you’re a fan of painting, you should definitely visit the Museum of Fine Arts to admire the so-called “Tagil Madonna,” which is attributed to Raphael Santi.
Here you can see the old blast furnaces in the industrial technopark “Old Demidovsky Plant”. Photo: ArtEvent ET/Shutterstock.com
Plan for the second day. Let’s go admire the painted flower trays at the Khudoyarov House. The ancient craft has been preserved, and today it is one of the symbols of Tagil, and tourists take small souvenir trays as a memento of their trip.
Where to stay:
- Granada Apartments is a designer studio with a new renovation in the very center of the city, from 2750 rubles.
- Scandinavia Apartment is a bright studio with bright accents located on the embankment of the city pond, from 3200 rubles.
- Studio a stone’s throw away from the embankment — from 2650 rubles.
- Loft-style two-room apartment near the railway station — from 3450 rubles.
Loft-style two-room apartment.
More guides on the Urals
We have a cool selection of travel ideas for the Sverdlovsk region, a separate guide for Yekaterinburg and a list of things you shouldn’t do in the capital of the Urals.
Kungur: walk around the merchant city
- How to get there: by Finista in 4 hours or by car in 3.5 hours.
The old town of Kungur has partially preserved its historical buildings and the atmosphere of the 19th century, which is why people come to this city for the famous Kungur Cave.
Plan for the first day. At the Museum of Merchant History, you will learn why the city was once considered the tea capital of the Russian Empire. The ticket costs 60-100 rubles. But what kind of tea party is there without sweets and gingerbread? We recommend that you make and decorate the latest ones yourself in the gingerbread workshop: the abundance of shapes and delicious souvenirs makes your eyes run away. A fish, a cat or a heart — choose what you like best! The cost of the master class, depending on the number of people and sweets, ranges from 700 to 1200 rubles.
Then, head to the local history museum, where you can see a model of the first settlement and a traditional stylized izba with a samovar and pots for a mere 20-40 rubles.
After lunch, take a stroll along the Sylva River embankment and the historical center of the town. In addition to the buildings from the 19th century, you’ll find many unusual art objects, including the “Earth’s Center” sculpture, a monument to the pioneers in the shape of an ancient Russian boat, and the “Nikitka the Flyer” sculpture. The latter is located in the Aeronauts Square, which is a reference to the annual Sky Fair festival.
We recommend making and decorating your own gingerbread cookies at a gingerbread workshop. Photo: Olga R. & Olga S./Yandex.Maps
Plan for the second day. A trip to Kungur is usually incomplete without a visit to the impressive Kungur Ice Cave, but it is currently closed. You can follow the news on the official website.
If you’re looking for some activity, climb the Yermak Stone for stunning views of the river. You can also diversify your trip by adding a visit to the Belogorsky Monastery, 70 km from Kungur, to your itinerary. The scenic road passes through fields of lupins.
Where to stay:
- An apartment near the train station is a suitable option if you are traveling by train, starting at 2,400 rubles.
- Apartments on Kashirin Street, near the Kungur Cave and the railway station, from 2700 rubles.
- Apartment at 31 Detskaya Street, within walking distance of the historical center, from 2400 rubles.
A trip to Kungur is usually not complete without a visit to the impressive Kungur Ice Cave. Photo: AndreyOzhegov/Shutterstock.com
As you can see, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a mini-trip. The most important thing is to have a desire to learn new things, and Ostrovok can help you have an exciting vacation, whether it’s a long or short one.
Use the promo code CLOSE: it offers a 20% discount (up to 1,500 RUB) on bookings of apartments and private houses on Ostrovok from August 8 to 31, 2025.
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Cover photo: Synthetic Messiah/Shutterstock.com
