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Things to Do in Moscow

Activities in Moscow

Cruising Across the Moscow River, Adventure at Sparrow Hills, Indulge in an event in Moscow Hermitage Garden, Buy Local Handicrafts at Izmailovo Market, Go Ice-Skating at Gorky Park, Shopping with Kids at Central Children’s Store, Check Out Russian Art at Tretyakov Gallery and more.

The flamboyant capital city of the European nation, Russia has never failed to offer the travelers an action-packed holiday by making available for a plethora of exciting things to do in Moscow. No matter if the city gets a heavy influx of energetic party animals and intuitive history fanatics or if it receives love-seeking honeymooners and extravagant shopaholics, Moscow has enough activities in store to quench the thirst of every tourist.

The available activities in Moscow tend to be very versatile, ranging from sightseeing and hiking to learning history and food touring. While the shoppers can enjoy luxury shopping at the GUM or go cheaper at Izmailovo Market, the nightlife seekers can enjoy fine dining at Bon or go shake a leg at 02 Lounge. Likewise, the spiritual seekers can seek blessings at St. Basil’s Cathedral or pay homage at Kul-Sharif Mosque and the architectural enthusiasts can go marvel at Catherine Palace or spend time admiring Alexander Garden. Furthermore, while the history buffs can take an educational tour at State Historical Museum or pay honor at Lenin Mausoleum, kids can shop at Central Children’s Store or go play at Gorky Park. 

If you are wondering what to do in Moscow for free, you will be unfathomably excited to know that many activities are available in the city at absolutely no charge. From enjoying a live performance at Moscow Conservatory and hiking Poklonnaya Hills to exploring Gorky’s House museum and paying a visit to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, you can do unlimited things in Moscow totally free of cost. So, no matter if you have a lavish budget or pose to be a backpacker, Moscow will always be a joyous and exhilarating experience for you.
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The Moscow Kremlin
Situated in the heart of Russia‘s capital, the Kremlin is the oldest masterpiece and every tourist’s dream places to visit in Moscow . Being  one of the  most loved tourist places in Moscow, it is inextricably linked to all the most important political and historical events in Russia since the 13th century.

It symbolizes both Russian and Soviet power and authority. The Kremlin is a fortified complex of tower-studded, walled complex of palaces and domed cathedrals. The Kremlin which was elected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990 is complex of 20 towers, 15 buildings, and more than 1.5 miles of walls that are made up to 21 feet thick.

Location: Moscow, Russia, 103073.

Best time to Visit: March to May.
Red Square
Moscow’s Red Square (Krasnaya Ploshchad) with the Kremlin was added to UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990. It is the most famous and largest places to visit in Moscow.  It has a magnetic pull for all visitors to Moscow and is famous as the site of official military parades, speeches and demonstrations intended to display the strength of Soviet armed forces.

Built directly east of the Kremlin, this 73,000 square meters square area has served as a gathering tourist place in Moscow, a marketplace and festival ground during the Soviet era. Red Square made up of red bricks was made during the 1490s as the symbolic and central square of Moscow.

Location: Krasnaya ploshad, , Moscow, 109012, Russia.

Best time to Visit: March to May.
St. Basil's Cathedral
Even those who’ve never been to Moscow will be able to recognize the colorful domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral because of its crazy confusion of patterns, colours and shapes that is unique to Russian architecture.

Also called "Pokrovsky Cathedral" or "The Cathedral of Intercession of the Virgin by the Moat", the church was built in 1555-1561  by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible to celebrate his victory over the Khanate of Kazan. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a magnificent work with 8 distinctive candy-coloured onion domes.

Location: Krasnaya ploshad, Tsentralny administrative okrug Moskva, 109012, Russia.

Best time to Visit: March to May.
The State Tretyakov Gallery
Lenin's Mausoleum
Located mere steps away from the Kremlin wall in Red Square, Lenin’s Mausoleum (Lenin’s Tomb) is one of the most macabre places to visit in Moscow and perhaps the most famous “modern mummy” in the world.

The building is 24 meters (78 ft) long and 12 meters (39 ft) high and was opened to the public in August 1924. It is a Soviet monument by the architect Aleksei Schusev, in which the mummified remains of Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known as Lenin, are preserved after he had expressed his wish to be buried in St. Petersburg with his mother.

Location: Red Square, Moscow, Russia, 109012.

Best time to Visit: October to April.
Bolshoi Theatre
Bolshoi Theatre, official name State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, is one of the leading ballet and opera companies in the world with more than 200 dancers.

The history of the Bolshoi began when Prince Pyotr Urusov received permission from Empress Catherine II to open a public theater in Moscow. It is a historic theatre in Moscow designed by architect Joseph Bové in the year 1824, which holds ballet and opera performances.

Location: 1 Theatre Square, Tsentralny administrative okrug Moskva, 125009, Russia.

Best time to Visit: March to May.
State Historical Museum
The State Historical Museum is among the five largest museums in the world. The museum was established by the orders of Emperor Alexander II. Located on the opposite end of Red Square from St. Basil’s Cathedral.

The red brick building was designed in 1874 by Vladimir Shervud in the Russian revivalist style with each room having highly decorated walls and made of the style of a different period or region. It was constructed to commemorate national history and to trace the development of Russia with collections that have been forming for more than 100 years and now contain over 4.5 million items.

Location: 1 Red Square , Tsentralny administrative okrug Moscow, Russia.

Best time to Visit: March to May.
Gorky Central Park Of Culture And Leisure
Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure is a central park in Moscow, named after Maxim Gorky was opened in 1928. The Park was planned by Konstantin Melnikov, a world-famous Soviet avant-garde and constructivist architect as a piece of a communist utopia. It covers an area of 300 acres with a contemporary art museum, gardens, outdoor sports activities and sports equipment rental for sports enthusiasts.

Location: 9 Krimski Val, Moscow, Russia.

Best time to Visit: March to May.
Arbat Street
Arbat Street, or Ulitsa Arbat, one of the oldest surviving streets in Moscow. It is the famous 1.25 km walking street in Moscow that lies to the West of the Kremlin.

Surrounded by historical buildings in different architectural styles, this 15th century street has a lot of stories of the novelty families, merchants, poets, artists and thinkers. Museums, restaurants,street artists, a variety of cafes, bookstores and souvenir shops fill the street with amazement. Since 1986, the Arbat has been decorated with distinctively beautiful street lanterns.

Location: Arbat Street, Moscow, Russia.

Best time to Visit: March to May.
All Russian Exhibition Center
All-Russia Exhibition Centre, also known as Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy, abbreviated as VDNKh or VDNH is a tourist place in Moscow for anyone with an interest in the Soviet Union.

It is a permanent general purpose trade show and amusement park in Moscow with a territory of 3 square kilometers and has 400 buildings. It is occasionally referred to as “Soviet Disneyland” as it serves as a monument to the glory of the USSR and an answer to the West’s World Fairs.

Location: 119 , Prospekt Mira, 129223, Russia.

Best time to Visit: March to May.
Cathedral Of Christ The Saviour
Majestic inside and out, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is one of the most imposing and controversial buildings in Russia. With an overall height of 103 metres (338 ft), it is the tallest Eastern Orthodox Church in the world.

This opulent and grandiose cathedral was built as a monument to encourage the Russian people during the struggle at the time of Napoleonic invasion of 1812 on the order of Alexander I, the Emperor of Russia.

Location: 15 Volkhonka Street, Moscow, 119019, Russia.

Best time to Visit: March to May.
Sparrow Hills
Sparrow Hills is one of the highest points and one of the most breathtaking tourist places in Moscow. This 720 ft high hill is a favourite spot for tourists, offering a famous observation deck with a panoramic view over Moscow’s cityscape and ample opportunity for sports and other outdoor activities.

It is a serene nature reserve with relaxing spots and walking paths. Sparrow Hills (Vorobyovy Gory in Russian) takes its name from the 14th century village Vorobyovo, a village that belonged to a Russian Grand Duchess.

Location: Luzhniki embankment, Moscow, Russia.

Best time to Visit: March to May.
The Pushkin State Museum Of Fine Arts
The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts is the largest premier European-art museum in Moscow. The Museum’s foundation stone was laid on August 17, 1898 in the presence of Tsar Nicholas II with the name Alexander III Fine Arts Museum. The museum is split over three branches showcasing global artistic developments from ancient times to the present day in expositions numbering 700,000 works of art.

Location: 12 Ulitsa Volkhonka, Moscow, Russia.

Best time to Visit: March to May.
Novodevichy Convent
Novodevichy Convent is the oldest and probably the most beautiful functioning cloister in Moscow. It is designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and is situated in the southwest of the capital on a meadow next to the Moskva River.

It was founded in 1524 by Tsar Vasily III to celebrate the taking of Smolensk from Lithuania, an important step in Moscow’s conquest of the old Kyivan Rus lands. While entering the monastery women are advised to cover their heads and shoulders, while men should wear long pants.

The calm surroundings makes it one of the most important places to visit in Moscow where one can pay respect at the graves of eminent Russian writers, musicians and thinkers.

Location: 1 Novodevichy Passage, Moscow, 119435, Russia.

Best time to Visit: March to May.
Armoury Chamber
The Armoury Chamber is a part of the Grand Kremlin Palace complex and is one of Moscow's oldest museums and a true treasure chest amongst the  places to visit in Moscow. It is situated in the building constructed in 1851 by the famous architect Konstantin Ton.

This chamber was in charge of producing, purchasing and storing weapons, jewelry and various household articles of the tsars including thrones and carriages, the works of Moscow silver and goldsmiths, precious Russian Easter eggs and other Russian and foreign decorative arts.

Location: Dvortsovaya St., 1R, Moscow 103073 Russia.

Best time to Visit: March to May.
Dream Island
Dream Island is one of the most sought after places to visit in Moscow as it is the largest indoor theme Park all over Europe. The amusement park is spread over an area close to almost 300,000 square meters. The architecture of the park is somewhat similar to that of Disneyland with 29 unique attractions and many pedestrian malls with cycle paths and water fountains.

The dream island not only houses an amusement park but it is also home to a concert hall, hotel. Children Yacht school, yacht club, multiplex cinema theatre, and a public park.

Location: Andropova Ave, 1, Moscow, Russia, 115533

Best Time: April to May
Garden Ring
Garden Ring which is also very much popular as ‘B Ring’ is a ring road avenue that is constructed around central Moscow. With 17 individually named streets and 15 squares, this has been attracting a plethora of tourists year over year.

The circumference of the garden ring is about 16 kilometers and it has got about 10 lanes at certain places. In order to give one of the best tourist places in Moscow shape through the city, many age old fortifications and age old buildings were replaced. At the present time, it stands as an engineering marvel in the city.

Location: Moscow, Russia

Best Time:  April to May
Terem Palace
Terem Palace happens to be a historical building in Moscow Kremlin that has been used as a  main residence of the Russian Czars in the late 17th century. It was the very first spot where the first royal palace was established by Aloisio de Milano.

At the present time it is not accessible to the public as it is used as an official residence of the President of Russia. It is a brilliant piece of architecture that will delight your senses with its contrasting color schemes of orange, yellow, and red. The interior decor has also been renovated with reference to the old drawings in the Russian Revival Style after successive fire events.

Location: Moscow, Russia, 119072

Best Time: April to May
Neskuchny Garden
Neskuchny Garden is considered to be the oldest park in the city of Moscow spread over an area close to almost 40.8 hectares. It was the residence of a former Emperor and was created because of the integration of three estates in the 18th century.

The garden houses a Green Theatre which is one of the largest open amphitheatres in Europe with a total seating capacity of 15,000 people.

Location: Pushkinskaya Naberezhnaya, Moscow, Russia, 119146

Best Time: November to March
Losiny Ostrov National Park
Losiny Ostrov National Park is not only the second oldest national park of Russia but it is also the largest urban park in Europe. It is one of the very few locations in Moscow where you can witness wild animals spending time in their natural environment.

Spread over an area close to 116 km2 (45 sq mi), it is home to 44 species of mammals, 170 bird species, 9 amphibian species, 19 fish species, and 5 reptile species.

Location: Poperechny Prosek, 1G, Moscow 107014 Russia

Best Time: November to March

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