5 amazing places in Russia worth visiting this year

Domestic tourism is gaining momentum. Of course, someone will prefer to go according to the "Moscow - Peter" standard or to the crowded beach of the Black Sea coast, while someone will go on new routes for vivid impressions. It is for such people that we have collected some of the most interesting tourist spots in Russia.

1. Abrau-Durso, Novorossiysk

Many people associate the melodious name of the resort village on the Black Sea coast with the famous sparkling wine. And for good reason. Here is indeed one of the largest vineyards in the region, and with it - the plant, founded by Alexander II.

If gastronomic tourism does not attract you very much (although after tastings many people get a taste), then you can turn to the classic routes and go in search of the fresh Abrau lake, which gave the name terrain. This secluded corner is located just 14 kilometers from Novorossiysk among wooded slopes and looks just amazing. Here you can swim and fish.

In the village itself, we also recommend admiring the evening show of singers fountains. Note: the best view opens from the coastal area or water surface.

You can get to Abrau-Dyurso from Novorossiysk by private car or regular bus.

2. Bulgarians

The trip to India this year was clearly not working out. But you can start acquaintance with oriental culture on the territory of Tatarstan, in the former capital of the Golden Horde. The White Mosque in Bolgar is a real pride of the region, similar to the famous wonder of the world, Taj Mahal. The white-stone ensemble is a complex of marble buildings in the style of a religious Renaissance. In front of the buildings there is a square with an artificial reservoir, rivers and a garden - as if an embodied landscape from oriental tales. The largest Koran in the world is also kept here: the Holy Scripture is decorated with Tatar national patterns, and its weight reaches 800 kilograms.

The city is located on the banks of the Volga, not far from Kazan. You can get here both by water and by land: from the center Kazan there is a bus to Bolgar twice a day, and in good weather boats run. It is also comfortable to travel by personal transport - the road from the capital of Tatarstan takes no more than 2 hours.

3. "Kostroma Sloboda", Kostroma

"Kostromskaya Sloboda" is located on the territory of the Ipatiev Monastery, not far from the confluence of the Kostroma and Volga rivers - literally 10 minutes' drive from the coastal zone.

This is a whole open-air museum of wooden architecture. Its collection includes unique churches, huts and household buildings from the time of the reign Ivan the Terrible. Inside the huts, traditional peasant decoration has been preserved, and in the churches you can admire ancient frescoes with scenes from the Gospel.

Themed excursions, master classes and performances of folk artisans are held on the territory of the park: you can watch how a variety of curiosities are cut out of wooden blocks, you can mold a pot of clay yourself and play the harmonica or harp.

4. Igarka

The Polar City, built on permafrost, is perhaps the most amazing and unexpected place to travel. Nevertheless, Igarka is very popular among tourists - all because it houses the world's only Permafrost Museum. Its walls are covered with a thick layer of ice and snow, crystalline growths are visible everywhere. Even in the warm season, the temperature here is subzero, and when there are severe frosts on the surface, a constant -20 ° C remains inside.

It is thanks to this cold that the rarest natural exhibits have been preserved in the museum. So, at a depth of 14 meters, you can touch the relic ice (it is, for a minute, 500 years old!) And examine the sections of no less ancient coniferous trees.

Getting to Igarka is not easy, especially in winter. In the summer, there is a choice between a plane and a motor ship from Krasnoyarsk. But with personal transport more difficult: the distance between cities is great, and travel time can take more than three days.

5. Mountain Park "Ruskeala", Karelia

The marble canyon, surrounded by pine and coniferous trees, has become the "tourist Mecca" of Karelia in several years. Lovers come here camping and outdoor activities to look at the rich northern flora and explore both the highest and lowest points of the region.

Here you can admire the bird's eye view of the mountain range, go on a boat trip along the grottoes, make bungee jumping and even sink to the bottom of a flooded quarry, if you have a diver's license and the necessary equipment. The water in the quarry is so clear and transparent that you can see the caves at the bottom, as well as the flooded Finnish technique that has been used to mine marble since the 40s.

Despite the harsh weather, Ruskeala is a year-round tourist route. In winter Here you can also have a great time: ride a snowmobile along the river with beaver dams, stop by an old Finnish mill and admire the frozen waterfalls.

Ruskeala Park is located 37 km from the town of Sortavala. The nearest major transport hubs are located in St. Petersburg and Petrozavodsk, from where you can reach your destination either by your own car or by bus in 3-5 hours.