20 best resorts in Russia, where you should go

"Table of contents

• South of Russia
• Northwest Russia
• central Russia
• Ural and Volga
• Siberia

South of Russia

1. Sochi, Krasnodar Territory

• How to get there: on the airplane or train from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities.
• Where to live: There are many options for every budget. For example, a four-star hotel 8 900 rubles per day, a room in a cozy guest house for 6 500 and a budget hostel for only 1 400.
• What to see: Krasnaya Polyana, Olympic Park, arboretum, yew-boxwood grove, Mount Akhun, Vorontsov caves, the abandoned sanatorium Ordzhonikidze, the Marine Station, tea plantations in Matsesta and Dagomys, the Agur Gorge with waterfalls.
• Healing factors: climate, mineral waters.

It seems that not a single top Russian resort can do without Sochi. And there are reasons for this: mild subtropical climate, rich cultural life, a large number of attractions and entertainment in the city and beyond. As well as a huge selection of hotels and restaurants and whole

33 beachesBlue Flags awarded to 33 beaches in Sochi / Kommersant, marked with the "Blue Flag" - an international award that is given to the best and cleanest beaches. In addition, dozens of sanatoriums operate in Sochi, where you can improve your health with water from local iodine-bromine and hydrogen sulfide sources.

To save money and explore the city without tourist crowds, it is better to come to Sochi not in summer, but in autumn or spring. The weather here will be warm and sunny, and there will definitely be activities, in addition to relaxing on the beach.

2. Gelendzhik, Krasnodar Territory

• How to get there: first by plane from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities to Mineralnye Vody, then another 7.5–11.5 hours bus. Or fly to Sochi, from there a boat goes to the city, the journey will take 4 hours.
• Where to live: the city has a large selection of inexpensive hotels. For example, this option is a 5-minute walk from the sea for 2 998 rubles with breakfast. You can also rent individual apartments for 2 500 rubles or a minimalistic room in a guest house for 3 300.
• What to see: the city embankment, the sculpture "White Bride", the lighthouse on Cape Tolstoy, the Parus rock, the waterfalls of Mount Shahan and dolmens - ancient burial structures.
• Healing factors: climate, mineral waters.

Gelendzhik is located on the shore of a shallow bay, at the foot of the Caucasian ridge Markotkh. The city is small but cozy, with a long promenade, quiet streets and typical seaside entertainment like a dolphinarium and a water park.

Here you can swim on the beach, climb mountains to see rocks and waterfalls, visit local wineries and see ancient historical monuments. Or buy a ticket to one of the sanatoriums, where they offer procedures with therapeutic mud and waters from Gelendzhik mineral springs.

Pay attention to the villages 30-50 minutes away from the city, such as Kabardinka and Divnomorskoye: the water is much cleaner there, and the beaches are not so crowded even in high season.

3. Anapa, Krasnodar Territory

• How to get there: on the train from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities. Either by plane to Sochi, and from there by train in 7.5 hours.
• Where to live: There are no large chain hotels in the city, but there are many other offers. For example, for 10 023 rubles will be able to rent a four-star room with three meals a day. Per 2 500 rubles there is a room in the guest house, and for 3 000 offer a separate house for four.
• What to see: archaeological museum "Gorgippia", the embankment, the Anapa lighthouse, the Russian Gate of the XVIII century, Cypress Lake in Sukko, the observation deck "Swallow's Nests", the park "Nut Grove".
• Healing factors: climate, mineral waters.

Anapa is often called the main children's resort on the Black Sea coast. In the city and its environs there are dozens of camps and beaches comfortable for families with easy entry into the water and a shallow depth near the coast.

The resort boasts picturesque nature and ancient history, so in one trip you will get see the dunes, relic coniferous forests, vineyards, excavations of the ancient city and the gates of the Turkish fortresses.

On the territory of the city there are several deposits of mineral waters, useful for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

4. Caucasian Mineralnye Vody, Stavropol Territory, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia

• How to get there: on the airplane or by train from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities to Mineralnye Vody, from there you can get to other cities of the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody by bus, minibus or car.
• Where to live: there are many sanatoriums in this resort region, but there are noticeably fewer housing options for independent recreation. In large cities - Essentuki, Pyatigorsk and Kislovodsk - you can stay in a hotel, for example, 6 000 rubles per day. Or in an apartment 2 200 rubles there are apartments in a good area. There are very few offers in small villages and villages. The house or number, most likely, will have to be looked for already in place.
• What to see: Mount Mashuk, an ancient necropolis, lakes Proval and Tambukan in Pyatigorsk, a huge resort park and a valley of roses in Kislovodsk, temple complex "Rio de Caucasus" and a park in Essentuki, Mount Beshtau, the palace of the Emir of Bukhara, a park and a cascade staircase in Zheleznovodsk.
• Healing factors: therapeutic mud, mineral waters, climate.

Caucasian mineral waters is a whole group of resorts on the slopes of the mountains of the Greater Caucasus. This includes the territories of three regions at once: the Stavropol Territory, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia. These places are famous for their numerous springs with healing water and beautiful nature.

Perhaps the most popular resorts of the KMV are Kislovodsk, Essentuki, Pyatigorsk and Zheleznovodsk. The cities have a developed infrastructure and a large selection of sanatoriums with different medical profiles. Fans of more active recreation will like a trip to the Malokarachaevsky and Prikubansky districts of Karachay-Cherkessia. You can organize a hike or rafting on a mountain river and see the gorges, waterfalls and mountain lakes.

5. Karmadon, North Ossetia-Alania

• How to get there: from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities on airplane or train to Vladikavkaz, from there by bus or minibus to the place, the journey will take about an hour.
• Where to live: near the village there are a couple of guest houses and an eco-hotel with a single room for 3 500 rubles per day.
• What to see: "City of the Dead" - a necropolis in the village of Dargavs, the place of death of Sergei Bodrov - Jr., the Dzivgis fortress.
• Healing factors: climate, mineral thermal waters.

If you are in love with the Caucasus Mountains, but prefer wildlife to popular tourist spots, we advise you to visit the village of Karmadon in North Ossetia. Until the 2000s, a large balneological resort worked here, now the sanatorium is abandoned, and only a few hundred inhabitants remain in the village. Now bathing in the Karmadon thermal springs is available free of charge to everyone. But first you have to overcome a difficult and long road, but at the end there will be a prize - a relaxing open-air healing bath and a magnificent view of the mountains.

From Karmadon in a couple of hours by car you can get to other interesting places in Alanya, for example "City of the Dead", the ski resort "Tsey" and the Midagrabin waterfalls several hundred high meters.

6. Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria

• How to get there: on the airplane or train from Moscow and other cities.
• Where to live: there are several small hotels: a room in a four-star hotel will cost 5 500 rubles. Per 3 200 per day you can rent a one-room apartment with a nice renovation.
• What to see: Blue lakes with crystal clear water, Chegem gorge and waterfalls, Atazhukinsky garden, Upper Balkaria archaeological and tourist complex, Bezengi gorge.
• Healing factors: mineral waters, climate.

The capital of Kabardino-Balkaria is not the most obvious tourist destination, but the city has the status of a federal resort. On its territory there are springs with several types of mineral water, which is used for treatment in local sanatoriums.

The city itself will seem boring to someone, it will take a maximum of a couple of days to see all the sights. But you can make Nalchik the starting point of the trip and drive to impressive waterfalls and gorges in an hour or two.

Northwest Russia

7. Svetlogorsk, Kaliningrad region

• How to get there: on the airplane from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities to Kaliningrad, from there another hour by train or bus.
• Where to live: there are few hotels in the city, all of them are quite expensive. Cozy but old fashioned room worth it 10 000 rubles per day, and a bright one-room apartment - 3 500 rubles.
• What to see: a cable car with bright cabins, German villas, a water tower, a quiet lake, the temple of Seraphim of Sarov.
• Healing factors: climate, therapeutic mud, mineral waters.

It's hard to believe that this quiet seaside town with smart German-style houses is not somewhere in Europe, but just an hour from Kaliningrad.

Tourists most often come to Svetlogorsk for the weekend to look at the unusual architecture, walk along the embankment and swim in the Baltic Sea. But you can stay here longer - take a ticket to one of the sanatoriums with treatment with Svetlogorsk mineral waters and peat mud.

8. Solvychegodsk, Arkhangelsk region

• How to get there: by plane from St. Petersburg to Kotlas, from there you can get to the city in an hour by ferry. Or at airplane from Moscow to Arkhangelsk, and then to bus to Kotlas, travel time - about 10 hours.
• Where to live: there are a couple of guest houses and one hotel in the city, a room in it costs from 3 000 rubles per day.
• What to see: The Vvedensky Monastery and the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the 16th century, the Stalin Museum, the house of the Pyankov merchants.
• Healing factors: therapeutic mud, mineral waters.

If you want to escape to the ends of the world to take a break from the hustle and bustle, take a closer look at Solvychegodsk. This tiny city in the Arkhangelsk region is ideal for maximum privacy.

Here you can see ancient Orthodox churches, wooden houses, merchants' estates and restrained, but beautiful northern nature, and at the same time improve your health. Mineral water from a local source and sulphide mud from the bottom of the Salt Lake are useful for diseases of the skin, reproductive system, gastrointestinal tract and musculoskeletal system. And be sure that your vacation will be held in peace and tranquility: you can get here from the nearest major city only by ferry.

9. Marcial waters, Karelia

• How to get there: on the airplane from Moscow or by train from St. Petersburg to Petrozavodsk, then another hour by bus or car.
• Where to live: there are only sanatoriums in the resort area, so you need to look for housing in Petrozavodsk. There you can rent a modest room in a hostel for 1 860 rubles or in a four-star hotel for 7 300 rubles and a good one-room apartment in the center for 3 200 rubles.
• What to see: the Church of the Apostle Peter of the 18th century, the museum of the resort in the house of the mining department of the 19th century, the Kivach waterfall, the Girvas volcano.
• Healing factors: therapeutic mud, mineral waters.

The Karelian resort, founded by Peter I in 1719, is considered the oldest in Russia. Even in the time of the emperor, people came here to be treated with mud and mineral waters, useful for iron deficiency, diseases of the cardiovascular and digestive systems.

It is not necessary to take a long ticket to the sanatorium. You can come to the village for a day to taste the water from the healing springs and see the ancient buildings, and then go to other sights of Karelia. For example, go to the Kivach waterfall and the extinct volcano Girvas - the road to them from Marcial Waters will take less than an hour.

10. Staraya Russa, Novgorod region

• How to get there: by train from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Veliky Novgorod, then an hour and a half by bus.
• Where to live: there are only five hotels in Staraya Russa. A night in the most expensive of them is worth 5 300 rubles, for 1 500 rubles per day, you can rent a one-room apartment in the center.
• What to see: resort park, Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, Resurrection Cathedral, St. George and Trinity Churches, a water tower, Dostoevsky's house-museum.
• Healing factors: therapeutic mud, mineral waters.

Because of the sources of healthy bromine waters and deposits of therapeutic mud, this ancient city in the Novgorod region is without too much modesty compared to Baden-Baden. There are no casinos and luxurious spa centers in Staraya Russa yet, as in a German resort. But here you can visit the churches of the XIV-XVII centuries and places associated with Dostoevsky: the house of Grushenka from The Brothers Karamazov and the dacha where the writer's family rested.

central Russia

11. Kashin, Tver region

• How to get there: on a straight line bus from Moscow in 3 hours or by train to Tver, from there you need to travel another hour and a half by bus.
• Where to live: there are problems with housing in the city, only one old hotel is working, and there are practically no apartments with daily rent.
• What to see: Resurrection Cathedral, churches of the 18th century: Ilyinsko-Preobrazhenskaya, Krestoznamenskaya, Peter and Paul and others, museum of local lore, drinking pump room, Cathedral house of the 18th century.
• Healing factors: mineral water.

Kashin is the only resort town in the Tver region and another unusual place for lovers of Russian antiquity. Walks along the ancient Orthodox churches and wooden bridges across the Kashinka River can be combined with drinking mineral water from local sources rich in magnesium and calcium.

12. Lipetsk, Lipetsk region

• How to get there: Now the Lipetsk airport is closed, so you can get to the city from Moscow and St. Petersburg only by train.
• Where to live: the city has a large selection of inexpensive hotels, there is an option for 2 835 rubles with breakfast, apartments are even cheaper - a one-room apartment in the center will cost 2 100 rubles per day.
• What to see: Lower Park, fountains on Theater Square and the Palace of Culture, the Travel Palace of Peter the Great, Kudykina Gora Park.
• Healing factors: mineral water.

Now this large city in the Black Earth region is known as an industrial center, but in the XVIII-XIX centuries Lipetsk was a popular resort among the nobles. Local healing springs were noted by Peter I during the Azov campaigns. Now the city no longer has the status of a resort, but here you can still taste mineral water from the pump room and test the power of therapeutic mud and peat in sanatoriums.

After exploring Lipetsk, you can explore its surroundings, there are a lot of interesting things. For example, the Kudykina Gora park with a huge fire-breathing figure of the Serpent Gorynych and a safari zone with llamas and orange sheep. Or the Deer Park, where not only deer live, but also roe deer, fallow deer, and elk.

Ural and Volga

13. Lake Uvildy, Chelyabinsk Region

• How to get there: first on airplane from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities to Chelyabinsk, from there another 2 hours by bus.
• Where to live: there are campsites and recreation centers on the shore of the lake. A room in the guest complex costs from 3 000 rubles, and the whole house - 8 000.
• Healing factors: mineral water.

Uvildy is one of the largest lakes in the Chelyabinsk region, surrounded by deciduous forest. The water in it is very clean and transparent, well-equipped sandy beaches are located along the banks, so many vacationers come to Uvildy every summer.

On the lake you can swim, fish and swim on the Sap, and then collect mineral water from a nearby radon spring. It is useful in diseases of the skin, cardiovascular system and musculoskeletal system. In the Uvildy sanatorium, along with radon waters, sapropelic mud from Lake Sabanai is used for treatment, which relieves pain and inflammation and accelerates tissue regeneration.

14. Undory, Ulyanovsk region

• How to get there: from Moscow to airplane or train to Ulyanovsk, then another hour by bus or car.
• Where to live: all available types of accommodation in Undory can be booked on site resort. There is a campsite for 760 rubles per place, a glamping with a double tent for 3,500 rubles, and rest houses with rooms from 1,000 rubles.
• What to see: Paleontological Museum, Undora Mountains, mineral springs and springs.
• Healing factors: blue clay, mineral waters.

Many millions of years ago, on the site of this resort was the ancient Russian Sea. It disappeared, but left behind prehistoric fossils (they are still found on the shore) and deposits of blue Kimmeridgian clay, which is used in medicine and cosmetology.

Mineral water from Undora springs also has healing properties. You can dial it yourself or buy a ticket to one of the resort's sanatoriums to undergo a course of procedures.

15. Lake Elton, Volgograd region

• How to get there: from Moscow or St. Petersburg to train or airplane to Volgograd. From there by bus, minibus or car to the lake - the road will take about 5 hours.
• Where to live: there is a sanatorium and a guest house near the shore of the lake, places are quickly taken apart, but you can rent a room or a house in the private sector, it is better to look for ads in social networks.
• Healing factors: brine - a solution with a high salt content, therapeutic mud.

Elton is the largest salt lake in Europe. Its water is saturated with minerals and has an unusual pinkish color, which is given to the lake by microscopic algae.

Rapa and hydrogen sulfide mud from the bottom of Elton are known for their healing properties. People come to the lake not only for healing compresses and baths, but also because of the fantastic views. The reservoir is surrounded by endless flowering steppes, and the mirror surface of the water seems to merge with the sky.

Siberia

16. Belokurikha, Altai Territory

• How to get there: on the airplane from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities to Barnaul, from there another 5 hours by bus.
• Where to live: in addition to many sanatoriums, there are small hotels in the city, a room in one of them costs 4 320 rubles per day. Another option is to rent an apartment, they will ask for a studio with a European-style renovation 3 000 rubles.
• What to see: Tserkovka mountain, swan reserve, Kamenny Ostrov miniature park, Four Brothers rock, Andreevskaya Sloboda historical and architectural complex.
• Healing factors: mineral waters, climate.

They like to call Belokurikha the Altai Switzerland and compare it, for example, with Davos. The city really resembles a respectable European resort and attracts tourists not only with incredible mountain scenery and mild climate, but also with developed infrastructure.

There are 19 sanatoriums in Belokurikha, where they offer dozens of types of procedures with thermal nitrogen-silicon mineral waters and mud from the salt lakes of Altai. Those who prefer active recreation to therapeutic baths and inhalations will also like the resort. Here you can go snowboarding and skiing in the ski resort, rafting on the Katun River, arrange a ride on snowmobiles and ATVs and paragliding.

17. Arshan, Buryatia

• How to get there: on the airplane from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities to Irkutsk, then 3-4 hours by car or bus.
• Where to live: The choice of housing is not too large, but the accommodation options are quite diverse. There is a separate yurt for 6 900 rubles, a room in a guest house for 5 000 and a hotel room 5 079 rubles.
• What to see: Crystal Lake, Love Peak, Hoymorsky Datsan "Bodhidharma", waterfalls on the Kyngarga River.
• Healing factors: climate, mineral waters.

Arshan is perhaps the best place to get acquainted with the amazingly beautiful nature of Buryatia. Here you can see the snow-capped peaks of the Sayans, fast mountain rivers, dense coniferous forests, waterfalls and green meadows bathed in the sun.

The resort is known for its thermal mineral waters, and they gave it its name: “arshan” is translated from Buryat as “healing spring”. Baths, irrigation and drinking of Arshan waters are prescribed for diseases of the digestive, cardiovascular and urinary systems.

18. Goryachinsk, Buryatia

• How to get there: on the airplane from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities to Ulan-Ude, from there you can get to your destination in 3 hours by bus.
• Where to live: at recreation centers, a room in one of them will cost 5 000 rubles, a separate mini-cottage can be rented for 4 500 rubles.
• Healing factors: climate, mineral waters.

An 8-hour drive from Arshan is Goryachinsk, a village near the Baikal Bay with wide sandy beaches, coniferous forests and thermal springs. The resort is small and quiet, there are no large hotels, entertainment and attractions here yet, so all your free time you can walk, breathe the air saturated with ozone, and enjoy the views.

If you want to dilute this unpretentious program with wellness procedures, take a ticket to a sanatorium, where mineral water from a spring and mud from neighboring lakes are used for treatment.

19. Lake Shira, Khakassia

• How to get there: from Moscow to Abakan airplane, from there by car, the road will take 2 hours.
• Where to live: there are several recreation centers and guest houses near the lake, the situation there is not the most refined, but the prices are relatively low. A separate house costs from 7 000 rubles, and the number - from 1 800 rubles.
• Healing factors: brine, therapeutic mud.

Another point in Siberia for a beach holiday is the slightly salty Lake Shira, located in the middle of the Khakassian steppe, far from large settlements. The water in the Shire is not only clean and transparent, but also healing. It and mud from the bottom are used to treat the skin, joints, organs of the digestive and respiratory systems.

For recreation, it is better to choose the cleared left bank of the lake: equipped beaches, sanatoriums and all guest houses are located there.

20. Lake Uchum, Krasnoyarsk Territory

• How to get there: from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities on airplane to Krasnoyarsk, then 4–5 hours by car or bus.
• Where to live: You can only stay in a sanatorium by purchasing a ticket. The only alternative is camping.
• Healing factors: brine, therapeutic mud.

Krasnoyarsk Uchum is located in the same deserted place as Shira. For several kilometers around the valley where this salt lake is located, there are no settlements, only green hills and high rocks of the Kuznetsk Alatau.

Water from Uchum and nearby mineral springs, along with silt mud, is delivered to a sanatorium on the shore of the lake, where they are used to treat the reproductive, digestive and nervous systems.