Susanne Moscow, the heart of Russia, is a fascinating tourist destination. Moscow tourism lures visitors to explore the enigma of its ancient history and cultural diversity. This city is the political, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, and educational hub of Russia, a mega-city with the highest population in all of Europe.
Moscow rules at the banks of Moskva River in the Central Federal District of Russia. From west to east it stretches almost 40 km while from north to south the city covers a distance of more than 51 km. A map of Moscow shows its location in the Northeastern part of Europe. Due to its continental climate, the weather in Moscow gets very cold in the winter, so the best months to travel there are from May to August when the average temperature goes up to mid 20s degree Celsius.
Moscow is a beautiful city full of museums, parks, monuments, theatres, stadiums and much more and this Moscow travel guide will provide you with an overview of things to do and see in Moscow.
– Red Square is certainly the most famous site to see in Moscow. It is the location of the iconic St. Basil’s Cathedral which was built in the mid 1500s. It colourful onion domes are the most recognizable image of Moscow. Lenin’s Mausoleum holds the embalmed body of the founder of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.
– The Kremlin represents Moscow’s historic fortification and is adjacent to Red Square. It is the oldest part of the Russian capital and its geographic and historic centre. This fortification system was built in the late 1400s and its outer wall has 20 towers. The Kremlin was the residence of the Russian tsars and holds several magnificent palaces.
– The Assumption Cathedral is part of the Kremlin complex and is where the Russian monarchs were crowned from the 16th to the 19th century.
– The Bolshoi Theatre is Moscow’s famous performance venue for ballet and opera. It is also home to the Bolshoi Ballet Academy where young ballet dancers are trained for the world stage. This neo-classical building is even commemorated on the 100 Ruble banknote.
– The Pushkin Museum is a showcase of Russian art, sculpture and paintings, and a perfect place for an art lover. This museum is also the location of the gold that was stolen in Troy by German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann which had been taken by the Red Army from the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
– For fine art lovers, the Tretyakov Gallery is an unforgettable experience, housed in a building that was built in the early 1900s south of the Kremlin. This gallery holds more than 130,000 items and is the largest collection of Russian fine art in the world.
– With its magnificent gold onion domes and white facade, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is the tallest Orthodox church. Its height reaches more than 105 metres. Original construction started in 1839 and did not finish until 1860. At the order of one of Stalin’s ministers, the church was demolished in 1931, with some remaining decorative pieces being displayed in Moscow’s subway system. The cathedral was rebuilt in the 1990s and finally opened its doors again in 2000.
