MOSCOW
time spent: 4 days
discovering MOSCOW
Moscow is the capital of Russia. It is mostly famous for the Kremlin and the Russian Square. There are seven high towers, that were built during Stalin's period. Russians love sweets, honey and biscuits. In Moscow they have a honey market twice a year. It is a beautiful city, with lots of history.
keep in mind
> Highly recommend hiring a guide. In general, most people don’t speak English. Also the signages on the streets are all in Russian so it’s hard to figure things out. I can recommend the guide I used, contact me for her info.
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> Only cross the streets on the crosswalks. The traffic is a bit crazy. If you don’t see a pedestrian crosswalk, that probably means there is an underground passage to get to the other side of the street. It’s highly common.
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> Buy tickets to the attractions in advance and arrive on time as they are not very flexible with lateness.
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> Check the weather and be ready, even during summer its a good idea to bring a small jacket with you in case it starts winding.
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> When you check in the hotel they will give you a paper, which you will need to hand in to another hotel in case you travel to other cities. Do not loose this paper.
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> In the airport they will also hand you a white paper on the police, which you give back on the way out in the airport. Do not loose this paper.
where to stay
Four Seasons Hotel
unbeatable location
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Four Seasons Hotel Moscow: a modern, luxurious 5 stars hotel with an unbeatable location just a few steps from Red Square.
WHERE TO EAT
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The White Rabbit: The White Rabbit: this restaurant is mostly worth it for the ambiance and the view. Located on the top of a tower, you see a stunning view of the city of Moscow. The decor utilizes the concept of a white rabbit to make it interesting to the smallest details. The food is great as well, but it takes time to arrive. Go with patience and time to spare, and it’s worth it.
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Café Puchkin: Russian cuisine restaurant. It has the look of a 19th century Maison but it’s actually new. The style mimics one of an old pharmacy on the first floor and old library on the second. At the time, it was common for customers to drink hot and regenerative beverages on the pharmacy and that’s why you see the bar where the “pharmacy” is. Very beautiful.
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Flotilla Radisson: 2:30 hours lunch aboard a cruise from the Radisson hotel, with stunning views to the city of Moscow. You can sit outdoors or indoors, both are good to see the view.
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Quadrum: Italian restaurant at the four seasons hotel. Windows display the view of the historic city.
THINGS TO DO
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Saint Basil’s church: one of the icons of Moscow and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1990. The orthodox church is located inside the red square. Saint Basil, the saint to which the church was named after, was a man capable of miracles. He used to walk naked and was seen as a strong man. Its construction was ordered by Ivan the Terrible in the honour of the conquest of the Khanate of Kazan. The church is composed by 10 smaller churches inside. The outside view of the colourful domes is stunning. Buy tickets before going.
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Cathedral of Christ the Saviour: In 1812 Napoleon’s last soldiers left Russia and Tsar Alexander I signed a manifest to build this church in honour of the victory. Konstantin Thon was the chosen architect for the project. The construction of the church was concluded by 1883, but was later destroyed by Stalin to build a palace. Because of war, the palace was never finished and they built a pool on the location instead. It was later rebuilt as we see it today, using the same original architectural project. The first service happened in January 2000. The cost to build this cathedral was 600 million dollars.
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Bunker 42: Secret military complex used by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Stalin ordered the construction of Bunker 42 but never saw it completed as he died before of stroke. Workers that built it were regular construction workers that were told they were building a metro site. None of them were aware of the actual purpose of the project. It is located below a house, -16 meters below the ground. It is a very interesting tour, I highly recommend it.
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Kremlin: One of the most famous, beautiful and touristic spots of Moscow. It is where GUM and Saint Basil's Cathedral are located. Every Russian city has its Kremlin - it is the place where the city started to grow, surrounded by walls. When a city was founded, they had to protect it with a fortified wood wall, but couldn't be any kind of wood. It had to be a solid, impossible to break to work which in Russian is named "Kreme." Kremlin is something unbreakable, both in its physical and spiritual state.
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Saint Basil's Cathedral: Probably what comes to mind when you think of Moscow. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1990. The orthodox church is located inside the red square. Saint Basil, the saint to which the church was named after, was a man capable of miracles. He used to walk naked and was seen as a strong man. Its construction was ordered by Ivan the Terrible in the honour of the conquest of the Khanate of Kazan. The church is composed by 10 smaller churches inside. The outside view of the colourful domes is stunning. Buy tickets before going.
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GUM: The famous mall located at the red square. It has many of the high fashion luxury stores as Miu Miu, Prada and Gucci. It has other stores as well, restaurants and a very nice supermarket which is a nice place to buy Russian Vodka and specialties.
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Alenka Chocolates: Located near the red square, it sells Russia’s most famous chocolate. It was part of the Soviet food program, to mass produce chocolate. It was produced by the Russian Red October Factory. The package still consists of the image of a little girl used back then.
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Eliseevsky Store: Famous grocery store from 1901. It is opened 24/7 and it has a beautiful decor. Very charming and worth taking a look at! It has a central location.
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Zaryadye Park: Modern urban park walking distance from the red square, with a beautiful observatory.
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