Travel is good at any time of the year. And if in summer the route is mainly predetermined - everyone wants to visit the sea, then in winter tourists have a huge choice: exotic islands, ski resorts or a more familiar sightseeing trip. In recent years, winter recreation in the cities of the Golden Ring has been very popular. This is understandable: the chain of cities united in the Golden Ring route is located not far from Moscow and has a good transport interchange, so the road to them will be easy and suitable for children. Also, a trip to ancient Russian cities, some of which are older than Moscow, will be very informative and interesting: ancient monasteries and temples, unusual museums, massive towers, remnants of fortifications, factories and workshops, parks and attractions for children - this is just an incomplete list of objects. which are available for tourists on a tour of the Golden Ring.
In winter, the weather in the settlements included in the Golden Ring is frosty, when the air temperature drops to -15 degrees, and snowy, and warmer and slushy. Thaws usually happen around New Year's holidays, and then winter comes into its own again.
The Golden Ring route includes 8 cities from five regions. The length of the route is about 800 km. Tourists are offered tours of different duration. You can choose a one-day trip - and then it is better to stop at Sergiev Posad, which is closest to Moscow (70 km from Moscow), from where it is easy to get to Aleksandrov. A three-day trip involves acquaintance with several cities of the Golden Ring (maximum 3), and a five-day trip can cover 6 or more.
Small towns of the Golden Ring
Excursion tourism
Winter is a great time to leisurely explore all the attractions of the Golden Ring. Tourists at this time will be several times less than in summer or in the off-season.
In Sergiev Posad, every tourist, even being an atheist, suddenly turns into a pilgrim and, with bated breath, looks at the local Vatican - the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. In Pereslavl-Zalessky, the pilgrimage continues - in a small town on Lake Pleshcheyevo there are 5 monasteries over which time has no power.
In Rostov the Great, which is located on Lake Nero, the first thing to do is to go to the snow-white Kremlin, which seems to hover above the rest of the city's buildings. Despite its name, the Rostov Kremlin was never a fortress, but served as a residence for church hierarchs. Do not forget to buy audio CDs with Rostov bell ringing before leaving the city - a great gift for friends and acquaintances.
In Yaroslavl, whose age has passed a thousand years, most of the interesting tourist sites are concentrated along two embankments - Volzhskaya and Kotoroslnaya. The latter will lead to the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, on the territory of which you can find an interesting historical museum.
Kostroma, the brainchild of Yuri Dolgorukov, is famous for the large Ipatiev Monastery, built on the money of the Godunov family, the city of brides Ivanovo is famous for museums and merchant mansions, Vladimir, the former capital city, pleases with a monument from the UNESCO List - the Golden Gate of the 12th century. Suzdal can generally be called an open-air museum, where time stood still somewhere in the century before last.
Do not forget that in every city of the Golden Ring you will find a real Russian winter with trees in snow-white attire, snow creaking under your feet and the purest air, which is impossible to breathe. Sightseeing in such an environment will be even more interesting!
A trip with children along the Golden Ring
For winter holidays on the Golden Ring, you can and should take your children with you. Most of all, kids like it in Kostroma, where the Snegurochka's residence is located. During a visit to her mansion, children can talk with the hostess herself and her assistants, watch a puppet show and visit the Room of Miracles and the Ice Hall. Another place in Kostroma that should not be missed when traveling with children is Sumarokovskaya forest farm, where moose live, which can be stroked and fed.
In Sergiev Posad, kids can be taken to the Toy Museum, and in Myshkin - to the Mouse Museum, where figures of mice from a variety of materials are collected. By the way, the boys in the same Myshkin will surely like another institution - the Museum of Unique Technology.
In Yaroslavl, you can also go to museums in the company of children. They will be interested in the Museum "Music and Time", where ancient clocks, musical instruments and other gizmos from the past are collected, the Museum "My Favorite Bear", where teddy bears and not only bears live.
Vladimir will also be remembered for a long time by your kids. Take them, for example, to the planetarium, where there is a moon globe and a diorama of a spaceship taking off.
Excursions for children from private guides
Outdoor activities
Winter activities are available in almost every city in the Golden Ring. Everywhere with the breeze they ride on troika with bells, equip skating rinks and ice slides, build snow towns where it is so much fun to play snowballs.
Near Vladimir there is even a ski resort "Krasnaya Gorka", which has a couple of slopes and slides for a snowboard and tubes. You can live in a comfortable hotel and eat in a good restaurant.
In the larger cities of the Golden Ring, for example, in Vladimir and Yaroslavl, there are bowling clubs, saunas, cinemas, gyms.
In Suzdal, tourists are offered snowmobiling along the Kamenka River. If you are traveling in a large company, then take not only a snowmobile, but also a banana trailer, which can accommodate several more people. It's a lot of fun to ride with such a train!
There is a farm near Suzdal where you can go dog sledding, as well as just cuddle with cute huskies and take great pictures.
