Recently, thanks to the general pandemic, a new trend has emerged, which can be described in two words: "It's better at home!" It applies to both weekend travel and longer travel. Those tourists who, a year ago, could not imagine their life without a vacation abroad, are now exploring our country with interest, discovering amazingly beautiful places to which they will definitely want to return later. The meeting of the new year 2021 in Russia will be held under the motto “Traveling in our own country”. Where to go for winter holidays, what to see and what to do - such questions begin to sound long before the main holidays of the year.
Where to go for New Year's holidays-2021 in Russia
In order not to spoil your celebrations, first formulate what you really want from the trip. If you are planning to go to theaters and shops, sit in cozy cafes, show up at Christmas fairs - choose both capitals - the present and the former, that is, Moscow and St. Petersburg. To get the sea and mountains in one trip, you need to go to the Black Sea coast, to Sochi and Krasnaya Polyana. You can improve your health at the resorts of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, and go snowmobiling, skiing and skating at Lake Baikal and Altai. A rich excursion program awaits tourists in ancient Russian cities, for example, Yaroslavl or Pskov. Look for snow, frost and harsh, but in its own way beautiful nature in Karelia or Vyborg, and magnificent views of the Volga in Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod.
Top 7 best places to celebrate the New Year 2021 in Russia
Two capitals - Moscow and St. Petersburg
In connection with the coronavirus epidemic, mass festivities in the capital are not expected, but no one has yet canceled the identical atmosphere that is established in Moscow before the New Year. To cheer yourself up with walks in the winter city is the sacred duty of any guest of the capital. Take a look at the illuminated Tverskaya Boulevard, go up to the observation deck on Vorobyovy Gory, visit the local Versailles - the romantic Kuskovo estate, find the Hunting Lodge in Neskuchny Sad, which was chosen as a playground for the TV show “What? Where? When?”, Go for a ride on the skating rink on Red Square, and then take the train and travel north to St. Petersburg.
Daylight hours in winter do not please with their duration in any city of Russia, but it is especially short in St. Petersburg, where the sun appears for several hours, and then cozy twilight sets in - not scary at all, softened by bright New Year's illumination in the city center.
New Year holidays in Moscow
On New Year's Eve in St. Petersburg it can be snowy and cold or slushy and chilly. In any case, after a short walk in the fresh air, go to some cafe on Nevsky, where delicious mulled wine is served, or drop by any museum, which is so sorry to spend summer days to see. In winter, the museums will be half empty, which means that no one will bother you to enjoy the beautiful.
For the guests of St. Petersburg, we inform you about cherished places that cannot be missed: the main New Year's fireworks are launched from Palace Square, an ice town is open near Peter and Paul, and the most fashionable skating rink is located on Sennaya Square.
Where to go with your child in St. Petersburg
If you have not come to St. Petersburg for a day or two, then be sure to get out of the city - to the snow-covered parks of Gatchina, Pavlovsk, Peterhof. Some are decorated with bright lights.
Sea and mountains - Sochi and Krasnaya Polyana
Experienced tourists have long known about the Black Sea direction as a place to celebrate the New Year. What could be more beautiful than living in Sochi, breathing the sea air, admiring the palm trees under the snow, sit in cafes with panoramic windows and enjoy delicious food, and then, after an hour, suddenly find yourself in Krasnaya Polyana - in the middle of a mountain fairy tale with chalets, ski slopes and restaurants with fireplaces. Or you can do the other way around - book a room in Krasnaya Polyana and go to a carouse to the sea, in Sochi.
In winter, a lot is open in Sochi: almost all cafes, some museums, parks, concert halls, etc. Kids will be delighted by a visit to the residence of Father Frost. Look for her on Mount Akhun and on the territory of Krasnaya Polyana.
Top 10 sights of Sochi
In any more or less decent hotel, a gala dinner, draws from Santa Claus, performances by artists, and festive dances are organized for guests on the New Year's Eve. Well, the next day you can look at the "continuation of the banquet" - a party that will begin after 12 noon for everyone who wants to get drunk.
To the Caucasian Mineral Waters - for health
Resorts of the Caucasian Mineral Waters are good at any time of the year. In winter, walking with terrenkurs and drinking healing water is even more pleasant than in summer, because there is much less bored public, creating excitement, from December to March here than from early spring to late autumn. On New Year's holidays, Zheleznovodsk, Essentuki, Kislovodsk and Pyatigorsk come to life a little, so that later they can plunge back into the kingdom of lazy bliss.
People who come to MinVody in winter are primarily aimed at treatment and recovery, and only then at additional entertainment such as excursions to natural attractions in the vicinity of the resorts. All sanatoriums work in full all year round. This means that absolutely any medical procedures will be available even during the New Year holidays.
Winter in the resorts of the Stavropol Territory is likely to be mild and snowless. In Kislovodsk, which is very conveniently located in a mountain hollow and therefore protected from strong winds, people even undress in winter to get a tan. In other resorts, you can walk in light jackets.
Resorts KavMinVod
Baikal and Altai - for lovers of outdoor activities
Winter Baikal differs from the summer one. In winter, the upper layer of water in the lake freezes, turning into thick, even ice, under which fish calmly swim. The thickness of the Baikal ice can withstand not only a person, but even cars. Therefore, the main entertainment of tourists in winter on Lake Baikal is walking on ice in jeeps or snowmobiles, on skis and skates, on sledges and bicycles. Look out for seals and their babies during these tours.
In winter, you can stay on Lake Baikal both in Irkutsk and in smaller settlements, for example, in Listvyanka, where a sledding sports center is located, which means you can ride dog sleds. There is a ski resort with a snow park very close to Listvyanka.
What to see at Baikal
There are also ski resorts in Altai. We recommend Belokurikha for recreation with its 6000 m long trails on Mount Tserkovka and a number of sanatoriums offering health treatments using local thermal water. On New Year's holidays it will be noisy and fun here.
Yaroslavl and Pskov - for the curious
New Year's holidays are a great time for sightseeing trips. For walking along the snow-covered streets, it is better to choose ancient Russian cities with numerous attractions - Yaroslavl, included in the Golden Ring route, or, for example, Pskov. Festive decorations on the streets of Yaroslavl appear at the beginning of winter. The main Christmas tree of the city is installed on Sovetskaya Square, and here you can also talk to Santa Claus. Neighboring squares and even simple courtyards will also be prepared for the holiday: the city authorities plan to place a Christmas tree decorated with toys and colored bulbs at each location. Finding these Christmas trees can be a pretty good city quest.
Pskov is also decorated with dignity for the holiday. The Christmas town begins its work closer to the New Year on Pushkin Street. This is where the townspeople go to buy glass decorations for the Christmas tree and drink a glass of mulled wine. The tall spruce tree on Oktyabrskaya Square is another place of attraction for residents and guests of the city. Under it you can celebrate the New Year in the company of the same happy and carefree people.
Small towns of the Golden Ring
Russian North - Karelia and Vyborg
The Land of Lakes Karelia is a place where the sky has been colored with the northern lights since September, and since November a real snowy winter comes into its own. Tourists who have planned trips to Petrozavodsk, Kondopoga, Marcial Waters and their environs will find themselves in a real fairy tale, where you can race along endless tracks on reindeer or dog sleds, make snowmen or snow fortresses, play snowballs, ride a sled, that is, feel like children trapped in a magical land. Karelia is often compared with neighboring Finland, only the rest here will cost much less.
Top-10 attractions of Karelia
Vyborg is another destination where you can find yourself in Europe while staying at home. On New Year's Eve, it is customary to do shopping at the fair, which is spread out on the Market Square, drink glögg prepared according to Scandinavian recipes, seize it with pretzel made in the same way as 4 centuries ago, explore the local fortress, where a medieval holiday will take place in the first half of December, dedicated to Saint Lucia.
Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod - to the Volga in winter
Kazan is the third most popular Russian city on the list of places to celebrate the New Year. On the one hand, it is exotic, where the Syuyumbike tower, the Old Tatar settlement and mosques coexist with Orthodox churches and traditional museums. On the other hand, it is a completely European city, where you can fly from Moscow in 1 hour 20 minutes or take a train in 14 hours.
In winter, Kazan is fabulously beautiful: the snow does not melt, and the frost slightly tingles the cheeks (in Kazan it will be a couple of degrees colder than in Moscow). The main Christmas tree of Tatarstan and its capital will be solemnly lit at the end of December near the Family Center - the Chalice.
Interesting places of the Volga region
Another city on the Volga, worthy of the closest attention during the winter holidays, is Nizhny Novgorod. A lush Christmas tree and Christmas markets are also being planned here. However, the most interesting surprise for visitors on New Year's Eve will be a tourist bus, which will take guests past all the sights, stop at each of them, while the fun and feast will not stop inside for a minute.
Where to go for the New Year 2021 abroad by the sea
