One of the stops on the Golden Ring route is Rostov Veliky. The city is small, but literally packed to capacity with temples, monasteries, merchant houses that have been turned into museums or continue to be residential. And over all this splendor, the Kremlin reigns - a snow-white, walled with towers, a real pearl not only of the city, but of the whole of Russia.
Interesting places in Rostov the Great, worthy of visiting the most demanding tourists, can be listed for a very long time. In addition to the Kremlin, these include a lot of museums, observation platforms, city squares, holy places.
What interesting places to visit in Rostov the Great
There is no time to be bored in Rostov the Great. There are a lot of interesting places in the city. Pilgrims are more interested in local monasteries, kids will like thematic museums, adults will be delighted with walks around the Kremlin. In Rostov, you cannot miss:
- Spaso-Yakovlevsky monastery … Tolstovskaya Street leads to this monastery from the city center. The monastery dates back to the end of the XIV century. Tourists will be interested in two of its churches - the Conception, where the magnificent iconostasis and paintings of the 17th century have been preserved, and the Dmitrievskaya, decorated with various sculptural details;
- Assumption Cathedral - the heart of the Kremlin. The current building of the temple was built in the 16th century. The first temple on this site was founded by Vladimir Monomakh himself. That building was made of wood and has not survived to our time, like 3 other churches that replaced it. Inside you need to find several icons painted in the 17th century and a baroque iconostasis from the 1730s;
- Rostov belfry … It is located next to the cathedral on the territory of the Kremlin. This building is familiar to everyone who has seen the film "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession" at least once. You can climb the belfry, where 15 bells are installed, and if you're lucky, you can ring the bell;
- Avraamiev Epiphany Monastery … They say that on the site of this monastery there was once a pagan temple, and in the monastery itself was kept a staff, with which the first abbot destroyed the figure of the idol. Another legend says that Ivan the Terrible, heading with an army to Kazan, specially stopped in Rostov for a staff bringing good luck. Well, after the destruction of the Kazan Khanate, the Epiphany Cathedral was built here;
- Water tower - another building that is part of the Kremlin. Now it houses an observation deck.
- Lake Nero … The main natural attraction of Rostov. In summer it is intended for boating, fishing and swimming, and in winter it turns into an ice rink suitable for snowmobiling;
- Enamel Museum … Everyone must have seen the exquisite ornaments with painted enamel. This is Rostov enamel. There are two museums in Rostov where you can admire such things. The first is in the Kremlin, the second is in a factory on the Borisoglebskoe highway.
Top sights of Rostov the Great
Unusual sights of Rostov and its surroundings
Bee Museum, which is located in the city park of Rostov, cannot be called ordinary in any way. This open-air museum is an exhibition of beehives of different shapes and sizes, as well as everything that is in any way related to beekeeping. The museum sometimes disappears from its usual place, since in the high season, when the bees collect honey, its owners move out of town.
In the village Semibratovo 15-17 minutes from Rostov there is another interesting attraction - a tourist complex consisting of several museums, a zoo corner and the faculty of birdhouses. One of the museums is dedicated to blanks for wooden spoons - baklush. Remember the expression "beat your thumbs up"? In Semibratovo they will tell you about the true meaning of this phrase and show you the process of making a spoon. The action takes place in a hut, where a peasant room has been restored. The spoon master acts as a guide.
The second museum in Semibratovo is intriguingly called "Jam Library". Everyone here knows about the history and creation of this sweetness. Visitors can flip through old recipes, hear historical anecdotes about famous jam lovers, and even taste local produce.
At the Birdhouse Faculty, children and adults remember the pioneer code, paint whistles and learn to protect nature. The zoological corner of the complex contains two bears - Masha and Tosha. You can feed them.
Electric trains and buses run from Rostov to Semibratovo.
Another unusual tourist attraction in Rostov is the spring of Alyosha Popovich in the village Porechye-Rybnoelocated less than 10 km from the city. They say that the village of Porechye was formed by the legendary hero himself, and it was he who discovered the source with delicious water. Now the spring is crowned with a wooden structure - a beautiful chapel.
You can explore Rostov Veliky on your own, or you can contact local guides or city travel agencies.
