20 best sights to visit in Suzdal

Suzdal is an ancient city, first mentioned in chronicles back in 1024. Once upon a time it was the capital of the large Rostov-Suzdal principality, a trade, economic and spiritual center. However, a decline began in the 19th century, and now it is a quiet small town with a high concentration of interesting and historical places. Unique examples of ancient Russian architecture and art, important monuments and an unusual appearance have been preserved here.

• Attractions
• Observation deck
• Museums
• Excursions
• Suzdal map

List of places

Suzdal Kremlin

The main point of attraction in the city is the ancient Kremlin complex, founded in the 10th century. It was rebuilt more than once, in particular after it was burned by the Mongol-Tatars, but even now you can get an idea of ​​its original appearance.

There are many important architectural and cultural monuments on the territory of the Kremlin, and you can learn more about their history at the Museum of Local Lore. In addition to the main exhibition, temporary exhibitions are regularly held in other buildings.

Kremlevskaya st., 20

Time: 09:00-19:00

Entrance: 400 rubles, discounts available

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary

The main cathedral, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, is immediately visible from the bright blue domes with stars. This is a unique example of pre-Mongol architecture - not many monuments from those times have survived to this day. You should definitely go inside, because its interior is richly painted with frescoes from the 13th century.

Bishops' Chambers

The Kremlin chambers performed administrative and residential functions. The two-story complex of buildings dates back to the 17th century; the monastery servants and the archbishop lived in them. The largest chamber, the Krestovaya, used to receive high-ranking guests.

Wiki/Commons

Cathedral bell tower

The bell tower, restored after the fires, used to be the tallest building in the city, now giving way to the Venerable Bell Tower. It is worth paying attention to the clock - it has been preserved from the 17th century.

Kremlevskaya street

The street of the same name leads to the Kremlin, and this is one of the most comfortable places in the city. On both sides there will be small houses selling souvenirs, baked goods and hidden small cafes. To the right, near the Kremlin walls, there will be a picturesque garden on the banks of the Kamenka River, where you can take beautiful photographs and relax.

Assumption Church

Not far from the Kremlin is the only building in Suzdal in the Naryshkin Baroque style - atypically bright and richly decorated with platbands and pilasters. Unfortunately, during the anti-church campaign of the Soviet years, other buildings of the Assumption Cathedral complex were demolished - the bell tower and the chapel.

Kremlevskaya st., 8

Free admission

Kremlin Val

On the right is a large shaft, which has become a kind of observation point. If you climb the steep shaft, it will offer a view of the Kamenka River.

The ramparts have been preserved from the times when they served the defensive function of the Kremlin. It is known that the shaft has a wooden structure inside and is covered with clay on the outside.

Alexander Monastery

The monastery was named after Alexander Nevsky, who, according to legend, founded it. Over its long history, the monastery was captured more than once, and all historical buildings were burned by the Poles. The current buildings date back to the 17th century, the main one being the Ascension Church with a bell tower. This is an outstanding example of the Old Russian architectural style, especially notable is the octagonal hipped bell tower.

st. Gasteva, 15

Free admission

Vasilyevskaya street

If you come by bus, then on the way from the bus station to the center, you will most likely pass along Vasilyevskaya Street. On it you will meet the Vasilievsky Monastery and the beautiful wooden houses for which Suzdal is famous. Bright facades and decor with carved platbands are found here quite often. On the left there are views of fields where horses often graze, so the street itself is quite picturesque in the warm season.

Vasilyevsky Monastery

The monastery, located at the entrance, was originally used for defense and consisted of defensive fortifications. Since the first buildings were wooden, buildings from the 17th century have reached us, among them the Church of St. Basil the Great and Sretensky. Like other religious buildings, the monastery closed during the Soviet era and was used for warehouses. Now it is active.

Vasilyevskaya st., 32

Free admission

Shopping arcades

Gostiny Dvor - or Trading Rows - was built two centuries ago for merchant shops and shops. The one-story gallery with expressive arches is still used for its intended purpose. The simple but elegant classical design of the rows is characteristic of many other cities of the Golden Ring, including Kostroma and Rostov Veliky. In front of the rows, locals often sell homemade preparations and souvenirs, and cucumber jam is especially popular among tourists.

Fire Tower

The tower with a fire station was built according to a design that is found in Kostroma and Uglich. This is one of the rare examples of surviving civil historical buildings. The fire tower was used for its intended purpose for a century and a half, so now the building remains simply an architectural monument.

Lebedeva, 1

Resurrection Church

The Torgovaya Square complex is not limited to Gostiny Dvor. Opposite it there are two temples: cold and warm - for winter and for summer. Voskresenskaya - cold - has a modest architecture, but is notable for its high spire on the bell tower.

Kazan Church

The neighboring warm Kazan Church is more eclectic, but at the same time harmoniously complements the composition of the square.

Church of Elijah the Prophet

Not far from the Kremlin, further along the Kamenka River, the bright Ilinskaya Church is noticeable. It stands on a small hill called Ivanova Gora. It is a good example of a one-domed posad temple.

Lazarus Church

Another pair of cold and warm churches is Lazarevskaya and Antipievskaya. The Lazarevskaya five-domed church, decorated with tiles and kokoshniks, was mentioned in the charter of Ivan III in the 15th century, but the modern building was built later. Antipievskaya - cold - was created three centuries later, and its facade is decorated with rustication.

How to get there

All travel to Suzdal is made by bus (there is no railway here).

Moscow — Suzdal

There are direct buses from Moscow to Suzdal; travel time is approximately 4 hours (depending on the number of stops). Bus schedule

Vladimir — Suzdal

It’s most logical to start from Vladimir, and then the journey will be faster: only 50 minutes, see the schedule here .

Ivanovo — Suzdal

If you are driving along the Golden Ring from Sergiev Posad, then you will go to Suzdal from Ivanovo. It’s also convenient, there are many flights, travel time is 1 hour 10 minutes. Schedule

From other cities there will be flights with transfers through these three cities. Choose what is most convenient for you.

Venerable Bell Tower

The tallest building in the city is located right here - this is the Venerable Bell Tower. Fortunately, you can climb it and see the best panorama of the center and surrounding area. In good weather, all 53 Suzdal churches will be visible.

Red Square

Entrance fee : 50-150 rubles

Alexander Monastery

Gate to the Alexander Monastery
What else to see in Suzdal, besides its main attractions? Alexander Nevsky Monastery, founded by order of Alexander Nevsky in 1240. However, nothing survived from that time, during the Polish intervention of 1608-1610. The Poles burned the monastery. In 1695, Natalya Naryshkina, mother of Peter I, donated funds for the construction of the Ascension Church.

Bell tower and Ascension Church

Now in the monastery you can see the Ascension Church with a hipped bell tower and part of a brick fence with decorative turrets that have survived to this day.

Museums

Bell Museum

In the Venerable Bell Tower there is a small museum of bells: while you are climbing the tower, you can look at different types of bells and read about their history. It is especially interesting to learn about how the process is being automated now, including using computer programs for bell ringing.

Museum of Wooden Architecture

Along with Vitoslavlitsy near Veliky Novgorod, this museum stores unique examples of wooden architecture. They were brought here from different places in the region, miraculously surviving from the 17th-19th centuries. Among them are residential buildings, merchant mansions, temples and chapels. The museum is also interesting because peasant life is recreated here - both through the interiors and through objects common to that life.

st. Pionerskaya, 1

Working hours: 09:00-16:00

Entrance: 400 rub.

"Suzdal Prison"

On the territory of the Spaso-Evfimievsky Monastery there is probably the most unusual museum in the city. It tells the story of the prison, which was founded in one of the buildings by decree of Catherine II. Both ordinary and famous people were imprisoned in the prison. For example, the Decembrist Fyodor Shakhovsky, who went crazy within these walls. Founders of sects, soothsayers, monks and Old Believers were often referred here. During Soviet times, political prisoners were imprisoned here, for example, Yurovsky and Field Marshal Paulus.

The museum's exhibition tells more about the fate of former prisoners, as well as the life in which they lived. It is surprising that the prison was operational from the 18th century to 1968, and only then was it converted into a museum.

Where to go with children in Suzdal

The colorful city-museum can charm both adult and young traveler. If you take a child on a trip, you definitely can't go wrong.

"Shchurovo Settlement"

• Opening hours: daily, from 11:00 to 18:00.
• Ticket price: 300 rubles, student 100 rubles, free admission for children under 5 years old.
• Telephone.
• Website: heliopark.ru/attractions/muzey-shchurovo-gorodishche
• Address: st. Korovniki, 14. Transport stop "hotel complex".

Do you want to plunge headlong into the atmosphere of an ancient Slavic settlement? Then you should definitely visit this unique Suzdal museum. Here tourists are surrounded by reconstruction buildings from the time of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. In a historical setting, guests are offered to ride horses, practice archery, master the skills of wielding a heroic sword, and learn how to bake bread in a real Russian oven. There are interactive games for children and adults and a petting zoo. It should be separately noted that the buildings were erected with amazing historical accuracy.

The Wax Museum

• Opening hours: daily, from 10:00 to 19:00.
• Ticket price: adult 300 rub., reduced price 200 rub.
• Telephone.
• Website: https://www.wax-museum.ru
• Address: st. Kremlevskaya, 3. Transport stop "Torgovaya Ploshchad".

In this place you can have a wonderful time with the whole family in the colorful company of wax doubles of popular historical figures. The figures of Catherine the Great in a luxurious dress, Ivan the Terrible in anger, and Napoleon contemplating his next military campaign look very realistic. A little further away, Red Army soldiers greeted Lenin as he walked along the corridor of the Smolny Palace, and nearby Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill sat down on chairs for a protocol photo. A touch of romanticism is brought into the officialdom by the figures of Andrei Mironov in the Figaro costume and the most popular trinity - Dunce, Coward, Experienced. The guide will tell you many interesting facts from the lives of all the characters presented in the exhibition.

Teddy Bear Museum

• Opening hours: from Wednesday to Sunday inclusive, from 10:00 to 19:00.
• Ticket price: adult 150 rubles, children 50 rubles.
• Telephone.
• Address: st. Lenina, 63A. Transport stop "Torgovaya Ploshchad".

Since 2013, an amazing museum has been operating in Suzdal, a visit to which will delight a preschool child. A collection of 80 adorable bears collected by the Katansky couple is on display here. Some of the exhibits were brought from foreign trips. The rest of the toys were created by the hands of craftsmen from Suzdal and other Russian cities. The cozy exhibition hall is “lived in” by Teddies made from vintage mohair and nostalgic plush, sophisticated Chinese silk, natural fur, and modern plastic.

Read about the sights of Aleksandrov, Bogolyubovo, Vyaznikov, Kideksha, Kolchugino, Kirzhach, Yuryev-Polsky, Petushki, Sudogda, Vladimir and Murom.

Suzdal is considered one of the pearls of the Golden Ring of Russia. Therefore, every traveler interested in the history of the country should visit this amazing town, in which almost every building of the historical center is an object of cultural heritage.

General impressions

Suzdal is a fairly popular destination, especially within the Golden Ring, but there are no crowds of tourists and queues for museums. On the contrary, there is silence and tranquility here, which encourages long walks and allows you to truly feel this place. Its center has retained its ancient historical appearance, which is a rarity in Russia. Here you can really imagine that you are in the 18th century.

One of the disadvantages that almost all tourists note is the prices, which are not typical for a small town. Most establishments and hotels are designed for tourists, and since Suzdal is a popular destination, prices can be compared with Moscow. It is quite difficult to find inexpensive accommodation or a cheap cafe, so it is better to stay in Vladimir or Ivanovo.

Sightseeing route around Suzdal

I present to you a sightseeing circular route around Suzdal. This is what we armed ourselves with when we first arrived in this city. And, let me tell you, this is an extremely successful route for exploring the city: it covers all the main attractions of the city and allows you to form your own impression of the city.

According to the map, this route is about 6 km and can be completed in about 2 hours. This is approximately what happened to us, but we did not go inside a single paid museum or monastery. It turned out that for each of them you need to spend at least another 1-1.5 hours. If you are going to get around them all, I recommend shortening the route (go only to the Kremlin) or extending your acquaintance with the city over several days.

Religious monuments on Trade Square

The trading area was an ancient business center: merchants flocked here, and ordinary people also constantly gathered in the shopping arcades. In keeping with tradition, shops and shopping centers are located here. You can buy not only souvenirs, but also household items. The cafe retained the name “Refectory”, the menu was adapted in the Old Russian style.

Many religious buildings have been preserved on Trade Square. It is worth seeing or at least looking into the churches of Paraskeva Friday, the Resurrection, the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the Icon of the Mother of God Joy of All Who Sorrow, Constantine and Helena. All buildings were erected at the beginning of the 18th century; older buildings have not reached us.

Where to eat?

After walking around in the cold, we began to look for a place for lunch. Next to the museum is the Russian Compound restaurant. This is where we ordered food to our room. The interior is stylized with Russian motifs. There are white curtains with lace on the windows. There are tablecloths and jugs of flowers on the tables. Everything is clean and tidy.

There are many delicious liqueurs on the menu. You can take pot roast or dumplings with sour cream. Everything is delicious, prices are affordable. Although there are a lot of snack bars, bars and cafes in Suzdal, we did not experiment with restaurants. We chose this place. All the days we returned exactly here.

Let's continue to enjoy the city and the Russian winter

After lunch we went for a walk further. There are horse sleigh rides near the Kremlin. A very colorful place! Imagine the picture: it’s getting dark, the frosty air stings your cheeks. The lanterns shine softly. Fluffy snow is falling slowly. A bell is heard ringing. Nearby are the huge walls of the Kremlin and sleighs with horses are riding along the road.

There is nothing that resembles a bustling city. I had the feeling that the connection had been lost over time. We found ourselves on the set of some film about Rus'.

My favorite horses.

Frost and sun. Outside -23 C.

Evening was approaching, the frost was getting worse. At night it was expected to drop to -30 degrees. We hurried to the hotel. Warm up and have dinner. In the evening, a master class for children was held in the cafe. They made pies. The pies were baked in the oven. All participants went to their rooms with a whole mountain of goodies that they made themselves. Moms and dads were relaxing nearby at cafe tables. A very convenient way to spend your time! Everyone was happy.

Goose fights and pancakes with honey

The city annually (since 2004) hosts “Gose Fights” or so-called “Maslenitsa Fun”, dedicated to Maslenitsa week. The holiday takes place on the Saturday before the start of Lent. The main and integral part of this holiday is the real fights of geese. During breaks, you can taste the famous Suzdal mead with Maslenitsa pancakes, test your strength in tug-of-war, dance around the stuffed Winter, and much more.

If you want to have a useful rest during the winter holidays and the question arises - where to go, undoubtedly the city - the Suzdal Museum will be the ideal place for a real Russian vacation.