Yaroslavl in one day: attractions and independent walking route

Thousand-year-old Yaroslavl is one of the most interesting cities of the Golden Ring. A place with an ancient history and an abundance of architectural monuments (more than 800 objects!), Yaroslavl is a city that needs to be visited with a clear plan of what you want to see. There are so many interesting places in the city that it will definitely not be possible to see all the sights of Yaroslavl in 1 day. But you can plan your route so as to see as many iconic places and architectural masterpieces of Russian architecture as possible.

Assumption Cathedral Photo: © Anastasia Buyanova

Park of the 1000th anniversary of the city of Yaroslavl

A statue of a bear created by Zurab Tsereteli in the park of the 1000th anniversary of Yaroslavl
The park was built in 2010 on the banks of the Kotorosl River in the Kirovsky district as part of the preparation program for the city’s anniversary. Construction took place under the leadership of architects V. Grebenshchikov and N. Kudryashov. The recreation area is located on the site where there was previously a hippodrome. It continues the City Park complex.

The main attraction of the park was the statue of a bear, created by sculptor Zurab Tsereteli.

In the park, in honor of the city’s anniversary, the authorities hold events dedicated to public holidays (New Year’s Eve, Maslenitsa, Victory Day, City Day, Children’s Day, Family Day and many others). And in the summer, it becomes a center of entertainment not only for all residents, but also for city guests. Modern playgrounds have been installed especially for the safety of the youngest citizens. There are also separate places for bikers, rollerbladers and skateboarders.

Children's attractions in the summer make the park even more attractive. There you can not only relax by the fountains and flower beds, but also have fun riding cars or zorbing.

Entrance to the park is free for everyone.

Toy railway

Address: st. 3rd Yakovlevskaya, 54 Website: https://vk.com/ydzdrzd

Tourists with children will be interested in visiting the unique children's railway. Its length is almost 6 km, there are three platforms - Green, Lugovaya and Yubileinaya. The rolling stock includes two diesel locomotives and four passenger cars.

Children here not only ride the train, but also drive it. They are drivers, conductors, and working personnel. Traveling here is reminiscent of a fairy tale, especially since the road is located in the forest, on the outskirts of the city.

"Museum-Reserve"

Yaroslavl "Kremlin" - museum-reserve

The most popular tourist attraction in the city is the state museum-reserve, which is located on the territory of the former Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery. Today the temple is not operational, but it is still called the Yaroslavl Kremlin due to its massive towers. The museum is also unique in that its visitors were Ivan the Terrible and Mikhail Romanov.

Along with the cathedral, the complex of the museum-reserve includes six more churches built in the 17th-18th centuries, located in Yaroslavl outside the reserve:

1) Elijah the Prophet with tented bell towers. 2) Nikola Nadeina, who is decorated with mother-of-pearl tiles. 3) Annunciation, paved with red brick. 4) Epiphany with expensive fresco painting. 5) John the Baptist with fifteen chapters. 6) Nativity of Christ, decorated with ancient frescoes.

The first place to visit is Epiphany Square and the church of the same name, which is located next to the reserve.

View of Yaroslavl from the tower of the museum-reserve

Route

What to see in Yaroslavl in 1 day? Start your introductory walk from the Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve - from Epiphany Square. There, visit the main cathedral of the city - Spaso-Preobrazhensky and other churches of the “Yaroslavl” style. After the monastery, you can continue along the Kotorosl embankment to the park on Damansky Island and have a picnic here on the picturesque shore or relax in the park on Strelka . Having examined the monument to the 1000th anniversary of Yaroslavl at the confluence of the Kotorosl and the Volga, it is worth continuing your acquaintance with the architecture of the city by building your route along the Volzhskaya embankment: Assumption Cathedral - Metropolitan Chambers - Ilinsko-Tikhonovskaya Church - Bolkonsky House - building of the Yaroslavl History Museum - Governor's Garden - Monument to Nekrasov. Here, if you have free time, you can visit the Yaroslavl Art Museum.

At the River Station , turn onto Pervomaisky Boulevard towards Red Square. Walk along the boulevard to the Znamenskaya Tower and Gostiny Dvor. You can complete your 1-day route around Yaroslavl with a walk along the pedestrian street of Kirov and walk from it to the Church of Elijah the Prophet, which is considered one of the main temples of the city.

Volzhskaya embankment Photo: © Valeria Belousova

Park on Strelka

Yaroslavl “Strelka”
It will take you at least 2 hours to completely explore the entire territory of the reserve. After this, you can walk along the embankment to the place where two rivers merge. This is the most picturesque place in Yaroslavl, which was called “Strelka”. Recently, a monument was erected in the park, which is dedicated to the city’s anniversary (1000 years). It has the shape of an arrow with a double-headed eagle, at the base of which there are statues of important figures headed by Yaroslav the Wise.

How to get there

Moscow — Yaroslavl

In 4 hours you can get from Moscow to Yaroslavl by train. Schedule here

And in 7 hours - by bus. There are many flights, check the schedule here

Kostroma — Yaroslavl

Buses travel from Kostroma to Yaroslavl for about two hours. Schedule

Rostov — Yaroslavl

The closest Golden Ring city from Yaroslavl is Rostov. By bus - approximately 50 minutes. Schedule

Uglich — Yaroslavl

From Uglich it takes about 3 hours to go to Yaroslavl by bus. They go quite often. Schedule

Embankment of the Volga River

From Strelka you can walk to the embankment towards the Volga. The modern, landscaped square does not create a contrast with the general appearance of the ancient city. On the contrary, they complement each other. It’s better to start your acquaintance from the second level, which offers an incredible panoramic view. Also, many historical monuments and valuable architectural objects are concentrated here: the Volga Tower, the Music and Time Museum, the Metropolitan Chambers, ancient houses and estates.

Volzhskaya embankment

The embankment has a fence, and each architectural monument has its own stand with detailed information. The embankment is decorated with musical fountains, cozy gazebos, and summer cafes with terraces, which provide a pleasant atmosphere for walks and cultural recreation.

pros

• In winter it is impossible to travel, as in summer, with tents in cars. For a comfortable stay you need a warm hotel. Vologda has a sufficient number (more than 40) of guest houses and hotels from budget to expensive options. All are located close to the center, because Vologda is a small capital, with about 300 thousand inhabitants. And you can travel the entire city from beginning to end simply by bus.
• Taxis are especially important in winter. Tourists in Vologda don’t have to bother too much with buses; taxi prices in the city are more than reasonable. But private operators at the station often deceive tourists and inflate the price for the trip, so it is better to call a taxi through an operator.
• In winter, the Vologda River turns into one continuous ski track, which will especially appeal to sports enthusiasts. You can also ride around on cheesecakes, which are immediately available for rent. And on New Year's holidays, Father Frost invites children to ride on a sleigh and on a snowmobile. Locals will gladly ride horses, ponies, donkeys and even camels for a small fee.
• In winter, the river attracts not only lovers of winter fun, but also connoisseurs of winter fishing. If you have the desire and your own fishing rod, you can drill a hole there and go fishing for free. You can ask local fishermen for an ice screw.
• In winter, the city is decorated with New Year's illumination. And the ancient houses, mansions, temples along the central streets amaze with their mystery and beauty. In the evening the entire city center is in bright lights. According to tradition, on New Year's holidays there are daytime festivities on the two main squares of the city, mummers light a fire in the Kremlin garden and treat everyone to free mulled wine.
• Vologda museums and galleries will help guests of the city to warm up and have an informative time. Of these, we can highlight the Lace Museum - this is a whole universe woven by the hands of lacemakers. Also in Vologda, most of the existing religious buildings are accessible for visiting in winter. In total there are 63 churches and 12 monasteries in the city.

Museum "Music and Time"

Museum "Music and Time" on the Volzhskaya Embankment
Collector John Mostoslavsky founded a museum in 1993 with a large collection of ancient musical instruments, watches, ceramics and various valuable antique exhibits. It became the first commercial organization since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Red Square

Yaroslavl has its own Red Square with V.I. Lenin.
Along the embankment towards Pervomaiskaya Street there is an opportunity to get acquainted with the heritage of the Soviet Union - Red Square. It was built at the end of the 18th century. And its original name became “Semyonovskaya Square” thanks to the church located on the territory. After the revolution, the church was demolished, and the square was renamed Red. In the place where the church stood, a house with an arch appeared. A monument to the great leader Lenin was erected not far from it. This pedestal is a copy of the monument in front of the Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Dolphinarium

Address: Yaroslavl district, village. Dubki, st. Shkolnaya, 1 Website: https://www.yardelfin.ru/ Phone: Cost: from 150 to 700 rubles, children under 3 years old - free. Swimming with a dolphin - from 7,000 rubles. How to get there: from the bus station to the dolphinarium - by bus 104.

Not far from Yaroslavl there is a dolphinarium, which is interesting not only for children, but also for adults. Three times a day there are shows with sea animals - seals, dolphins, whales. For a fee you can swim with them in the pool. And also have lunch in a cafe overlooking the pool.

Boulevard Pervomaisky

While walking along Pervomaisky Boulevard, be sure to visit the Kazan Convent.
The alley runs through the central part of the city: from the Volzhskaya Embankment through Red Square to Volkov Square. The boulevard is distinguished by its variety of valuable architectural monuments: the Kazan Convent, the sculpture of Saints Peter and Fevronia, the oldest theater in the country - the Drama Theater named after F. G. Volkov, as well as the Ognyanov estate and the monument to Nekrasov. In the evening, the boulevard becomes especially lively with crowds of tourists and locals in restaurants.

Volkovsky Drama Theater

The first drama theater in Russia

The Volkov Theater was the first drama theater in the country. It began its work back in 1750. The first performances for the audience were staged by Fyodor Volkov, who came from a merchant family. They took place in a barn for the production of leather goods.

The troupe was first moved to the theater premises in 1911. The repertoire presents classic works with a completely new vision.

Shopping arcades

There are no ancient cities in Russia that do not have shopping arcades. These elongated buildings with paired columns can be seen in Novgorod and Kashin, Kostroma and Rostov. The Suzdal ranks have one peculiarity. Previously, they traded mainly in grain, and therefore the adjacent area was called “ Khlebnaya”

».

Today the rows are full of all kinds of goods that are attractive to tourists. Here you can find various designer souvenirs, clothes, and folk crafts. There was also food - many shelves are full of sweets

,
honey
, preparations and
various drinks
.
Often sellers invite visitors to taste
their products.

Shopping arcades on a winter evening
. Pickled cucumbers deserve special attention. About the unique Suzdal Cucumber Festival

heard by many tourists. A jar of cucumbers is the most popular souvenir that guests of Suzdal buy as gifts for their family and friends. There is also an unusual cucumber jam on the shelves. The jars with it are small, convenient for transportation. There are also more familiar jams - made from apples, raspberries, and sea buckthorn. All are brewed from local summer harvests.

Znamenskaya Tower

Znamenskaya Tower
Behind the Drama Theater and Volkov Square rises the Znamenskaya Tower. Previously it was called Vlasyevskaya. The original building, erected in the 16th century, was burned down. The new name was received because of the fresco called “The Sign”, which became a decoration of the tower. Currently, the building houses a university.

Where to go with a child in Yaroslavl

The city offers entertainment for families with children:

1. “Country of Madagascar” - huge at 1500 sq. m entertainment complex designed for children of various age categories. Every day the establishment hosts exciting events; it is located on Avenue. Moskovsky, 108.

2. Water park “Tropical Island” (Dyadkovskaya St., 21), with an area of ​​over 10,000 square meters. m, with a capacity of up to 1000 people at a time. The establishment is divided into two zones: an active zone with water attractions and a peaceful spa center.

3. Zoo (Shevelyukha St., 137) with an area of ​​120 hectares, housing more than 250 species of animals (local fauna and exotic individuals). There is a petting zoo on site. A separate building called the Ark is home to fish, insects and small animals. The zoo also hosts entertainment programs and an amusement park.

4. State Circus of Yaroslavl (Svobody St., 69), where artists from all over the world perform. The program features strongmen, clowns, tightrope walkers, and trained animals.

5. Exit Games gaming center (34 Svobody St.) offers game options for children and adults:

• hide and seek in the dark;
• Hide and Seek Kids;
• laser combat;
• virtual room;
• laser maze.

Gostiny Dvor

Rotunda of Gostiny Dvor
Outside the tower area is Gostiny Dvor, which has the appearance of a one-story exhibition and round building built in the early 19th century. This building has retained its purpose to this day. During the Soviet Union, there was a department store there, and since the 90s, private shops have opened. They are not of particular interest to tourists, so it is better to explore the attraction only from the outside.

Kirova street

Pedestrian street of Kirova
The most popular part of the city is the pedestrian street of Kirova. It stretches from the Znamenskaya Tower to the Volzhskaya Embankment. The place is very popular due to the variety of food outlets. There you can visit an establishment for every taste and budget.

The architecture of street buildings conveys the style of ancient hotels and taverns at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries.

Planetarium named after Valentina Tereshkova

Yaroslavl Planetarium
The planetarium first opened in 1948 in the building of the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary of the Kazan Convent. But along with the collapse of the USSR, the building was given back to the clergy.

A new modern institution with an observatory and exhibition was restored for the anniversary of Yaroslavl. He was named in honor of the first woman who went into space, since Valentina Vladimirovna comes from the Yaroslavl region.