Where is Valdai - attractions, how to get there?

• October 21, 2019
• Directions
• Molton

Valdai is an important tourist center with a large number of tourist centers, tourist complexes, and boarding houses. Many people are interested in the question: where is Valdai? This city is located on the Valdai Hills, on the Moscow-St. Petersburg highway, 140 km southeast of Veliky Novgorod. Travelers go there to see the nature of the Valdai National Park and the Iversky Monastery. Below you can see where Valdai is located on a map of Russia.

The city is located in a zone of mixed forests. The climate is largely determined by where Valdai is located. This means that he is, by Russian standards, moderate. The average January temperature is -10 °C. Summer is not hot, humid. The annual precipitation is 700 mm. The maximum occurs in the summer months.

Where is Valdai, in what region

The city is located in the eastern part of the Novgorod region. This is the Northwestern Federal District. On the map of Russia, Valdai is located almost halfway between St. Petersburg and Moscow. The distance to the first is 314 km, and to the second – 400 km. The city is located in the center of the Valdai region. This location on the map means that it had a long history, so there are many ancient buildings there. Thus, we answered the question where is the city of Valdai.

Holy spring

All tourists strive to visit the healing spring of Tekunok, known for its amazing properties. It became famous due to the presence of silver ions in water. It is believed that the spring has a positive effect on the digestive organs and eyes.

Recently a font and a chapel were built near it. Those who dream of physical healing come to the source.

City `s history

Initially, a settlement was located on the site of an urban-type settlement. Its presence is evidenced by a mention in scribe books for 1495. In the 16th century, the settlement was under the control of the royal court. In 1573 there were only 40 households, but after 30 years there were 114. The Iversky Monastery appeared in 1653.

In 1770 the village acquired the status of a city. This was done by decree of Empress Catherine II. In 1772, 33,534 people lived in the city, which was listed as Valdai district.

Valdai was an important trade and fishing center of the former Novgorod province. Various crafts developed here, including wood carving, pottery, and blacksmithing. The basis of the economy was trade. At the end of the 18th century, there were 8 factories (4 soap factories and 4 tanneries), a salt shop, five drinking houses and 51 merchant shops. There were taverns, taverns, and inns in the city.

At that time, Valdai’s fame was enhanced by the production of the famous Valdai bagels. They were exported to different regions of the country, including the Volga region. In addition to all this, there were 50 forges in the village. Women were engaged in embroidery and lace weaving. Valdai has become a champion in the number of fairs held.

Valdai bells have become especially famous. They were distinguished by their durability and sonority. Later they began to produce candles, bricks, and oil.

Due to the construction of the railway passing by Valdai, the economic situation has worsened. The number of inhabitants has also decreased. At the beginning of the 20th century, only small semi-handicraft enterprises remained here. The most important ones were a tannery, a mill, 2 bell factories and a sawmill.

What to bring

Of course, the main souvenir of the city is the famous Valdai bells. Thanks to their unique shape, they emit that same crimson ringing that has made them famous throughout the world. The traditions of bell casting in Valdai go back centuries, when the best bells for churches and chapels were cast here. Today, these sonorous souvenirs have become a kind of calling card of these places.

Not long ago, another interesting souvenir appeared in Valdai. Guests are offered to purchase a token for travel in the non-existent Valdai metro. It is sold along with a diagram of a fictitious subway, on which the most remarkable places of the city are marked with station points.

In addition, from Valdai you can bring products made of birch bark, bone and wood - boxes, mirrors, plates and much more. The souvenir shops of the Iversky Monastery offer pilgrims and tourists very beautiful church utensils, books, icons and souvenirs.

How to get there

Getting to Valdai will not be difficult. This can be done in different ways. For those traveling from afar, air transport is suitable. The closest airport is Pulkovo in St. Petersburg. From Valdai it is 307 km. Further it will be necessary to use other modes of transport.

The easiest way to get there by train is from Moscow, from where 2 trains depart to Valdai. In summer, you can take the train from Abkhazia to Pskov. There are no trains from St. Petersburg to Valdai.

It is easier to get from St. Petersburg to Valdai by bus. They depart twice a day from the bus station. Travel time is 5-6 hours. But there are no buses from Moscow.

You can also get to the city by car. If you travel from Moscow, it will take about 5 hours. The price will be about the same as by bus.

Valdai bagels

Since the founding of St. Petersburg, a new page has opened in the history of Valdai. The dirt road laid between the old and new capitals was never empty. Carts loaded with food and textiles moved through Valdai in a continuous line, troops marched, and couriers rushed. And all the passers-by spread the fame of the Valdai steering wheels along the Moscow-Petersburg highway. Yes, it was the “ram production” that first glorified Valdai, and not at all the casting of bells, which originated here only at the end of the 18th century.

Why go to Valdai

The city is attractive both in itself and in its surroundings. Here you can visit the bell museum, which is housed in the palace church built in the 18th century. The exhibits of this unusual museum are bells and bells. The collection includes products of both Russian and foreign production.

Other interesting objects: Iversky Monastery, Museum of the County Town, Vvedenskaya Church, Peter and Paul Church, Solovyovsky Park, chapel, etc. In Valdai National Park you can see real Russian forests.

Valdai Lake can be considered a special object in the city's surroundings. It is considered one of the cleanest in the world. This natural reservoir measures 5 by 10 kilometers. There is a monastery on one of the lake islands. The lake is connected by a narrow channel to another water body – Lake Uzhin. The latter is distinguished by the fact that it is strongly elongated from north to south and reaches a length of 16 kilometers. Between them there is a small village.

The lakes are fed by springs. This makes the lake water clean and of high quality. Sandy beaches and forests stretch along the coast. Here you can go fishing, pick mushrooms and berries. You can stay by the lake at the Valdai holiday home, at one of the recreation centers or at a pioneer camp.

Entertainment and attractions

Exactly in the middle of the lake is the Selvitsky Island, on which the Iversky Monastery stands. Ryabinovy ​​Island, the largest island, is connected to it by an artificial bridge, on the other side connected by a bridge to the mainland. One of the island’s attractions is the “mountain,” or rather a kind of hill, “Medvezhka.” Part of the island is swampy, the other part is covered with pine forest.

The city of Valdai has preserved many beautiful estate complexes that are worth visiting. For example, Peretno is a unique example of “wooden classicism”, late 18th century. Ozerki is the former estate of V. I. Gresser. The creative biography of the outstanding Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov is connected with it. “Mountains” is one of the large estate complexes of the 19th century. To date, only a few outbuildings have survived.

A monument to landscape gardening art of the second half of the 19th century, Puzyreno, located on the eastern shore of Lake Putilov. Gornešno is a classic example of a regular manor park from the first half of the 19th century. The remains of the manor house and a number of outbuildings have been preserved. Novotroitsy is one of the largest garden and park ensembles of the 18th and 19th centuries.

When is the best time to go?

In terms of weather, the best time to travel to Valdai is the summer months. However, during this period there are many tourists and pilgrims. It may be difficult to find housing. And due to the large number of trees, some of the structures may be difficult to see. Therefore, lovers of a quiet and relaxing holiday should choose mid-May for their trip. From November to April it will be too cold and damp. There are no differences in prices between seasons.

A good time to visit Valdai is autumn. At this time of year there are few people, so a relaxing holiday is guaranteed. If you choose a specific autumn month, it is better to choose September. At this time the weather is still warm and comfortable.

As for winter, it is a snowy period. There is a lot of snow in these places, but sometimes it warms up and it may even rain.

In March and April, the weather conditions are not comfortable: damp, slush, melting snow. The roads are very dirty.

Satan's Lair

Among the tourists there will certainly be many extreme sports enthusiasts. Such people can be recommended to visit the lair of Satan. Behind such a terrible name lies an abandoned missile base. The largest ballistic missiles were once located here.

But all that remains of the former complex are ruins. And yet the spectacle is amazing. Here you can see the remains of mines and missile launchers, command post buildings and large hangars. All these large-scale buildings were destroyed by a powerful explosion. But many buildings still survived, so you can see a lot of interesting things.

Iversky Monastery in Valdai

This historical site was built in 1653. The first buildings were 2 wooden churches - a warm one and a cold one. A little later they began to build stone structures: buildings and temples. The very first of them was the Iveron Cathedral (later called the Assumption Cathedral). This was the main structure of the monastery complex. In total, it now houses several churches, chapels, as well as a bell tower and other objects.

The place can be reached by a special boat, taxi or car.

Trinity Cathedral

One of the attractions of the city of Valdai is the Trinity Cathedral, built in 1744 instead of a previously existing wooden church. The building was erected in the Baroque style. In the thirties of the last century, it was prohibited to hold religious services. Ten years later, the complex was partially dismantled, and the inside was later converted into a cultural center. The cathedral is of great value as one of the elements of the Cathedral Square ensemble. Currently, worship has resumed in the temple.

Features of the national park

This picturesque corner is one of the best natural places in the central part of the country. Coniferous and birch forests grow here, and there are also meadows. The forests are home to over 20 species of animals, as well as 6 “Red Book” species of animals. Among them are black stork, spotted deer, and white eagle.

There are 70 lakes and 20 rivers in the park. They are home to approximately 30 species of fish (including bream, pike, catfish, and smelt).

General information

Despite the fact that neither large nor medium-sized businesses buy the car with great excitement, more than 23,000 copies were sold. This indicator is an unattainable result for classmates of foreign models. It is worth adding that the car has only been produced for about 9 years, and many cars bought at reduced prices in other countries were not included in the statistics.

Such an intricate prevalence can be explained quite easily - from a distance the car looks like a GAZelle, which is not striking. And the GAZ-3310 is most often purchased by small carriers that have outgrown the GAZelle with 1.5 tons of cargo. However, so far there are only a few such vehicles, and the GAZelle exceeds the number of Valdai by 50 times.

GAZ-Valdai

In addition, if we recall that the “lorry” was produced in approximately four million units (GAZ-53), then the GAZ-3310 is not that it is not a leader, it is rather an outsider. Although this is quite different, because modern medium-duty vehicle logistics plays a much smaller role than during the era of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which was an early agricultural power.

Today, cargo delivery is managed by massive long-haul trucks along with frameless light-duty vans. But already in the small area of ​​medium-duty vehicles, the favorite is the GAZ-3310. Moreover, it has not yet exhausted its market potential, since the difference in cost with the GAZelle on diesel fuel does not cross the border of 20%.

GAZ-Valdai truck

The debut samples were designed together with the Minsk Automobile Plant, but in the future Minsk specialists decided to unilaterally refuse to sell their own cabins, such as the MAZ-5336, to the Gorky Automobile Plant. They decided to launch a whole generation of 5-ton low-bed trucks MAZ-4370 “Zubrenok”.

Therefore, Gorky workers had no choice but to independently develop a cabin for an existing chassis. We decided to use the power base of the mass cabin of the famous GAZelle. When the car was being prepared for mass production, they mastered the production of 1,295 unique spare parts.

Side view of GAZ-Valdai

To achieve this, 6,747 equipment positions were manufactured, which included 207 massive and medium dies, 62 forging dies, 40 welded constructors, 14 plastic molds and 547 working fixtures. In the shortest possible time, using the latest methods of mathematical modeling, FutoForm, together with computer-aided design, developed the processes and designs of 67 large, 117 medium and 246 small dies for 207 unique stamped elements. An experimental model of the 4-ton truck 3310, which was called “Valdai”, was shown at the International Moscow Automobile Salon in 1999.

GAZ-3310 Valdai can be easily confused with a regular GAZelle, because they have a lot in common both outside and inside.

The current design of the new car, which received the name GAZ-3310, was obtained through the introduction of current segmented headlights with a teardrop shape, a hood, a radiator grille whose shape has been changed, and a massive integral bumper. The hood, along with the mudguards and power compartment panel, received a noise insulation coating.

In general, the conveyor path of the GAZ-3310 was indicated by the use of serial production of block headlights since 2003, which were used for updated generations of commercial vehicles of the Gorky Automobile Plant, which includes the Sobol. The car has a number of its own advantages, including a small turning radius (6.4 m).

GAZ-Valdai car

Thanks to its low height (from 985 mm), it is possible to load heavy items quite comfortably. The Valdai division is a reliable business car that quickly pays for itself with good efficiency and maintainability. Various vans are provided for Valdai.

For example, there is an isothermal van on the GAZ-33106 platform. It was created for transporting goods that are critical to changes in temperature. Thanks to the special material of the van, it is possible to maintain the required temperature, which protects the products from the influence of the external environment.

Photo of a GAZ-Valdai truck

A couple of body types are used: polymer and sandwich panels. The latter have metal sheets of outer skin, between which liquid polyurethane foam is poured. Once it sets, it begins to harden, which serves as excellent insulation.

After all this, glue is poured. This type of van is perfect for installing a refrigeration unit. There is a modification of GAZ 33104 Valdai and GAZ 33106 Valdai. This common car will be discussed in this article.

Recreation centers

There are enough opportunities for accommodation in Valdai. There are numerous camp sites, boarding houses, and holiday homes in nature. They are located in the most picturesque places. The largest is the Great Lake recreation center. On its vast territory there are houses of different categories of comfort: 1 apartment, 3 cottages, 2 standard houses and 40 economy-class houses. Car parking is free.

For those who decide to visit the Valdai National Park, a recreation center “Hunter's Shelter” has been created. It consists of several buildings and cottages, which can ultimately accommodate 40 vacationers. The base has its own hunting ground and employs an experienced huntsman.

You can also stay at the Uzmen recreation center, which also has its own hunting ground. It is located on the lake. Lump. Visitors can enjoy hunting and fishing.

You can also enjoy hunting with a ranger, as well as fishing at the Vatcy recreation center. There are 2 lakes near it: Petrushikha and Sredneye.

Climate

The climate here is temperate continental. It is worth noting that the weather in Valdai is changeable. The city is located on a hill, which has a noticeable impact on climate resources. If you pay attention to the physical map, then at this latitude this will be the highest point along the length from Scandinavia to the Ural Mountains. This certainly affects the weather in Valdai.

Strong winds often arise here, especially in winter. The influence of elevation on temperature and weather in Valdai is especially felt in early spring. Already when approaching these places, you can feel the breath of snow, which is still just melting under the spruce trees. The nature of the local forest vegetation indicates that the weather in Valdai is predominantly cool and humid.

The contrast is especially felt on the hills and on the plains. There may still be patches of snow in the forest, but bird cherry trees are already blooming 20 kilometers from Valdai. In the summer months, the average temperature during the day is from 20 to 21 degrees Celsius, in winter from -4 to -7. At night in the winter months the average drops to -13 degrees, and in the summer they range from 9 to 11 degrees Celsius.

The weather in Valdai is greatly influenced by precipitation. There are significantly more days with light precipitation, fog and drizzle here than in the surrounding area. This has a significant impact on snow cover and precipitation that falls in winter. The summer is quite rainy, with more than 80 mm of precipitation falling in July and August. The driest month is February - about 30 mm.

Valdai Hotels

Anyone who does not intend to hunt or fish, but wants to explore local attractions, can use one of the city hotels.

The Flagman mini-hotel, located almost near the city center, is suitable for families with children. There are only 4 rooms, but children under 7 years old are served free of charge.

The largest hotel in Valdai is the Valdai Dawns complex, which has its own beach on the shores of Lake Valdai. It offers 88 comfortable rooms, including apartments and suites. You can book a tour here.

The Valdaisky Dvor hotel is located 3 km from the city. It can accommodate 30 people. There is paid parking, a bar, and a restaurant. Excursions are organized.

There is also a small hotel called “Jupiter”, located near the stadium. It has only 5 cozy rooms that can accommodate 20 people.

For those who want to relax in solitude, it offers its own. It is located away from the city center in a quiet area and offers double and single rooms and apartments with kitchenettes.

Architectural monuments

Valdai is unique in the sense that it is one of the few places in Russia where so many Orthodox shrines and ancient manor complexes have been preserved, all of which are real architectural monuments.

Of course, many were very poorly preserved by this time, but this does not weaken the interest of researchers and tourists in them. Just 38 kilometers from Valdai is the Peretno estate of the Musin-Pushkin dynasty. It is located on the territory of the Okulovsky district of the Novgorod region. This is a two-story building of the 18th century, which today is in an abandoned state, but next door there is a functioning Church of the Holy Trinity. It is noteworthy that the placement of these architectural monuments can be combined with outdoor recreation, since the picturesque Lake Peretno is located next door.

Another object worthy of attention is the Gora estate. In the 19th century, it belonged to the Duke of Leuchtenber, remaining one of the most luxurious villas in Valdai. There is a three-story mansion that looks more like a real palace, there are a large number of other buildings around the estate, nearby fragrant gardens and a quiet pond where you can spend a pleasant time in splendid isolation.

Currently, the buildings of this majestic estate are only partially preserved.

Lake Velje

Lake Velye is one of the most beautiful places in the Valdai Hills. It is located 18 km north of Seliger. Its length is more than 20 km, width is about 5 km. The total area of ​​the reservoir is approximately 35 square meters. km. The average depth is small - only about 10 m , the deepest point is 46 m.

You can get to Velje by local road. To do this, you will first have to drive on broken asphalt, then on a dirt road, the final stage is concrete slabs. Not every car is able to cope with such a task, so many people go here in a Sapsan, and then rent a local car.

Specifications

Power unit

Initially, it was planned to install a GAZ-562 power unit on this Valdai model car, which was a modified version of the 6-cylinder licensed Steyr M1 diesel engine. I was pleased that the design staff did not move beyond the planning, since the engine was very difficult to repair and was also overpriced when compared with its competitors. Following this, they decided to install an Italian-made diesel engine, IVECO, at the enterprise, the volume of which was 3.9 liters. It produced 136 horsepower.

Engine GAZ-Valdai

But again it didn’t come to fruition. As a result, it was decided to settle on the Minsk version of the MMZ-245, which began to be supplied to all Valdai that were intended for export. A modification with a Cummins ISF 3.8 engine was released for the domestic market of the Russian Federation. It is capable of developing power up to 143/154/170 horses and producing torque of 450/491/600 N/m, and this covers from 1,200 to 1,300 rpm.

The technical component of the motor depends directly on the settings chosen during production. For our vehicle, we chose the average value, which, according to the developers, served as an optimized variation - the power of the power unit is enough, and the gearbox will be operational much longer. 3310 consumes from 14 to 17 liters per hundred.

The American powertrain manufacturing company Cummins is one of the world leaders. It has more than 20 branches in various countries, but this does not interfere with the production of quality parts, regardless of where the production itself is located. For example, the ISF line is produced at a Chinese enterprise specialized for these needs, which is capable of providing up to 400 thousand power units per year.

The engines of the ISF division have a turbocharger, which has a cast-iron linerless block and a common head for all cylinders, which has 4 valves for each. The timing drive is carried out by a single-row chain installed on the flywheel side. They decided to do this in order to reduce the noise level. The presence of an automatic chain tensioner allows you to avoid servicing it for 500 thousand km. This is exactly how many kilometers the engine can operate without maintenance, as the company claims.

I would also like to tell you a little about the system that ensures trouble-free starting of a diesel power unit in the cold season. To achieve this, we decided to install an air heating coil in the intake manifold. On top of that, there is a function for heating the fuel filter, and it is possible to mount heating parts powered by a 220 V network to heat the coolant in the jacket and the oil in the sump of the power unit. Therefore, it turns out that the GAZ 3310 was well prepared for our harsh climatic conditions, which means it has a slight advantage.

Photo of a GAZ-3310 car

Transmission

What was surprising was that nothing new was included in the transmission. An exception is the presence of a single-disc Sachs diaphragm-type clutch. All other elements that were produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant can be seen on other cars of this enterprise. All Valdai vehicles come with a five-speed manual gearbox with numbers from 6.55 to 1. The box is equipped with a power take-off shaft. The box housing was cast from an aluminum alloy, which received developed stiffening ribs. As a basis for the rear axle, they decided to take the presence of an “indestructible” unit from the well-known GAZ-53 model.

GAZ-3310 2004

The designers decided to leave the hypoid single-stage gearbox, however, taking into account the low speed of the diesel power unit and the reduced (when compared with the original model) wheel diameter, its gear ratio was reduced. After that, it began to be about 2.417 instead of 6.83, as it was before. The use of a limited slip differential is sorely missed; then the cross-country ability would be much improved.

Chassis

For the frame of the Valdai vehicle, side members with variable profile height were used. On the sides it is 100 mm, and the middle part is 210 mm, the shelf width is 70 millimeters, and the metal thickness is 6 mm. Based on the fact that different vehicle configurations require different wheel bases, the plant decided not to produce several frame sizes, but to use inserts in the side members. These inserts are fastened with rivets, and they provide the necessary strength to the frame.

Fire truck GAZ-3310

For example, model 33104 received a transformed structural component of the suspension, where the main leaves of the springs began to have twisted ears at the ends and silent blocks at the connections of the springs to the frame. The springs installed in front were made from sheets whose width is 75 millimeters.

As for the rear ones, they received 3 straight leaves out of 11, but the rear suspension did not receive standard springs. Such a solution, together with the use of anti-roll bars on two axles, provided the car with the opportunity to improve smoothness and stability while driving.

GAZ-33104

Brake system

It represents the presence of disc mechanisms on all wheels. GAZ-33104 became the first car in history to use an imported pneumatic drive. Thanks to new solutions in the braking system, it was possible to use a truck with a trailer that uses a pneumatic braking system.

In addition, the brake system on a pneumatic device is much more reliable than a hydraulic one - operation has also shown that it is also easier to maintain. An ABS system has also appeared, which indicates a high level of active safety.

Steering

It is represented by a “screw-nut” steering mechanism.
They decided to combine it with a hydraulic power steering wheel. The wheels themselves rotate at an angle of up to 45 degrees. Specifications

Origin

The reason for the appearance of the Valdai Hills was a glacier that moved from Server to the South during the Great Glaciation. The relief that can be observed here today began to form about 70,000 years ago , and its formation ended only after 60,000 years.

The main stages of the formation of the hill took place during the movement of the glacier in a southeastern direction, as well as during the era when it was already retreating, as a result of which sandstones, shales, clays and other rocks rose from the depths. That is why the northwestern part of the territory is characterized by uplift, and in the opposite direction it has gentle rows.

When the ice age ended and warming began, huge waterfalls formed, fed by meltwater. They knocked out long cracks in the soil that had begun to thaw, which, as soon as they appeared, were immediately filled with falling water. All the rest of the water flowed in the direction where the relief dropped and eroded the loose soil.

This is how the rivers and deep lakes that can be admired in Valdai today were formed.

Lake Dinner

The reservoir received its name from the verb “to shrink.” This means that the lake has a highly elongated shape. It is also distinguished by clear and clean water. Its depth in some places exceeds 80 m. The area of ​​the reservoir is just over 9 square meters. km. Its length is 16 km and its width is only 800 m.

It is connected to Lake Valdai by an artificially dug canal “Kopkoy”.

What Lake Dinner looks like from a bird's eye view and up close:

Supper Lake is known for its unique flora and fauna. It is located in an area where taiga and broad-leaved trees grow. Among them are cedar, rowan, juniper, evergreen pines and spruces. At the highest areas, the forest becomes more like a taiga.

There are many medicinal plants near the lake, as well as delicious aromatic berries. Many fishermen like to come to Lake Uzhin for the purpose of sitting with a fishing rod and waiting for a good catch. Because the water here is clear, the fish swimming in schools below the surface are clearly visible from the shore.

In summer you can catch pike, bream, perch and tench here.