Kolomenskoye

Description:

• This park, museum, festival site, and religious history tour is the jewel of Moscow's estate museums. Extending several acres along the Moscow River well south of the city center, Kolomenskoye gathers churches and historic buildings from the 15th to the 20th century in a huge green space perfect for picnicking, sledding, or lounging in the grass. It holds several festivals throughout the year themed around Russian holidays (including Butter Week), with different period dress and performances (in Russian only). The breathtaking white facade of the 16th-century Church of the Ascension is closed to the public due to disrepair, but it's a perfect backdrop for a roll down the grassy slope. Apple orchards, a honey farm, and tea huts provide fun and nourishment for kids. A boat dock launches leisurely trips up and down this section of the river, though the view opposite Kolomenskoye is industrial and colorless. The site is a good 10-minute walk from the metro, its only drawback.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010