So You Want to Visit Moscow

Our Local Expert Says:

Get a room as high as you can in Swissotel, one of the city’s tallest buildings. It’s a great place to clean out the mini-bar while taking in a magnificent panorama. Alternately, head to City Space, Moscow’s highest bar, which is located on the 34th floor. The hotel interior is proper swanky, and the concierge service knows all the best places in Moscow.

Description:

Although more for business than pleasure, this posh 34-storey hotel is also well-suited for modern luxury living. Located in the oldest part of Moscow, guests will gasp at panoramic views of old and new Moscow, while relaxing in the hotel's decadent rooms with every possible amenity at hand. The staff is courteous and the service, prompt and discreet. Two restaurants cater to different tastes here, while the fitness center and swimming pool exude a sense of extravagance. Truly a hotel fit for a king, for the prices are as high as the airs of the patrons.

Description:

This is possibly the most famous central square in the world. It is a humbling sight both day and night; beautiful in winter- regally dramatic all the year round. Originally an expanse of nothing more than mud, and populated by a ragged collection of hawkers, beggars and outcasts, Red Square acquired its present grandness gradually. Nowadays, the square and its surrounds positively exude the drama of Russian past and present. The walls of the Kremlin loom on one side, their blood-red height belittling the pale GUM department store opposite. At the southern end of the square towers, is the onion-domed exuberance of St Basil's Cathedral.

Description:

Possibly the most widely-recognized of Russia's architectural monuments, St. Basil's looms at the southern end of Red Square in all its multi-colored, multi-coned glory. The cathedral's real name is the Cathedral of the Intercession. It was built between 1555 and 1561 to commemorate the victory of Ivan the Terrible over the Tatars in Kazan. The cathedral was built near the grave of the so-called, "holy fool", St. Basil the Blessed, hence its popular and widely-used name.

Description:

Architect Alexei Shchusev (who built this imposing mausoleum on Red Square in 1930) modeled it on the ziggurat terraced temples of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians. Inside, visitors file round the embalmed body of the leader of the Russian Revolution, Vladiamr I. Lenin. The material used for the exterior is mostly dark-red granite and grey and black labradorite. The colors are in perfect harmony with the red bricks of the Kremlin Wall that looms in the background. It measures 12 meters in height and 24 meters in length. Admission is free.

Description:

Here you will find themed exhibitions dealing with the Russian Empire such as the takeover by the Bolsheviks, the Civil War (the Reds versus the Whites), the emergence of Stalinism and the history of the Soviet Union from its creation in 1922 to its dissolution in 1991. There is also a lot of hardware on display: period small arms, a World War I armoured car, a 6-inch artillery gun used by Bolshevik insurgents to shell the Kremlin and pieces of Moscow's barricades from 1991. A separate exhibition features gifts which have been presented to Soviet leaders from Stalin to Gorbachev.

Description:

In the very heart of Moscow you can taste dishes supposedly enjoyed by Russian emperors and nobility of bygone centuries. Together with the History Museum in which the restaurant is located, the restaurant conducts a program of 'historical dinners', which are supposedly detailed replicas of the menus, toasts and etiquette employed in the past by members of the Russian court. This is a live encounter with Russian history. Historical dinners are served in the museum's luxurious entrance hall. The interior is designed in the ancient Russian tradition of white stone compartments. Those who prefer a more democratic style may choose the lower hall, which has a contemporary European design. There, they play live background jazz every evening. Most of the dishes are fairly lavish affairs, since they were originally cooked at times when Russian aristocrats could afford to use a lot of cooks and kitchen hands. There are special dishes named after the people who enjoyed the very same meals. One is Bagrationi veal soup that was created by the cook of famous Russian military leader Prince Bagration. There are traditional Russian fish dishes: one particularly fine example is salmon cooked with truffles,... read more

Description:

The Alexandrovskii Gardens were developed between 1820 and 1823 and run along the west wall of the Kremlin. The gardens occupy an area of about 10 hectares. In his attempt to make the gardens as distinctive as possible Bove combined an orderly plan with the free arrangement of trees plus elements of romantic-style gardens. The gardens are bordered by decorative iron railings. Muscovites and foreign tourists often come to the gardens to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Description:

Russia's walled fortress contains much of the country's history, politics and religion. The walls were originally built from white stone, but were rebuilt in the late 15th century with their distinctive red brick. Inside are four cathedrals (Dormition, Archangel, Annunciation and Twelve Apostles), three palaces (most notably the Patriarch's Palace), two major museums, and of course the official residence of the country's President. Entry to all attractions is via the Kutafia Tower on the southern side.

Description:

This is a chain of 24-hour Uzbek restaurants. An all-you-can-eat buffet makes up for most of Rakhat Lukum's downsides, such as waitstaff in silly costumes. Keep going back until you've tried all the Uzbek staples, including the pistachio-based dessert that is the restaurant's namesake. Those concerned with the freshness of the buffet table may eat individually prepared food, but be prepared for horrendous customer service.

Description:

Gorky Park (traditionally referred to as Park Kul'tury i Otdykha or Park of Culture and Recreation) stretches along 3 kilometers of the Moskva river to the southwest of the city center. The park became known to the Western public thanks to a blockbuster movie based on Martin Cruz Smith's best-selling book, 'Gorky Park,' and the Scorpions' famous song. Laid down in 1928, the original ornamental gardens are now accompanied by an entertainment zone, hosting everything from science lectures to rock concerts in its auditorium.

Description:

Possibly Moscow's most unique museum, it's a multi-storeyed and colourful testimony to the life of the early Soviet poet, Maiakovskogo. He committed suicide in 1930 - some say because of a love affair gone wrong, others because of his disillusionment with the course of the revolution to which he had given words. The museum was opened in 1974, and the rooms are decorated with works by Maiakovskogo, photos from his life, newspaper articles, sculptures, and physical embodiments of imagery from his poems. It's all arranged in a higglety-pigglety and disjointed manner - presumably the intention is to convey a sense of being let loose in the poet's mind.

Description:

Local gossip is that if the powerful elite are not at the Kremlin, then they are at Caviarterra a top-of-the-line restaurant in the The Ritz-Carlton Moscow. The renowned consulting chef Winkle who oversees this dining place is responsible for the introduction of "cuisine vitale" which is the focal point for good nutrition, body and soul. He has managed to combine this with Russian traditions and Russian and Georgian cuisines. The decor and the wine list are a perfect blend with the food. The design reflects the glory of the Russian Empire infusing a feeling of grand luxury. Check out the "Tsar's Breakfast", it comes with a royal price tag indeedand is being praised as one of the most expensive morning meals in the world!

Our Local Expert Says:

Get a room as high as you can in Swissotel, one of the city’s tallest buildings. It’s a great place to clean out the mini-bar while taking in a magnificent panorama. Alternately, head to City Space, Moscow’s highest bar, which is located on the 34th floor. The hotel interior is proper swanky, and the concierge service knows all the best places in Moscow.

Description:

Although more for business than pleasure, this posh 34-storey hotel is also well-suited for modern luxury living. Located in the oldest part of Moscow, guests will gasp at panoramic views of old and new Moscow, while relaxing in the hotel's decadent rooms with every possible amenity at hand. The staff is courteous and the service, prompt and discreet. Two restaurants cater to different tastes here, while the fitness center and swimming pool exude a sense of extravagance. Truly a hotel fit for a king, for the prices are as high as the airs of the patrons.

Description:

Pavel Tretiakov, who collected the best work of contemporary painters in Moscow and St. Petersburg, founded this gallery in 1856. His brother Sergei collected the French and Dutch masters, and in 1872 they combined their collections and opened this extremely popular museum. In 1892 it was donated to the city of Moscow, and lives on with works by famous Russian painters such as Vasilii Perov, Ivan Kramskoi and Ilia Repin.

Description:

This embraces a park of 550 hectares, a cascade of ponds and an ensemble of unfinished pseudo-Gothic palaces. Most of these red-brick structures bear decorations and masonic symbols in white limestone. The refurbished Lesser Palace houses an exhibition of Russian cut glass while the Opera House houses a similar exhibition of art chinaware and one of the park pavilions holds a display of court memorabilia. From November to April, all three are boarded up. Facilities here include an expensive manor house restaurant and a stable with mounts and horse-drawn carriages and sleighs for hire.

Description:

Moscow almost succumbed to the Nazi war machine, and Russia as a whole suffered immeasurably during WWII, known to Russians as the 'Great Fatherland War'. This park is an ample demonstration of the place of those events in the national consciousness here. There are plenty of fountains, a memorial church and a tall angel-crowned obelisk by controversial city-sponsored artist Tsereteli. In the western section of the park you will find the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War.

Description:

Bon was designed by French industrial designer Philippe Starck in the style of "rich man with no taste." This translates as stuffed taxidermy wearing rhinestone jewelry, mismatched cutlery and golden Kalashnikov rifles as lampstands. This is another Moscow restaurant that is more satisfying as a visual spectacle than as a place to get a meal: it offers run-of-the-mill Italian at inflated prices.

Our Local Expert Says:

Get a room as high as you can in Swissotel, one of the city’s tallest buildings. It’s a great place to clean out the mini-bar while taking in a magnificent panorama. Alternately, head to City Space, Moscow’s highest bar, which is located on the 34th floor. The hotel interior is proper swanky, and the concierge service knows all the best places in Moscow.

Description:

Although more for business than pleasure, this posh 34-storey hotel is also well-suited for modern luxury living. Located in the oldest part of Moscow, guests will gasp at panoramic views of old and new Moscow, while relaxing in the hotel's decadent rooms with every possible amenity at hand. The staff is courteous and the service, prompt and discreet. Two restaurants cater to different tastes here, while the fitness center and swimming pool exude a sense of extravagance. Truly a hotel fit for a king, for the prices are as high as the airs of the patrons.

Description:

This 360-hectare garden was founded in 1945 for scientific and educational purposes, and its collection includes a whole host of wild flowers, grasses and plants, plus a proud 200-year old oak tree. You can also visit the beautifully landscaped Japanese rock garden. The Dendrarium has more than 4000 species of trees and bushes from all over the world.