Moscow River Cruise
Everytime my colleagues visit our office in Moscow during summer I reserve them a time in agenda to take a cruise on Moscow river.There is not too much to see and do in Moscow if you are not in love with visiting art museums, churches, monasteries or night clubs. That's why every good tip on what to do is invaluable.
Moscow river cruise gives you an opportunity to look at the most famous attractions of Moscow in close view from the best lookout points - the deck of the river tram or the river banks.
There are several stops and as soon as the boat moves very slowly (more than hour one way) you may decide to do not follow all the way but I recommend you the full route.
Take a taxi or metro ("Пролетарская" - "Proletarskaya" station) to get to the pier near Novospasskiy Monastery and Novospasskiy Bridge.
Visit monastery to touch to the ortodox architecture and interiors.
Cashiers at the pier ticket booth will not speak any languages except Russian with 99% probability. Give them 1000 roubles per ticket, use fingers to explain how many tickets you need and grab the change. Try to manage to explain however that you need a special ticket "proezdnoy na ves' den'" if you are going to hop-on-hop-off.
You may print and show the following:
Jump onto a boat. Departures every roughly 30 min.
First you will see and pass the impressive new concert hall building on the left bank.
Then, on the right bank, where the tributary Yauza runs into Moscow River, you will see one of the 7 famous and impressive Stalin's Skyscrapers. This is the "Residential House on the Kotelnicheskaya Embarkment" where the huge and prestigious flats were given by government to the most powerful people of Stalin's era. Photos are especially stunnig during late day light.
You can jump of and walk around the old houses and small churches of tiny streets of Solyanka area.
Passing the big construction zone you may remember old photos of the area with a huge Soviet style palace - Hotel "Rossija". The biggest hotel in Europe with several thousand rooms next to the Kremlin walls has been demolished in 2007.
Now take a breath. It's Kremlin. Hurry to make shots.
Just several hundred meters down the river is the main Russian Ortodox Cathedral - Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Being demolished by communists for the purpose to build an outdoor swimming pool "Chaika" it was rebuilt after Perestroyka.
There is also the ugly monument of the greatest Russian tsar - Peter The Great - by sculptor Tseretelly and the stunning brick buildins which used to be the most branded Russian chocolate and confetry factory "Red October" - "Красный Октябрь". Despite it moved to the new location it still produces the best chocolate confetries ever. Buy and enjoy them being in Moscow.
You can't jump off here to visit the cathedral or to walk around another part of the heart of old Moscow. But if you really want you can jump off next stop and then to make a couple km walk along the wide embarkment back to the previous stop bypassing the cathedral and the Kremlin. Crossing the pedestrian bridge to the left bank you can walk to President Hotel one of the most acceptable places to stay if you are not rich enough to pay 500USD for a standard room in alternative 4 or old 5 star hotels.
You can continue your cruise for another half hour journey to bypass or jump off
* at famous but nothing to do Gorky Park,
* Russian space-shuttle "Buran",
* charming Letniy Sad park,
* the "Red Army" Headquarter,
* huge sportcomplex built for the 1980 Olympic games with famous "Luzhniki" stadium,
* Vorobyovy Gory Lookout and Moscow State University
* legendary Novodevichiy monastery
* to the "Kievskiy Vokzal" train station
* walk to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Stalin skyscraper and to Arbat Street
On this leg of the cruise boat stops at following places:1) Krymskiy Bridge opposite Gorky Park - to walk back to the cathedral and the Kremlin
2) Gorky Park - to visit the park (I wouldn't).
3) Opposite "Luzhniki" stadium. Here you can climb up the popular among wedding couples, tourists and all Moskovits "Vorobievy Gory Lookout" to look at the Moscow, to buy surprizingly cheap souvenirs and to be impresed by another Stalin's Skyscraper - The Moscow State University (Lomonosov's MGU). Be jelous - I studied there for 5 years. Right in the top of the tower.
3) Near "Kievskiy Vokzal" - you can go to metro station here or cross the river by the bridge to another Stalin's skyscraper - The Ministry Of the Foreign Affairs. Just after the building starts the famous pedestrian Arbat Street - a Montmartre de Moscu.
Using such an unusual mean of transportaion you can spend a wonderful day visiting all the most famous and impressive Moscow's attractions. The best option for one day visitors. No public traffic hustle. No Traffic jams. Just an amazing cruise, easy walks, stunning photo shots.
Detailed information is here, but it's in Russian: http://www.cck-ship.ru/?con_id=city
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