Marvelous Moscow

Moscow is the capital of Russia and, with a population of over 13 million and an area greater than 1,080sq.km., is Russia’s largest city. It also boasts a rich and colorful history, with the famous Red Square and the Kremlin only hinting at Moscow’s diverse and exciting background.


Moscow is situated at the confluence of the Moskva and the Yauza Rivers and is laid out around the framework of its ‘ring roads’, which circle the city in roughly the locations where the old city walls used to be. Situated at the very heart of the city is the magnificent and imposing Red Square, containing the fortified stronghold of the Kremlin and numerous other attractions including the colorful and exotic St Basil’s Cathedral and the austere edifice that is Lenin’s Mausoleum.

Visitors can reach Moscow in a variety of ways as the city has three international airports and is also home to the western terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Once in the city, the best ways to get around include the metro system, the buses and trolleybuses. Cars should be used with caution as traffic in Moscow can be a nightmare and, with traffic jams that last up to eight hours and almost no parking spaces, it is better to use public transport.

There is much to see and do in Moscow and every visitor deserves an extended stay. Highly recommended are the Bolshoi Theatre and the Tretyakov Gallery’s unsurpassed collection of Russian art and religious icons. Tourists should also try the Pushkin Museum, with its Western Art exhibitions, and the Novodevichy Convent and Cemetery, which dates from the early 16th century, is the lasting resting place of such literary greats as Anton Chekov and Nikolai Gogol.

Moscow has enough to keep even the most jaded of tourists busy for months.