Moscow

Moscow Travel Guide

Moscow is an in-your-face metropolis that can often overwhelm with monstrous-sized avenues, unbearable traffic jams, and a 24-hour lifestyle à la New York or London that seems to exclude any peace and harmony. But behind that brash facade is a city that has been built up and knocked down and built up again for centuries and where, with a little guidance, a visitor can find those quiet moments of serenity and beauty.

Moscovites often find themselves in new corners of the city that they have never before seen. Don't be afaid to wander off the beaten track, for the city, despite its disorganized and chaotic edge, is organized in a clear manner. Russians often call Moscow a bolshaya derevnya or "big village" and the center itself is more compact and vital a place than many other world capitals.

The Kremlin is the heart of Moscow, encircled twice, first by the Bulvarnoye Koltso or Boulevard Ring, a leafy greeny boulevard, split into 10 sections with different names. The next embracing ring is the Sadovoe Koltso (Garden Ring), a huge road that unfortunately holds no resemblance to its name. Moscow's downtown proper, and most of the city's famous sights, are within the Boulevard Ring.

Despite their destruction during Soviet times, numerous churches remain in the center, and the sound of church bells resonates on the deserted streets on Sunday morning. If you want to go inside some churches, most are generally open from 8 AM to 8 PM, with exceptions for early or late masses. You can walk most of the areas below on foot, but to be efficient in your tour of the city, especially if you have only a few days, familiarize yourself with the metro system.