Top Things to Do in the Moscow | Must-See Attractions & Experiences

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Places To Visit In Moscow

Alexander Garden

The Alexander Garden is one of the most crowded parks in Moscow, adorned with many monuments and attractions, and is truly a spectacular and calm oasis in the big bustling city. The park stretches along the western wall of the Kremlin and on the other edge has the Moscow Manege. The park was constructed after Napoleon and the French were defeated, on orders of Tsar Alexander I. The damage that had been done to the city is symbolically represented in one of the major monuments of the park, the Grotto, which was intentionally made to look like a ruined monument. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, whose eternal flame is always guarded by sentinels. The view of the Moscow Kremlin that you get from the garden as well, is something which could alone be the reason for you to visit the place, giving you access to some parts of the wall and towers which you can't get from anywhere else. There's more, the Negglinayya river, which was initially put under the ground, was artificially recreated, adds a lovely charm to the entire gardens. As you explore this entire park, you will not be able to miss the sprawling flower beds that have been laid out to capture your imagination, making the Alexander Garden an absolutely awe-inspiring experience. Read More

A historic theatre of ballet and opera and the second largest opera house in all of Europe. It is also renowned for it's classical Russian architecture. While the company was founded back in 1776, the magnificent building we see today was completed in 1824. Since then, it has served as Russia's national theatre. All white in colour, with 8 columns, intricate detailing on the facade and the 'quadriga' adorned at the entrance, the theatre is truly a stunning example of classical Russian architecture. The performances in the theatre are mostly of Russian origins, with a few foreign performances also taking places. The Bolshoi Ballet and Opera companies are counted amongst the most reputable companies all over the world, with the ballet company actually being the largest in the world. This is definitely a must for lovers of opera and ballet. You can check the listings of performances to decide when to go and the grandeur and the atmosphere of this theatre is sure to make it worth the visit. Read More

Gorky Park is a hugely popular public park, sprawling across 300 acres along the Moskva river. The park was established in 1928 and was actually the first of it's kind in Russia. Over the years it was developed greatly into a fun centre for kids and the public, consisting of amusement rides, cafes, stalls, advertisement banners and so on. The park was majorly transformed in 2011. Today, the park has once again become the vibrant centre of life in the capital city. The transformation undertaken by Sergei Kapkov saw demolition of amusement rides, ad banners, small stalls, cafes and all unnecessary and crowding features of the park. All the monuments of the park were renovated and a proper ice skating rink was opened for the public. The numerous ponds in the park were extensively cleaned and are maintained regularly and many splendid lawns and flowerbeds were laid to enhance the natural beauty of the park. All these renovations have meant that the park subscribes to international standards of large public parks and is an absolute favourite place among the locals for recreational activities. Read More

GUM is the most popular shopping space in all of Moscow. Extending along the eastern side of the Red Square, it has been the premier shopping arcade of Moscow since the 19th century. The GUM Departmental Store has been an important building on the Red Square. The current building was built back in the 19th century. It is a remarkable piece of architectural work. The peculiarly shaped building has a glass roof, held by an intricate steel framework. The facade itself extends for about 240 metres along the square. There was a time when shopping queues of the mall used to cover the axis across the Red Square! The GUM was completely privatised after the fall of the Soviet Union and it's first word was changed from Gosudarstvennyi to Gianvyi (translating to 'main' universal store, instead of 'state' universal store as earlier). Today it is home to a huge number of fashion and other international brands. It forms an integral part of the Red Square and you should definitely step inside to absorb the energy and the historical atmosphere of this magnificent shopping mall. Read More

A beautiful and sprawling estate, which today serves as an open air museum of wooden architecture. The Kolomenskoye was developed as a retreat for the princes of Moscow. Now, a royal estate demanded a collection of great works of architecture and that is exactly what this estate has on display today. The oldest recorded structure here is the Ascension Church. This stunning piece of Russian architecture made of white stone, rising towards the sky in an octagonal shape was recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The magnificent summer palace which was built by Tsar Alexis I was reconstructed as an exact replica by the Russian government, complete with it's wooden architecture and imposing presence. It is one of the best structures of the estate. The estate houses numerous other buildings, many of which are in fact churches. Other buildings include gates, chambers and pavilions. Furthermore, under Pyotr Baranovsky, several wooden structures from around the USSR were imported to Kolomenskoye for preservation, making the estate a site of truly rich architectural heritage. Read More

The Moscow Kremlin is a huge architectural complex. The complex contains palaces, cathedrals, towers and is fortified by the Kremlin Wall. The Moscow Kremlin is the fortified residence of the President of Russia. It is hugely popular among tourists due to the many attractions within the complex and also simply due to it's magnificent grandeur. The Kremlin's list of attractions is long. The famous Kremlin Towers, of which there are now 20 and the Kremlin Walls were the first structures which were built back in the 15th century. The tallest of these towers is the Troizkaya, which is 73 metres high. The Cathedral Square is considered to be the centre of the Kremlin complex and has three cathedrals of magnificent architecture. The complex is also home to several palaces and also the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. In the south is the Armoury, which now serves as a museum and in the north is the Arsenal, which even today is militarily active and houses the Kremlin Regiment. Read More

One of the world's oldest and most popular metro systems. It's stations are of historic importance, as their architecture was extremely elaborate and used to advance the communist superiority. Work on the metro began in the 1930s and it was opened for the first time in 1935. The idea behind the metro was to make the masses absorb and believe in the Stalinist reign. The metro stations were built with such care and beauty, that even today the metro system in Moscow stands as one of the most ambitious architectural projects ever undertaken. The first 13 metro stations in particular became famous all over the world and were the ultimate device to make the people of Moscow believe in the communist regime. The future and the grandeur of the Stalinist era was sold to them as they travelled the metro every day. Some of the most awe-inspiring metro stations of this era are Mayakovskaya, Revolution Square, Kievskaya, Prospekt mira and several others. The first four stages of the metro, built by 1953, are the most beautiful. The dazzling beauty that went into the stations from then on considerably reduced. Read More

Muzeon Park of Arts (Fallen Monument Park)

The park has become the largest open air museum of sculptures in Russia and is a fascinating example of how the political scenery suddenly changed in Russia. The Muzeon Park of Arts was formally established in 1992. However, it gets it's name due to developments the year before. After the fall of the USSR and the ban of the communist party, various statues and sculptures of communist leaders and workers from around the town were dumped here. The communist leaders had their statues installed in nearly every area of the city and as soon as USSR fell, most of these were immediately removed from their pedestals. These statues were subsequently placed all along the edges of the park and more and more sculptures were added to the park over the years. These included sculptures dedicated to the victims of the Great War of Patriotism (World War II) and of the communist regime. In recent years, there have been various additions to the park, such as an open air cinema, numerous cafes and winding walking pavements. Several flowerbeds were laid to greatly enhance it's beauty. It is also now the first open air museum of contemporary art, (more than 700 works of art on display) and is extensively used as a cultural and creative exhibition area. Read More

The largest showcase of European arts in Russia, having a sizeable fine arts and archaeological collection. The Pushkin Museum was first opened to the public in 1912. Initially, it's collection was limited to ancient statuary. The collection of the museum was enriched with that of the Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg and other museums in USSR when the capital was shifted to Moscow in 1918. The collection today includes a large amount of plaster castes of sculptures from ancient, medieval and Renaissance times and also paintings by world renowned artists such as Matisse, van Gogh, Picasso, Gaugin, Dufrenoy, and Derain. The collection also displays several archaeological finds, including the fabled Priam's Treasure, supposedly from the site of Troy. Many of these artefacts were in fact taken from Germany and other countries during the Soviet Unions rule and have since stayed in the Pushkin. Read More

The Red Square is the most popular city plaza in Moscow. It is the location of various popular tourist attractions, such as the Kremlin, St. Basil's Cathedral, Lenin's Mausoleum, State Historical Museum, GUM shopping mall and the Kazan Cathedral. If you watch a lot of Hollywood movies, you would've noticed the Red Square many times. It is a massive city plaza, often considered as the centre of Moscow since a majority of Moscow's major streets originate here. It was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Kremlin building, due to their major role in Russian history. The Red Square is the most popular area in Moscow due to the fact that it houses Moscow's most popular attractions. The St. Basil's Cathedral is a fantastic 16th century cathedral, which today serves as a museum. The Kremlin, which is the house of the President of Russia, along with it's cathedrals, palaces and towers stands west of the Square. Just in front of it is Lenin's Mausoleum. The State Historical Museum stands at the opposite end from the St. Basil's Cathedral to complete the most famous attractions around the Square. So as you can see, a trip to the Square cannot be avoided under any circumstances! Read More