Where to go from Moscow by train? 3 ideas for relaxation and active vacation

To reboot, you don’t necessarily have to go far from home. If we are talking about Moscow, there are plenty of places for quality recreation just a few hours from the capital. We have collected a variety of locations – for those who are interested in history, for lovers of outdoor activities and those who want to be closer to nature. Be ready: you will have to walk and walk for a long time!

Vladimir Vinogradov

author of the travel community Vinogradov.story and president of Pro-Vision.

Tells about “places of power” not far from the capital.

Nikola-Lenivets village

Where is it located: Kaluga region, Dzerzhinsky district.

How much to go: 2,5-3 hours by train.

Nikola-Lenivets is not only the biggest art park in Europe, which is located around the village of the same name. It is also a really cool art park, and even those who are a bit skeptical about modern art are delighted by it. There are no expositions a la “heap of garbage”, but there is “Villa PO 2”, named in honor of (and built from) the familiar concrete fence “with rhombics”.

The “Russian Ideal” pavilion, which looks like the limit of dreams of a futurist hobbit, is also interesting. In total, more than 30 spatial sculptures and about 100 objects and art projects are gathered on the territory of the complex. One can associate it with the American Burning Man, only not far from Moscow.

And all this beauty is located in the middle of the Ugra National Reserve. A hundred steps from the tourist path, and the purest forest, where more than 300 species of animals and birds – including rare and endangered – live, is already rustling around.

Patriot Park

Where is it located: Moscow region, 55th km of Minsk highway.

How long to travel: 1-1.5 hours by train.

A truly amazing place. First of all, it is one of the rare examples when a brand new construction (the complex was opened in 2020) has a powerful historical message. It is conveyed by dozens, hundreds and thousands of details, each of which has a deep symbolism. If you are interested in history, we recommend you to spend a whole day on the trip to make sure you don’t miss anything.

Secondly, the scale of the ensemble of the complex is amazing. Photos do not convey it at all – it is better to see it with your own eyes. Probably, the same awe is felt by people who for the first time found themselves near the Egyptian pyramids or the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio.

And, thirdly, despite the sacred significance of the place, it is very pleasant to walk around the complex. Many people come here with their families and friendly companies, and the voices of children can be heard everywhere. Landscape designers, apparently, turned out to be as professional as their colleagues – architects, sculptors, historians and icon painters who worked on the creation of the museum and the temple.

Istra

Where is it located: Moscow region.

How long to travel: 1.5-2 hours by electric train.

Istra has excelled at many things, but best of all it knows how to inspire. If you feel that the heritage of your ancestors has been “squandered, not saved, not used” or that “there is no life beyond the Moscow Ring Road”, choose a nice day and visit Istra. The first thing that catches your eye is that the residents and authorities of Istra clearly love their town. Everywhere is clean, old buildings are carefully restored, neat parks and squares are laid out everywhere. The main historical monument – the New Jerusalem Monastery – is kept in perfect order.

At the same time in Istra they know how not only to preserve the heritage, but also to create something new and original on its basis. A typical example is the museum and exhibition complex “New Jerusalem”, which seems to embody all the latest achievements of the museum business. In it you can see a 3D model of the New Jerusalem Monastery, a panorama of the Streltsy rebellion, where virtual soldiers load weapons and shoot almost like real ones, a book with “coming alive” pictures. It completely breaks stereotypes about semi-dark museums with creaky parquet and dusty showcases.

In the context of domestic achievements, Oleg Sirota’s cheese factory was also very pleasant – I advise you to take a tour there if possible (or just have a snack in the cafe on its territory).