Golden Ring of Russia

The Golden Ring is the most famous tourist route in Russia. It includes several small towns to the northeast of Moscow at a distance of 350 kilometers. During a trip to the cities of the Golden Ring, you will see numerous churches with golden domes, ancient monasteries, noble estates and many other attractions. 

The Golden Ring route was first described by journalist Yuri Bychkov in 1967. Usually tourists make several trips to different cities of the Golden Ring from Moscow, but in this review on the online guide Geomerid you can read about the classic ring route between 8 cities. The journey will take at least two weeks.

The cities of the Golden Ring are located on two highways:
•   Gorky Highway: Vladimir and Suzdal.
• Yaroslavl highway: Sergiev Posad, Yaroslavl, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov Veliky, Kostroma, Ivanovo.

Vladimir

Start your journey from the ancient city of Vladimir. The historical center of the city is included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage lists. At the entrance to the old town you will see the Golden Gate – a monument of the 12th century. The main sights of Vladimir: Assumption Cathedral and Dmitrievsky Cathedral. Both temples were built in the 12th century. There are other sights of Vladimir around them. 

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Plan at least 3 hours for a trip to the suburb of Vladimir – Bogolyubovo. It is also part of the Golden Ring route. There is the Bogolyubovsky Monastery and the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl. Historians call this church one of the most beautiful ancient temples in Russia. You need to plan a whole day to visit the sights of Vladimir.

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Suzdal

Suzdal is located 20 kilometers north of Vladimir. This city is one of the most beautiful on the route of the Golden Ring. Monasteries and churches of Suzdal are also included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List. All the sights of Suzdal are located compactly from each other. There are 5 monasteries, the Suzdal Kremlin, many temples and museums preserved here. 5 kilometers from Suzdal, in the village of Kideksha, you can visit the Church of Boris and Gleb of the 12th century. It is better to plan at least 2 days to visit Suzdal.

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Ivanovo

The city of Ivanovo is located 80 kilometers north of Suzdal. It is part of the Golden Ring Route, although its architecture is very different from other cities on this route. Ivanovo is known as the center of the Russian textile industry. In the 1920s, several buildings in the architectural style of constructivism were built in Ivanovo. There are several interesting museums in the city: the Museum of Ivanovo Calico, the Art Museum, the Museum of Industry and Art. 

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You need to plan one day to visit Ivanovo, but if you are not interested in the style of constructivism, then as an alternative you can consider visiting the small town of Ples in the Ivanovo region (70 km from Ivanovo towards Kostroma). This city was not part of the initial number of the cities of the Golden Ring, although its tourist attraction is greater than Ivanovo. Ples is located on the bank of the Volga River, and has completely preserved the appearance of the 19th century city.

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Kostroma

From Ivanovo (or Ples), head north towards Kostroma (100 km). In this city, visit the Ipatievsky Monastery. Here the first Russian tsar of the Romanov dynasty was called to the kingdom. Near the monastery, go to the Museum of wooden architecture Kostroma Sloboda. Take a walk along the high bank of the Volga, Susaninskaya Square and Shopping Malls. Visit the Epiphany-Anastasyin Monastery. There is the Fedorovskaya Icon of the Virgin Mary, one of the most revered in Russia. Kostroma is the most remote city of the Golden Ring from Moscow (350 km).

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Yaroslavl

The city of Yaroslavl is sometimes called the capital of the Golden Ring. There are many attractions here and you need to plan at least 2 days to visit it. It is located 80 kilometers from Kostroma. Start your walk in the Transfiguration Monastery. Then walk along the bank of the Kotorosl River to the Assumption Cathedral and walk along the Volga embankment. Tolga Monastery is located in the vicinity of Yaroslavl.

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Rostov the Great 

From Yaroslavl, go south towards Moscow. On the shore of Lake Nero is Rostov the Great, one of the most interesting cities of the Golden Ring. Here you can see the Rostov Kremlin, which in the 17th century was the residence of the Abbot. After walking around the Kremlin and visiting museums, take a boat on Lake Nero and see the Rostov Kremlin from the water. From the water, the churches of Rostov look very beautiful.

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Pereslavl-Zalessky

The city of Pereslavl-Zalessky is located on the shore of Lake Pleshcheevo. It has 5 monasteries and many other historical attractions and museums. Peter the Great built his first warships here and taught sailors. Visit the Peter I Boat Museum. Pleshcheevo Lake is a National Park of Russia, so here you can see natural attractions and an Arboretum Garden.

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Sergiev Posad

Sergiev Posad is the closest city to Moscow on the Golden Ring route. The main attraction of Sergiev Posad is the Trinity-Sergiev Lavra. It is included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List. You can schedule most of the day for its visit. Next to the Lavra there is an interesting museum of the Lavra: the Horse Yard. In the vicinity of Sergiev Posad you can visit the Abramtsevo Estate, where great Russian artists worked in the 19th century.

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