Arbat is a pedestrian street connecting the Boulevard and Garden Rings. Arbat in Moscow is a popular Moscow landmark. After Red Square and the Moscow Kremlin, tourists rush to stroll along Arbat to feel the spirit of Moscow.
What is the phenomenon of Arbat, what interesting things can be seen and felt here, read in this article.
Arbat in Moscow
A few facts about Arbat:
- Arbat Street in Moscow is the oldest. It has existed for more than 5 centuries.
- Arbat is a symbol of old Moscow and the most famous street in the city. They composed songs and poems about him, made films, and wrote books.
- The name of Arbat street probably comes from the Arabic word “arbad”, which means suburb, suburb. It was brought to Moscow in the 15th century by Arab merchants or Crimean Tatars.
- In the middle of the 17th century they tried to rename Arbat to Smolenskaya Street, but the new name did not take root.
- Arbat stretches from Arbat Square to Smolenskaya, a distance of just over a kilometer. The Arbat region - the nearby streets and alleys - is often referred to as Arbat.
- Many talented people lived on Arbat - writers, musicians, scientists and philosophers; with the light hand of the poet Andrei Bely, they began to be called Arbatians.
- Stalin traveled through Arbat from the Kremlin to his dacha near Moscow; a government highway ran along the street.
- Arbat in Moscow is often called Old Arbat, contrasting it with New Arbat, a street created in the 20th century.
- Arbat became a pedestrian street in 1986 after large-scale reconstruction. The asphalt was replaced with tiles, retro lanterns, benches and flowerpots were installed.
- Due to the popularity of the street among tourists, Arbat has a huge number of souvenir and antique shops, pawn shops and of course cafes, many street artists, second-hand book dealers and merchants. In the evening, the lights come on and street musicians play. Behind the advertising signs of merchants, aimed mainly at foreigners, the main advantage and beauty of the Moscow Arbat is lost - its historical architecture.
- The word “Arbat” has long become a household name, the name given to a pedestrian tourist street in any city.
Arbat in Moscow is often scolded and criticized, saying that it is no longer the same. For some, it is not the same, because there are few street vendors and souvenir stalls there, for others, on the contrary, there are too many of them. For some it is too quiet, for others it is too crowded, despite the diversity of opinions, the Arbat remains the most popular attraction in Moscow.
Useful information for tourists
Before going to Arbat, or indeed to the center by car, it’s a good idea to see in advance whether there are parking spaces and their cost. You might be interested in renting bicycles and other vehicles, and the presence of snack bars. Now I’ll tell you about all these amenities.
Car parking.
The center of Moscow is a test for non-resident drivers who are here very rarely, or even more so for the first time. Parking is one of the problems, in addition to heavy traffic and unclear junctions. They seem to be everywhere, but sometimes you can’t find a place to park because everything is occupied or you simply don’t know where to park so as not to overpay.
There are many parking spaces near Arbat:
Parking map: st. Arbat, Moscow
Most of them are located right in the courtyards, where you can enter from 3 sides: Smolenskaya Square, New Arbat, Gogolevsky Boulevard. Most parking lots are paid, but are free on weekends and holidays (you need to check at the payment terminals to avoid getting into trouble).
The main thing is that there are places! This is a big problem in the center on weekends and holidays. Sometimes you have to circle around until you find somewhere to park your car.
Bicycle rental.
City bike rental near Arbat street in Moscow
Even if Arbat is a small street and it’s not very convenient to ride a bike there due to the large number of people, nevertheless you can take a bicycle and go to other points, for example, towards Red Square along the embankment
