Samara. Sights and beautiful places. What to see for tourists, walking routes

Expert: Elizaveta Aleksandrovna Davydova

*Review of the best according to the editors of expertology.ru. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective in nature, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before purchasing, consultation with a specialist is required.

Samara is a thriving city of over a million people, which captivates every tourist with its diverse attractions. In our rating you can find historical, cultural and architectural objects created by talented people. These iconic places are symbols of Samara and deserve the attention of travelers.

Rating of the most interesting sights of Samara

Places for walking, tourist streets

The abundance of pedestrian zones, streets and squares will allow you to enjoy the ancient cultural values ​​of the city. Particular attention should be paid to the local Arbat.

Leningradskaya street (pedestrian)

The so-called Samara Arbat starts from the Russian Post building, not far from the embankment and ends a few blocks later. Along its entire length it is full of small cafes, flower beds and architectural compositions from different times.

It mixes modern style, classicism of the Soviet era and strategy used in tsarist times.

Samara embankment (Maxim Gorky St.)

According to many city guests, the embankment is one of the largest and most beautiful among the cities located on the Volga , with clean river air and a panorama of picturesque landscapes.

Moscow highway

Regardless of the fact that the street is quite busy in terms of traffic congestion, it makes sense to walk along it.

Here the tourist will be able to appreciate the unique modern sculptural compositions and attractions of the city:

• Monument to a stormtrooper;
• Zero kilometer;
• Monument to Lovers;
• Monument to the Internet;
• Composition “At the Elephant”;
• Botanical Garden.

Botanical Garden of Samara State University (SamSU)

A state natural monument located on an area of ​​almost 40 hectares.

Here you can see several scientific departments with your own eyes:

• Flora;
• Dendrology;
• Floriculture;
• Tropical and subtropical plants.

Kuibysheva Street

It is considered the main historical street of the city. On the one hand - Strukovsky Garden, on the other - architectural monuments of different times.

The most interesting religious sights of Samara

In the first category we included temples, churches and cathedrals.

Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Attraction rating (Samara): 5.0

Photo: Gzbender, CC BY-SA 3.0

We gave the first place in the ranking to the Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Polish Church). It was built and consecrated in 1906. The Church has always been involved in charitable activities. Here people who found themselves in difficult situations received shelter and food. During the war, a shelter for children was created in the temple. During the reign of Soviet power, there was a theater, a cultural center, and a museum here. Only in 2000 was the church repaired and the crosses restored.

The building is built of red brick and is in the shape of a cross. The entrance is decorated with stucco ornaments and a beautiful stained glass window depicting the Virgin Mary. The pointed towers are cut through by arches. The elegance and height of the building create a feeling of upward movement. Inside the Catholic church there is a piece of the relics of the priest Martin de Porres. Address: Frunze, 157.

Travel tips

The city has certain rules and traditions. Tourists should take into account the following features:

• Car traffic is prohibited on Leningradskaya Street: there is a pedestrian zone with a large number of historical attractions;
• the main bicycle path runs along the embankment of the Volga River;
• You can purchase tickets for a river cruise at travel agencies. During the trip, tourists will visit nearby cities and get acquainted with the culture of the region;
• Non-cash payments are possible in large stores and restaurants, and in the market you can purchase products for cash.

The most interesting cultural attractions of Samara

The second category of the rating includes various museums and philharmonic theaters.

Samara Space Museum

Attraction rating (Samara): 5.0

Photo: G-Max, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Museum and Exhibition Center is perhaps the most original attraction of Samara. This is the only authentic assembled rocket monument in Europe. It is a museum building. The center opened in 2007 in honor of the anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's space flight.

Inside the rocket are exhibits of engines and technology. The exhibition hall is designed to show films. Visitors can immerse themselves in a magical cosmic atmosphere while sitting in an original chair. In 2011, a monument to the astronaut was erected in front of the rocket. Residents and guests of Samara love to take pictures here. Address: Lenin Ave., 21.

Samara Art Museum

Attraction rating (Samara): 4.9

Photo: Alver, CC BY-SA 3.0

Next in the ranking is one of the largest regional museums in the country. This is a prestigious exhibition of artifacts, which is located in a historical building. It was built at the beginning of the last century and is located in the heart of the city.

Tourists admire the beauty of the architectural structure and luxurious interior decoration. Today the museum's collection exceeds 35,000 exhibits. His pride is the works of Aivazovsky, Levitan, Serov, Malevich and Bryullov. Address: Kuibysheva, 92.

Samara Regional Museum of History and Local Lore named after P.V. Alabina

Samara Regional Museum of History and Local Lore named after P.V.
Alabina. Photo: Akinshin Vladimir / photobank “Lori” Samara Museum of Local Lore named after P.V. Alabina is one of the oldest museums in the Volga region. It was founded in 1886. The museum collection is comparable to the holdings of the Tretyakov Gallery - more than 180 thousand exhibits are stored here.

In the archaeological collection you can see finds from the Stone and Bronze Ages, medieval dishes, ancient buckles and jewelry. The ethnographic exhibition tells about the culture and traditions of the peoples who inhabited the Samara region in the 19th–20th centuries. The museum also houses weapons from around the world, as well as masterpieces of national weapons schools of the 16th–20th centuries. In the main building of the museum there are exhibitions dedicated to the nature of the region. Here you can see the skeleton of a rhinoceros, minerals, rock samples, remains of fossil animals and plants.

Among the branches of the Samara Regional Museum are Lenin’s apartment, the Frunze House Museum and the Museum of Art Nouveau.

The most interesting entertainment attractions of Samara

The next category contains attractions that are sure to appeal to families with children.

Children's art gallery

Attraction rating (Samara): 5.0

Photo: Alver at ru.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5

The museum is located in an old mansion, which is a historical monument. The gallery began its work in 1990. It was created specifically for young visitors. In addition to children's works, the museum has paintings by famous artists. The gallery hosts folk art exhibitions and carries out various education and development projects. The collection contains more than 17 thousand drawings by children from different countries of the world.

The building itself is a fairy-tale house, the appearance of which matches the interior content. Drawings by little Olga Larina are hung on the cast-iron fence surrounding the castle. Address: Kuibysheva, 139.

Adventure Park "Tarzania"

Attraction rating (Samara): 4.9

Photo: tarzaniya.com

The next participant in the rating is the favorite place of all children. The network of rope parks includes different obstacle courses, which are located between trees at a height of up to 7 meters. An area of ​​5 thousand square meters. m. is famous for its fascinating and exciting routes. They have the highest level of safety.

Little guests can walk the track at a height of 50 cm from the ground called “Bear Clubfoot”. Teenagers like the Cuckoo's Nest, located at a height of 3-4 meters. Fans of extreme sports will enjoy the Seventh Heaven attraction. The park has a climbing wall in the form of a rock relief, a petting zoo, and a gazebo for snacking. Reviews of Tarzania are mostly positive. This is a great place for a family vacation. Address: Novo-Sadovaya, 160.

What else to see

A city with such a rich history as Samara has many truly unique and interesting places. Only a person who directly specializes in attractions can list them in full.

Some of them:

• Singing fountains of Samara. They are located on Orlovskaya embankment. In addition to musical accompaniment, they are equipped with lighting that provokes eyewitnesses to start dancing. The spectacle is unforgettable, as is the embankment itself.
• Samara boat. The monument looks like a passing ancient boat, personifying the long-standing historical heritage of the region. Year of construction: 1986. Since then, the 20-meter monument has been used as one of the symbols of the city. It is located on the Oktyabrskaya embankment and faces the Zhigulevsky Mountains.
• Zhigulevsky brewery. Fans of the foamy drink will certainly want to take a look at one of the very first beer factories in Tsarist Russia. It was built by an Austrian in 1881, which is where the name of the famous Zhiguli beer first came from.

• Observation deck "Helicopter". Upravlencheskiy village, Vetvistaya street - this is the address of the place from which there is an almost panoramic view of the Volga and its surroundings. The hill got its name in Soviet times, when the director of an aircraft factory periodically flew here by helicopter.

The most interesting architectural sights of Samara

The next category contains objects that amaze with their external splendor due to their unique architecture.

Sculpture “Barge Haulers on the Volga”

Attraction rating (Samara): 5.0

Photo: The Krasnoyarsk National and Cultural Autonomy of the Chuvash People from Krasnoyarsk, Russia, CC BY 2.0

The nomination opens with an unusual monument created in 2014 on the Volga embankment. The erection of the sculpture is timed to coincide with the city day. The bronze composition depicts barge haulers and a longboat. The river and sky are visible between them. The height of the monument is 1.5 m. It is a reproduction of a painting by Ilya Repin. The author of the sculpture was Samara resident N. Kuklev.

City guests are delighted with the 3D representation of the famous painting. In summer, the sculpture looks especially harmonious. It's a pity, it's quite small. Judging by the reviews, I would like to see the barge haulers in full height. In any case, the decoration of the embankment deserves to be included in the ranking of the most interesting attractions. Address: M. Gorky, 107.

Historical reference

The founding date of the city is considered to be 1586 , although a certain pier with a settlement was noted in these places by the Venetians back in 1367. The first fortress was built by Prince Grigory Zasekin, according to the version for the Nogais who lived here to protect them from “dashing people”, but in fact , of course, to ensure the safety of trade routes between Kazan and Astrakhan.

The inhabitants of the fortress were initially “service people” who performed a security function. At the turn of the 17th – 18th centuries, as a result of fires, the fortress ceased to exist, and only in the anniversary year of 1986 a frame was made as an imitation of one of the towers, and a wall element with a memorial plaque.

From its very foundation, Samara was considered a city, in the 17th century. it was the center of the county, and at the end of the 19th century. - Samara province.

These places were not spared by peasant unrest in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1670, Samara was captured by the soldiers of Stepan Razin, but when Emelyan Pugachev’s uprising began in 1773, Samara became the first city to go over to his side.

From 1929 to 1991 the city bore the name Kuibyshev . During the Great Patriotic War, it was here that the USSR government, a number of the most important departments and, of course, defense enterprises were evacuated. Stalin's move was expected, for which a special bunker was built.

Kuibyshev’s contribution to the victory over fascism is calculated in tens of thousands of aircraft built here, and a huge amount of weapons and ammunition produced at the city’s enterprises.

Photo gallery: maps of some areas

Stalin's bunker is located near the city center

Country park is in demand for recreation

The zoo in Samara is located in a green area

"Ladya" can be seen on the Samara embankment

The city has many parks with attractions and recreation areas

Khlebnaya Square is located in the center of Samara