Route around Suzdal - what to see and where to buy cucumber jam

You will learn how to get around the whole of Suzdal on your own, what to see and where to eat along the route. Cucumber jam is a landmark of Suzdal cuisine. I'll tell you where to buy it and suggest one interesting place near the city. Let's also talk about mead.

Suzdal is a beautiful city and every year it becomes more and more well-groomed. Even on its outskirts you will find something to see. Hotels, shops and even private houses try to fit into the overall historical appearance with their appearance. Suzdal is not spoiled by modern facades, brick cottages and bright banners. Here, stonework is combined with wood, and the houses imitate buildings from different historical eras.

Suzdal is not a very big city, but you can’t see everything in one day. Therefore, it is better to come on weekends.

Sightseeing route around Suzdal in 1 day

In one day you will explore the city briefly. For a thorough acquaintance, you need to leave 2-3 days. But if you don’t have more time, here’s a one-day itinerary across the city. This is a self-guided sightseeing tour, not a detailed exploration of the city.

First, read the description of the route, then there will be a list of attractions that you will see along the way. Where to go and what to see along the route, decide for yourself. I advise you to go to the Museum of Wooden Architecture, climb the bell tower and go to the Deposition of the Robe Monastery. The rest can be seen from the outside. I’ll also recommend where to eat, but below.

Map of the city of Suzdal with streets and landmarks

The route is shown on the map in red.

In 2010, there was a lot of smoke in the city due to forest fires / photo by the author

Route description

Let's start with the Museum of Wooden Architecture. You can leave your car in the parking lot behind the main entrance. It's paid, but there are plenty of places nearby where you can park for free. Parking is not prohibited on the slope along Pushkarskaya Street.

From the museum we cross the bridge to the Kremlin, then we go out to Torgovaya Square along Kremlevskaya Street. Further along Old Street we go to Engels.

I propose not to go to Lenin and go directly to the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery, but to make a detour through the Alexander Monastery. Then we will go out onto Lenin Street and turn left and reach the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery. Along the way you can have a snack and buy mead. There are shops and restaurants there.

At the monastery we turn left to the observation deck on the high bank of Kamenka. In front of you will be the Intercession Monastery. Here you can cross the river on the bridge. That's all. We return to the bus station or to the car.

The sights of Suzdal can be divided into 2 groups:

• Those in the southern part of the city, where the Kremlin is.
• Everything in the northern part, where the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery is.

Two famous films were filmed in Suzdal:

• “ Tsar ” by P. Lungin - in the Deposition of the Robe Monastery and the Kremlin
• “ Balzaminov’s Marriage ” - on Torgovaya Square and city streets. Balzaminov's house still stands. Address: st. Staraya 11 (opposite the Antipievskaya Church).

Now the scenery from the film “The Tsar” is located in the Shchurov settlement.

As you walk around the city, notice that churches are often in pairs. Previously, there was a tradition of building winter (heated) and summer churches nearby.

Natural attractions of Suzdal

The settlement is located on beautiful flat areas (Suzdal Opolye). The city has several high points from where tourists can enjoy panoramic views. Observation platforms include the territory of the Suzdal Kremlin (ramps), the Spaso-Evfimiev monastery complex (cliff), and city bell towers.

Map of attractions of Suzdal

You can see the surroundings from a bird's eye view when climbing to the observation deck of the Deposition of Robe Monastery. It is the tallest city building.

An operating natural reserve of regional importance is “Ilyinsky Meadow”, located in the Kamenka river basin. The protection zone was created with the aim of preserving the natural and cultural heritage. It also offers indescribable views of the city and its attractions.

What to see in Suzdal

Now let's move on to the attractions that you will encounter along the route.

The main attractions of Suzdal are monasteries and churches.

There are about 60 churches and chapels here. They are on almost every street. For comparison, in Yaroslavl there are approximately the same number of churches, only the population there is 600,000, and in Suzdal 10,000.

There are five monasteries in Suzdal:

• Spaso-Evfimiev
• Rizopolozhensky
• Pokrovsky
• Alexandrovsky
• Vasilievsky

Museum of Wooden Architecture

This is a real wooden fairy tale.

Scheme of the Museum of Wooden Architecture

Located on the banks of the Kamenka River, the museum complex was founded in the 60-70s of the last century.

The complex consists of ancient wooden buildings brought here from nearby areas. Many were built without the use of nails. The appearance of the Russian village is presented here as truthfully as possible. You can see this for yourself by entering any of the buildings. All things are in their place and you are constantly haunted by the feeling that the owner just went out into the yard and is about to return.

Mills in the Museum of Wooden Architecture / photo by the author

The museum is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00 , except Wednesday and the last Friday of each month.

Prices:

• adult - 250 rub.,
• children under 18 years old - free,
• pensioners and students - 100 rubles.

Church of Elijah the Prophet

Church of Elijah the Prophet. Tikhvin Church in the background / photo by the author

Built in 1744.

In the 70s of the 19th century, its long reconstruction began. It ended only in 2010. Today it is the crown of the town's churches of the 18th century.

• The entrance is free.
• Open daily from 6:00 to 20:00 .

Suzdal Kremlin

Scheme of the Suzdal Kremlin

According to archaeological data, the history of the Suzdal Kremlin begins in the 10th century. The territory surrounded by an earthen rampart with a total length of 1400 km includes:

• Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (be sure to visit - very beautiful),
• Bishop's Chambers,
• St. Nicholas Church.

It is more interesting to walk around the Kremlin with a guide. I’ll tell you below how and where to find a guide to see Suzdal.

View of the Kremlin from the Museum of Wooden Architecture. The Kremlin is far from the largest building in Suzdal / photo by the author

Feel free to ask museum curators about the exhibits. They know everything and answer with pleasure.

• Single ticket - 400 rubles.
• Discount ticket - 250 rubles.
• Entrance to the territory - 60 rubles.

Deposition of Robe Monastery

This is where the big bell tower is.

• The founder of the monastery is Bishop John of Suzdal.
• Year of foundation: 1207.

This is one of the most significant monasteries of ancient Rus', which has survived to this day. Unfortunately, it is poorly preserved.

Reverend Bell Tower. View from the Trading Rows, 2022. The lower tier is in the scaffolding, now they have already been removed / photo by the author

The most interesting thing here is the Venerable Bell Tower (1882).

The height of the bell tower is 72 m. It is one meter higher than the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin. This is the tallest building in the city.

The bell tower was built on the 70th anniversary of the victory over Napoleon.

The Holy Gate (1688) is worthy of attention The relics of St. Euphrosyne of Suzdal are kept on the territory of the monastery .

• Entrance to the territory is free .
• You can visit the monastery every day from 6:30 (the start time of the morning service) until 20:00, seven days a week.

How to climb the bell tower

The bell tower is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Approach it, there will be a person who will let you through. From above you can see the whole of Suzdal.

The lifting price is 100 rubles .

Alexander Monastery

• Founder : Alexander Nevsky.
• Year of foundation: 1240.

In the period from 1608 to 1610. the whole of Suzdal, including the Alexander Monastery, was burned to the ground by Polish-Lithuanian robbers. In 1695, the revival of the monastery began. Since 2006, the monastery has belonged to the Vladimir-Suzdal diocese and now operates as a monastery.

• Entrance to the monastery territory is free .
• Visiting hours: daily from 7:00 to 20:00 .

Gostiny Dvor

Shopping arcades / photo by the author

Or Trade Square. Built in 1806−1811. Merchants and shopkeepers, artisans and handymen flocked here with their goods. More than two centuries have passed, and the situation has changed little. In addition to shops, there are refectories, cafes and restaurants in Russian style. The whole atmosphere: horse-drawn carts, women in colored scarves and shawls, fun in the style of Russian men - immerses you in the fun of yesteryear.

Maslenitsa, Cucumber Day, Christmas fortune-telling and many other holidays take place on the Trade Square. These days it is overgrown with tents and stalls, which terribly spoil the whole view.

Resurrection Church

Resurrection and Kazan churches. Trading rows are visible behind them. In 2022 they were thoroughly restored. The roofs are now copper / photo by the author

This is the one in the main city square. Built in 1720. This is a summer church. Her winter pair is the Kazan Church (pictured on the right). Until 1719, on the site of the Resurrection Church there was a wooden one, which burned down. The modern church is white stone.

• The visit is free . Women need to have a scarf with them and wear a skirt or closed dress.
• Open only in summer - daily from 6:00 to 20:00.

Posad House

The only house in the city from the 17th century.

Previously, almost no stone houses were built in Suzdal, which is why the townsman's house is a unique exhibit. The name of the builder is unknown. Now there is a museum in which items from the everyday life of kalachniks and taverns are exhibited.

Posad House / photo S. Makhlov

Posad House welcomes visitors:

• every day from 10:00 to 17:00,
• on Wednesday and Friday until 16.00,
• Thursday is a day off.

Entrance fee:

• adults - 100 rub.
• pensioners, students and schoolchildren - 50 rubles.
• Children under 7 years old have free admission.

Monastery of Saint Euthymius

Scheme of the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery

Monastery for men.

Prince Boris Konstantinovich founded it in 1352. It was originally a fortress to protect the city. The entire architectural ensemble is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Passage tower of the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery / photo by the author

Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky is buried in the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery.

After the war, the monastery was a prison where prisoners of war were kept, including Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus. The same one who surrendered after the Battle of Stalingrad. Paulus did not stay here long; he was transferred to a “permanent place of residence” in the city of Cherntsy, Ivanovo region.

Working hours:

• open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 , ticket office - until 17:00,
• on Saturday - until 20:00,
• Day off: Monday and last Thursday of the month.

A single entrance ticket costs 400 rubles . With this ticket we will be able to see all the exhibitions inside and climb the wall. All exhibitions are small.

For schoolchildren and students - 200 rubles.

The monastery prison is one of the most interesting places in the monastery. And the most interesting thing in the prison is the part of the exhibition dedicated to the period when German prisoners of war were kept here.

Pokrovsky Monastery

Peter I exiled his wife Evdokia Lopukhina here.

Scheme of the Intercession Monastery

• The founder is local prince Andrei Konstantinovich.
• Construction began in 1364.

Initially, the monastery was wooden, but in the 17th century it was reconstructed by order of Ivan the Terrible. Now it combines Russian white stone walls and elements of Western European decor.

Intercession Monastery in winter / photo by the author

This is a traditional place of exile for unwanted wives. The most famous of them is Evdokia Lopukhina, the first wife of Peter I. She lived here since 1698.

Other famous prisoners:

• Solomonia Saburova - the first wife of Vasily III (buried in the Intercession Cathedral on the territory of the monastery)
• Anna Vasilchikova - the fifth wife of Ivan the Terrible (buried in the Intercession Cathedral)
• Ksenia Godunova - daughter of Boris Godunov
• Maria Buinosova-Rostovskaya - wife of Vasily Shuisky

You can see the territory of the Intercession Monastery for free . There are several places inside with paid entrance. Temples are not one of them.

For money:

• zakaznaya hut - 50 rubles, children and pensioners - 30 rubles,
• tomb – 100 rubles.

There is a small refectory on the territory of the monastery.

Opening hours: from 10:00 to 18:00, except Wednesday, Thursday and every last Friday of the month.

What to see near Suzdal

Church in Kideksha / photo S. Makhlov

It’s definitely worth a trip to Kideksha. It's nearby, you can see on the map where to go.

There stands the oldest white stone temple in Russia. It was built in 1152 under Yuri Dolgoruky.

Even the contemporaries of Peter I considered this temple ancient. It is amazing how miraculously he survived the Mongol invasion.

The 12th century frescoes are still visible inside the temple. In some places the floor has been opened up to its original level. There are two arches in the walls, under which the son of Yuri Dolgoruky and his wife were buried. Now the graves are empty. The remains disappeared during the Soviet period.

There is a road leading to Kideksha that has existed for at least 850 years. This is an ancient road from Suzdal to Gorodets.

A little about Suzdal

Suzdal is the most beautiful city of the “Golden Ring of Russia”, a nature reserve city with less than 10 thousand inhabitants (according to the 2022 census).

This city was founded in 999 (beautiful, right?), and since 1978 it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This city has an incredible number of temples - as many as 40 temples in 15 square kilometers !

Suzdal was preserved in this form due to the absence of a railway and clear signs of the industrial revolution. Then, already in Soviet times, a kind of open-air museum was organized here for foreign tourists.

Guides in Suzdal

Suzdal is more interesting with a guide.

Local guides offer services on Tripster and Personal Guide sites. While Tripster checks his guides and monitors the quality of excursions, Personal Guide simply posts advertisements. Read reviews carefully.

It is better to look for private guides.

Private guide in Suzdal

We recommend this person.

His name is Alexander. He has several excursions around Suzdal and Vladimir. I advise you to see Suzdal with him. Alexander has programs for children.

You can choose an excursion and contact the guide here.

You can hire a personal guide even for the whole day, but it will not be cheap. But you will have a full tour of the city.

From my own experience, I can say that museum guides, even on individual excursions, recite tedious memorized text. Private guides are much more interesting. It’s not easy to post an excursion on Tripster; only interesting programs are accepted there. I advise you to look for a guide there.

When to come to Suzdal

View of the Tikhvin Church from Gostiny Dvor / photo by the author

Holiday calendar in Suzdal

Holidays in Suzdal shift a little every year. The Suzdal Inn hotel posts a normal calendar with dates on its website. I hope they continue to do this in the future.

List of Suzdal holidays:

• Maslenitsa (end of February),
• Cucumber Day (first half of July),
• Feast of the Ax (end of June),
• Trinity (mid-July),
• City Day (first half of August),
• Mead Festival (early September),
• Quilt festival (mid-August).

All holidays look the same: a crowd of people in the square, a bunch of tents with the same souvenirs and women in kokoshniks. The only difference is that on New Year’s there is a Christmas tree in the square, and on Maslenitsa there is a scarecrow.

What to do in winter in Suzdal

Everything is the same as in the summer. Museums are open as usual. Only in winter are there roller coasters on the slopes of the Kremlin ramparts - a bonus for children and those who like to ride.

Locals organize snowmobiling on the frozen river.

In terms of cultural program, Suzdal in winter is no different.

Shopping arcades

The original decoration of the city are the shopping arcades, built in the 1st half of the 19th century. They are a long arched building divided into trading stalls (now shops). The main facade of the building is decorated with paired columns with high gates in its central part.

Gostiny Dvor is a business and social city center. Cultural events and folk festivals are organized for guests and local residents. Here they taste traditional honey drinks, purchase souvenirs and products from Suzdal craftsmen (dishes, bedding, jewelry, products made of wool, clay, straw).

History of the city in 40 seconds

Some old houses slowly rot without maintenance. This one stands opposite the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery / photo by S. Makhlov

The history of the city begins at the very end of the 10th century. In the Tale of Bygone Years there is a mention of Suzdal in 1024 as a city with defensive fortifications. That year there was an uprising of the Magi - a riot due to crop failure. Yaroslav the Wise then came to calm the people of Suzdal.

Under Yaroslav, Suzdal was the center of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. In 1157, Andrei Bogolyubsky moved the capital to Vladimir.

During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, Suzdal was part of the Oprichnina. After his death, the Time of Troubles began and the city turned into a military base for the Pole Alexander Lisovsky for 8 months.

Where to eat in Suzdal

I like the “ Tavern ” on Lenina, 73. It is located in the center on the main street. If you decide to see Suzdal in one day, then this restaurant will be a convenient place to have lunch. It is in the middle, between the northern and southern parts.

In the southern part, I advise you to go to the Uley restaurant at the Pushkarskaya Sloboda hotel. There is an atmosphere, service, and special dishes. The prices are not the cheapest. It is located a little out of the way; it is better to combine lunch or dinner here with a visit to the Museum of Wooden Architecture.

In the northern part, have lunch at the Ogurets restaurant next to the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery.

Cucumber - restaurant and coffee shop /photo by the author

Interior in Russian style and Russian cuisine with an emphasis on unusual dishes from Suzdal cucumber. Prices are average. There are two premises in Ogurets: a restaurant and a coffee shop. The coffee shop has delicious desserts and coffee, plus a small shop where you can buy cucumber jam.

Personal experience

We went to the "Cucumber" with a 10-month-old child. The restaurant was full, so they seated us in a coffee shop and brought us a restaurant menu. The child's food was heated in the microwave (we had it with us) and a high chair was brought. I ordered borscht, the taste is just how I like it: slightly sour and a lot of meat.

Churches and cathedrals of the city

The temple buildings of the city are represented by church-cathedral buildings and monastery complexes.

Table. Suzdal - main attractions worth seeing

Suzdal with children

Children definitely need to see Suzdal. Especially schoolchildren. A trip here and to Vladimir can complement your school history curriculum.

Go to the Museum of Wooden Architecture. There is a children's playground and plenty of free space. The museum itself will also be interesting for children.

There is another children's playground opposite the Trading Rows. There are also playgrounds in the park of the 950th anniversary of Suzdal and on the territory of the Deposition of Robe Monastery.

In Shchurov settlement there is a small zoo with domestic animals - rabbits, piglets, a horse, a deer. You can pet some and feed the rabbits. Entrance to the territory of the Shchurov settlement - 300 rubles.

Where to stay with children in Suzdal

It is better to stay with children in Heliopark. There is also a lot of space here, there are playgrounds and a football field.

Another place that I recommend is a house with a stable on the outskirts of Suzdal (in Ivanovsky). You can book on Airbnb. You can get to the center by car in 10 minutes. 30 minutes on foot, go through the Museum of Wooden Architecture and the Kremlin.

But horses can be petted and fed. The hostess offers horse riding lessons for an additional fee.

Children will definitely love it here.

Souvenirs from Suzdal

Mead, pottery, quilts and cucumber jam.

Mead

In Suzdal you should definitely buy mead. This is the main Suzdal souvenir.

There are two options: buy No Name mead (homemade) or produced by the Suzdal mead factory . The latter guarantee that the product has all the documents and meets the standards at least on paper. But homemade mead is much tastier.

Outdoor tents often have both types. Homemade is sold in bottles without labels with a decent layer of sediment at the bottom. I tried both. Homemade is better.

Mead of any production should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a week . She has a very short shelf life.

The factory version is sold in almost every store.

Mead tasting

The tasting room is located on the back side of the Trading Rows (the one facing the river). Look for the sign " Count Suvorov".

Another tasting room is located across from the Market Square. You need to cross Lenin Street at the intersection with Kremlin Street and go deeper along Torgovaya Ploshchad Street. You'll see there.

Ceramics

Another souvenir from Suzdal is a handmade clay pot.

To do this, you need to go to the Dymov-Ceramics workshop. It's on the outskirts on the Vladimir side. They will sit you at the pottery wheel, show you everything and tell you everything. The process is interesting. Children will also like it - we tried it, we know.

But there's a catch with ceramics. You won’t be able to immediately take back what you’ve got - the clay is raw. The product must be dried slowly, otherwise it will crack. You can ask to be burned after it dries.

To get a pot you will have to go either back to Suzdal or to a store in Moscow at VDNKh. You can also pick it up in Vladimir, Ivanovo and other cities, but you will have to negotiate. This process is not streamlined: they will either forget about you, or lose the pot, or something else. In any case, the process itself is very interesting, and you can buy a souvenir ready-made.

About cucumber jam

Jam can be made from anything, even from a railroad tie.

Here, too, someone decided to distinguish himself: he cooked it from cucumbers. You can try it at the Ogurets restaurant. It’s not cheap there, they bring it in a small plate, but it’s enough. You can't eat a lot of it, but it's worth trying once.

Cucumber jam is also sold on the street. On Cucumber Day you will definitely find it.

Interesting streets and squares of the city

Walking through the streets and squares of Suzdal introduces you to places of interest, unusual buildings, and a unique city atmosphere.

Is attractive to tourists:

1. The center of trade and public life is Gostiny Dvor (Trading Square). The main cultural events of the city take place here. From here you can enjoy amazing panoramic views.
2. A small street on the territory of the monastery of the Deposition of the Robe - “Communal Town”.
3. The central transport network running through the entire city is Lenin Street. A place where the main attractions are concentrated (ancient churches, monastery complexes, unusual residential buildings).
4. A narrow pedestrian street stretching along the walls of the Intercession Monastery and the Alekseevskaya estate - Pokrovskaya.
5. Kremlevskaya Street (starts from Torgovaya Square). The main excursion routes are laid along it, introducing city guests to its sights.
6. The administrative center of Suzdal is Red Square. Here is the city House of Culture, a monument to Lenin.

You can feel the original spirit of the city and get acquainted with unusual residential buildings by visiting Stromynka Street. Previously, a route from Suzdal to Moscow was laid through it.

How to get to Suzdal

Suzdal is located 35 km north of Vladimir, on the Vladimir - Ivanovo highway. The city of Ivanovo is still 80 km away. From the Vladimir ring road (M7 highway) there is a sign to Suzdal (from Moscow to the left).

By car

There are two routes from Moscow to Suzdal: fast and interesting.

Fast route:

By car from Moscow you need to go to Nizhny Novgorod via Balashikha.

From Nizhny we drive towards Moscow and in Vladimir we turn right towards Ivanovo. There's still 30 minutes there.

It takes about half a tank of gasoline one way if you drive a passenger car. One gas station is not enough to go back and forth. There is a cheap gas station on the Suzdal Okrug.

Along the way, you can have a snack in Vladimir at the Globus shopping center. It stands along the road immediately after the turn to Suzdal. There are inexpensive cafes there.

Interesting route:

From Moscow we leave along the Shchelkovskoe highway and drive through Kirzhach, Kolchugino and Yuryev-Polsky. From Yuryev-Polsky to the right, towards Vladimir, along the road there will be a turn towards Suzdal.

This road is much more beautiful than the Gorky Highway: fields and a road winding among the hills (especially closer to Suzdal). It runs along the ancient Stromynsky highway through old towns and villages. Find traces of the Stromynsky tract there, walk across the longest wooden bridge in Kirzhach, find an elephant in Yuryev-Polsky.

Not far from Yuryev-Polsky there is the site of the historical Battle of Lipitsa during the period of civil strife of the 12th-13th centuries. Here the Vladimir-Suzdal army fought with the Smolensk-Novgorod army.

To Suzdal by train

There is no railway in Suzdal and you cannot get there without changing to a bus.

If you are traveling from Moscow or Nizhny, it is better to immediately take a direct bus. It’s more convenient and costs 100 rubles. cheaper. But if you decide to go by train, then plan to spend the night and go for the whole weekend.

The bus station in Vladimir is in the same place as the railway station.

From Moscow you can get there by everything that runs on the Moscow-Nizhny Novgorod section or by Lastochka going to Ivanovo. You need to board the train at Kursky Station. Trains run frequently. A ticket to Vladimir costs approximately 500 rubles. Travel time is 2-3 hours, depending on the train.

Bus Vladimir-Suzdal

The current bus schedule from Vladimir is on the website: Yandex Timetables. They run every 15-20 minutes starting at 6 am. A ticket costs about 100 rubles.

Direct buses Moscow-Suzdal

Buses from Moscow depart from Shchelkovo bus station. Starting at 7 am, buses run 10 times a day . A ticket costs a little more than 500 rubles.

The bus station in Suzdal is located on the ring road, far from the center.

Impressions from visiting Suzdal

Suzdal is a beautiful ancient city, everything here breathes with antiquity. Therefore, I recommend visiting this city for those who want to look at ancient Russian towns: dozens of wooden low-rise houses await you on the central streets, horse-drawn teams ride along the roads, and on the street you can buy a couple of homemade pies and taste mead.

And here is a short video about our adventures in Suzdal:

This is where our trip ends. Very soon we will go to a new one, so stay with us, it will be interesting! I wish you wonderful travels.

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