Walking Tours, Moscow

Walking Tours, Moscow

Magical and enchanting with a mystical allure, Moscow is one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Russia, and the nucleus of its culture, polity and economy. Book a walking tour of Moscow to see the major attractions of one of the most expensive places in the world.

"Follow the Moskva down to Gorky Park" and discover the scenic city, lined with towering domes atop splendid stone cathedrals. The heart of Moscow - the Kremlin on the Red Square, has a magnificent diamond collection in its Armoury which is definitely worth seeing. Along the Kremlin’s walls are the Alexander Gardens and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier where the Changing of the Guard ceremony takes place. The Red Square is where you will also find St Basil’s Cathedral, The State History Museum and the GUM (State Department Store), with Lenin’s Mausoleum at the centre. The famous St. Basil’s Cathedral was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible and built on the edge of Red Square between 1555 and 1561. Legend has it that on completion of the church, the Tsar ordered the architect to be blinded to prevent him from ever creating anything to rival the magnificent cathedral’s beauty. The church was named St. Basil’s after the popular holy fool Basil the Blessed. A series of concentric circles and radial lines emanating from the Red Square make the city easily discoverable on foot.

Muscovites used to say: ‘For money, go to Zamoskvorechye, for a career, go to St. Petersburg, but for knowledge and memories, go to the Arbat.’ The Arbat is quintessential old Moscow, and more than 500 years old. The area between the Arbat and Prechistenka is a quaint neighbourhood of quiet lanes where each house transports you to old world Moscow. You can admire minimalist communist 60’s style architecture in the New Arbat.

As the centre of Russia’s cultural activity and history, a trip to Moscow is incomplete without a visit to its comprehensive museums. Tretyakov Museum is a treasure trove of Russian art and one of the best museums in the world. A fantastic collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art can be found at the Pushkin Museum. For a broad understanding of Russian history from the Stone Age to the present day, head to the State Historical Museum, housed in an enormous 19^th century Revivalist building. To complete the cultural experience, catch an opera or a classical ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre.

Moscow’s metro is often described as a subterranean communist paradise, and a tour of the different stations will show you why. Marble pillars, gorgeous chandeliers, intricate mosaics and sculptures make it one of the most beautiful underground systems in the world. See Ploshchad Revolutsii’s 76 Manizer bronze sculptures of the constituents of the new Socialist order, Mayakovskaya’s art deco stainless steel columns and ceiling mosaics of the 24 Hour Soviet Sky, Novoslobodskaya’s Pavel Korin stained glass panels, and of course, the Pavel Korin murals at Komsomolskaya, the ‘Palace of the People’.

Delve into Moscow’s Soviet past and see what lay behind the iron curtain on a communist walking tour. The disturbing Solovetsky Stone (Memorial to the Victims of Political Repression) in Lubyanka Square stands as a reminder of the gruesome oppression of millions by Stalin’s Iron Fist. Tours show you around the former KGB Headquarters, the Revolution Square, Museum of Revolution and the Gulag Museum, giving you an overview of secret KGB prisons, the Cold War era and the Great Socialist Revolution.