Nizhny Novgorod
Visiting Russia requires some spirit of adventure and a taste for the less traveled path. Coming fifth in the chart of the largest Russian cities, Nizhny Novgorod is the former seat of princes of medieval times and stands at the confluence of two utterly important rivers: Volga and Oka. The main access ways are by train, from St. Petersburg and the capital, as well as from Yaroslavl and Kazan. The trip from Moscow to here is under five hours, due to the newly introduced fast transportation. Other good aspects considering the location of this city is that one may continue the journey in eastern direction and follow the Trans-Siberian route towards the important centers placed along. In the case you are not tempted by the train travel, check the flight schedules.
The world has heard of Maxim Gorky, the famous writer. He was born in this place and the city was bore his name for several decades, until 1990. However, it is rather the more distant past to have influenced the aura of the city today. Built as a fort, it later developed into a citadel made of stone and relics of this era are to be seen around, a delight for those who look for ancient traces. The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is to be seen for its examples of preserved defensive architecture, older than five hundred years. One place to reveal historical and ethnic beauty is the Ethnographical Museum of Volga-Region, which is an open air display of wooden constructions. For those passionate of railway history, the museum of locomotives is open for visiting and the entrance is free. More treats to the eye are the Trade Fair building, Dmitrovskaya Tower, the Pechersky Ascension Monastery and the Stroganovs' Church of the Nativity of Our Lady, impressively ornate and vividly colored. With more than six hundreds of monuments of different kinds, the city is on the UNESCO top 100 for its cultural and historical value.
Maybe you don't really expect that a city so much into its past to actually be very in touch with the latest technologies. Nizhny Novgorod excels in the IT industry and proves you that it is far off in the modern era. Many software developers have locations here, and even Intel owns a database and a notable center. Apart from this, it has grown into an advanced touristic location, as you may see through the following. Thanks to the presence of Volga River, wonderful opportunities were seized and the city now offers cruises on these waters. Passenger ships go to Moscow and St. Petersburg, and also to other destinations. There is very good transportation in Nizhny Novgorod, and it will help you not only cope with the distances, but also let you admire the sights from a different and comfortable perspective. More is to be added to that, as an aerial tramway is expected to be functional starting with 2012. Especially for the visitors, there are sightseeing tours by bus, excursions in the city and in the region.
