If you are looking for vivid sensations or a quiet holiday, if you want to go skiing or just take a walk in the woods, you will find it all in the Moscow Region and the neighbouring Vladimir Region. Deer farms, cozy pottery workshops, snow-covered thickets, bathhouses on the lakeside, Christmas tree factories - you can manage more than you could ever imagine in three days! The itinerary is developed with the support of [Volkswagen Caddy](https://www.volkswagen-commercial.ru/ru/model-overview/caddy.html?utm_source=Caddy&utm_medium=cpm&utm_content=Caddy&utm_campaign=LCV_Road_Travel&tc=oa-LCV_Road_Travel-Caddy-cpm-Keyword_Caddy-banner).
Start the day with a trip to the Kunpanling Buddhist Centre and the Chocolate Museum in the Cover, and relax in the afternoon at the Bogdarnya agro-cultural complex. Then go to Vladimir and its magnificent Patriarchal Garden, a Georgian restaurant and a pottery workshop.
A couple of hours drive from Moscow there is one amazing place, the Buddhist retreat center "Kunpanling". In Tibetan "kunphen" means "good for everyone" and "ling" means "land". The Retreat is designed for spiritual practice - individual or collective. And even if you are far from all this, in "Kunpanling" it is just very interesting to visit, see a Buddhist datsan (temple), wander between trees with flags-shelves. To get to the centre, you will need to go to the reception desk to register with your passport. It is also necessary to inform the reception in advance about your arrival by sending an SMS message with the number of your car and the date of arrival to the number +7(985) 588-4524.
In the Cover, check out the Chocolate Museum - it's small, but very interesting. Here you will learn the history of people's acquaintance with cocoa beans, the chocolate production process and other secrets of your favourite dessert. There is a small chocolate fountain in the museum and souvenirs and sweets are sold at the outlet. Opposite the museum is the Chocolate Fairy sculpture, the only chocolate monument in the world. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00. For more information, please call 8 (492) 436-22-14.
For lunch, go to Cafe Chestnut in Cockerels. The menu includes dishes of Japanese and European cuisine, the interior is designed in quiet, pleasant colors. The price is acceptable, and if you want to save money, order a business lunch. You can make a table reservation by calling 8 (919) 025-27-20.
In the agricultural complex Bogdarnia you can play folk games (lapta and gorodki) or paintball, go horseback riding in the forest, ride the Russian troika and even learn how to shoe a horse. And after an active holiday, order a tasting of local cheeses. Learn more about the place [here](https://bogdarnya.ru/), and book a master class by calling +7 (968) 682-41-01.
Near Vladimir, on the bank of the Klyazma River, there is a very curious sculpture. However it may be called: Head on Koloksha, Moai of Koloksha County, Koloksha Istukan... It is a huge concrete man, whose body is buried under the ground, and his head, arms and legs are visible from outside. There is no mystical reasoning in the art-object. The stone man is "guarding" a nearby hotel. But it doesn't become less interesting because of that.
Before dinner, take a walk through one of the most beautiful parks of Vladimir, the Patriarch's Garden. In the relief hollow where the garden is located, the height differences reach up to 33 meters. Visitors can walk near an artificial pond and fountains, relax in pavilions among cherry trees, and admire a wonderful view of the Assumption Cathedral.
For dinner have a look at Georgian cuisine restaurant "Saperavi". Aromatic khachapuri, harcho and chihirthma, khinkali, crowd with matsoni - there are too many interesting dishes in the menu to choose only one. Better make a reservation in advance by calling 8 (492) 277-78-22.
Every day in the pottery school "Kolokol" 3-6 master classes are held, which will be worthy and useful entertainment in Vladimir. Classes last for 1.5-3 hours depending on the complexity of the product. Bowls in the form of a pomegranate or watermelon, jars in the form of an acorn, a dish-cactus and plates "with meaning" - these are just a few options that can be made of clay. You can pick up the finished product in 3 weeks after the MC (delivery options to Moscow are discussed). In addition to general lessons, individual programs can be booked. You can book a master class at [site](https://vladimir.kolokol.school/) or by phone +7 (904) 260-33-00.
The first half of the second day is devoted to walks in the National Park "Meshchera", which is famous for its luxurious nature and ancient architecture. In the afternoon you can visit the mysterious Krivandin megaliths, and finish the day in a Russian sauna on the shore of Lake Sveti.
Stop by the supermarket in the morning to buy picnic food outdoors. There's a single café in the Meshchera National Park where you'll go, but it's often closed, so there's no risk. It's great if you have a thermo bag, so your food won't cool down until lunchtime.
The ["Meschera"] park (http://www.park-meshera.ru/) covers an area of almost 1200 km², along which there are several nature trails. If the winter is snowless, all the trails are accessible to visitors. In case of snowy winters you should proceed from the amount of snow cover and get the latest information from the park staff by phone +7 (49241) 2-26-41 / +7 (929) 030-89-32. One of the simplest routes is the 1.5-kilometer "Road to the Temple". The route leads to one of the most beautiful monuments of architecture, the Church of the Holy Trinity in the village of Erlex. Along the forest path there are full houses telling about the flora and fauna of the park, as well as about the history of this area.
The regional open-air complex in the village of Tasinsky includes three expositions that tell about the structure of ancient Russian towns and details of peasant life. The museum is open from 9:00 to 16:00, without weekends.
Next to the local history complex, the circular environmental trail "Forest World of the Meschers" begins. Its length is 3 km. The walk is carried out on special wooden paths with railings, which are laid out through beautiful pine and deciduous massif.
The Krivandin megaliths were discovered in 2008 by Shatursk regional governor E.. V. Starostin. While investigating the surroundings, he noticed that the stones - allegedly the ruins of an ancient church - are much older. Later, scientists found out that the mysterious cobblestones were part of the construction of 1-3 millennia BC. Most likely, it is a question of the primitive astronomical device or pre-Christian temple with a calendar cycle: boulders are put in a circle and rather precisely show solstice and solstice points.
After your walks through the woods, you want to warm up and relax in a Russian banya! You can do it in Saint Lake complex in Shatura. The banya is located in a two-storey house with billiards, recreation room, kitchen and locker room. Inside there are household appliances, TV, water cooler, dishes and board games. You may have dinner right here! Food will be brought to you from the on-site restaurant. [Bathhouse](https://stlake.ru/banya/) must be booked in advance by phone 8 (967) 299-19-07.
On the third day of the trip you will explore some sights of Shatura and visit the factory of Christmas tree toys "Frost". Then you will see the reindeer and conquer the slopes of Gaya Severin ski resort.
In 1920s peat deposits were discovered in the vicinity of Shatura, and soon one of the first district power plants in Russia - Shaturskaya GRES - was built here. Peat was used as fuel at the station - it was brought to the station by narrow gauge railway. The peat turned out to be unprofitable and was replaced with gas in the late 2000s. The railway was not needed, it was started to be dismantled and one of the trains became a monument that can be seen today in an ordinary residential courtyard.
At the exit from Shatura, one kilometer north of the village of Krasnoe, there is a holy spring in the name of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The spring is arranged and a small chapel is built nearby. Water flows through a wide gutter into the open baptismal font, where you can take a dip (there are wooden stairs). The water is cold, with a noticeable smell of hydrogen sulphide and a tang of iron.
Factory "Frost" is the oldest enterprise that produces handmade glass Christmas tree decorations. It was built back in 1937! At [factory](https://iney.ru/) there are excursions, during which you can learn about the history of the Christmas tree toy and the work of the company. Master-classes on painting glass balls are also available. Individual tourists are united into groups, for which excursions are held from 9:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and weekends. It is necessary to agree on excursion in advance, by phones 8 (929) 557-56-23 or 8 (903) 686-00-42.
For lunch you can visit the "Green Cafe" on the outskirts of the town Kurovskoye. The cafe is located on the territory of the sanatorium-prophylactic "Silver Spring". Before visiting, be sure to call 8 (919) 411-59-59 - the institution is often rented for weddings and anniversaries.
The history of the "Northern Deer" farm dates back to 2003, when Alexander Bondarchuk bought two deer intended for slaughter on a state farm on the Kola Peninsula. Pets were brought to the Moscow region, and over the years the number of reindeer has increased 7 times. The farm is waiting for guests from Thursday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00 by appointment or by phone 8 (916) 40-30-444 and 8 (916) 54-00-442. When it snows, guests [farms](https://severolen.ru/) have the opportunity to take a ride in a reindeer harness. But even without the snow, no one cancels the introduction to fluffy noses! You can pet and feed the deer: feeding the deer and visiting the museum (no excursion) is included in the ticket price.
Gaya Severin Ski Club is one of the six largest skiing complexes in the Moscow region. Here you can relax from the city bustle and enjoy the fresh air and luxurious views. You can even ride after sunset: the slopes are lit up. There is a training track for beginners and a challenging trail for professionals. There are rope tow lifts in the complex. It is convenient that the points earned on skipasses can be used within two years. An important point: due to the pandemic, the rental of sports equipment is closed until 15 January 2021. Check the schedule and other details by phone at +7 (967) 084-79-91 or look for answers at [site](https://chylkovo.ru/).
A beautiful dinner in the restaurant "Kutuzov", which is located near the slopes, will be a perfect completion of the skiing and the whole trip. The restaurant is often rented for weddings, so it is better to call +7(495)913-50-50 or +7(968)409-01-02 in advance.