S. wrote about the Pskov Daleks in his novel of the same name. D. Dovlatov. Alexander Pushkin came here for inspiration. S.N. Roerich created his masterpieces, inspired by the nature of the surrounding area. You will get acquainted with the uniqueness of the Pskov lands and learn a lot about their history. On the way you will make stops in cities such as Gatchina, Pskov, Izborsk, Pushkin's Mountains, Gdov and Kingisepp. You will visit the shores of Lake Peipsi and walk along the famous estates. Take with you a great mood and go!
Our journey will begin in the marvelous city of Gatchina. It is one of the few St. Petersburg suburbs that are not officially part of the administrative boundaries of the Northern Capital. The city is an industrial, scientific, cultural and educational centre. The main attraction is the state museum-reserve of the same name, which includes the palace and park ensemble and the Gatchina Palace.
The Grand Gatchina Palace, erected near St. Petersburg in 1766-1781, combines the style of Russian Classicism with elements of medieval castles. The first owner of the palace was Peter I. Later he presented it to his sister, Princess Natalia Alexeevna. Over the years, the right of ownership passed from hand to hand between members of the imperial family. Mode of operation: From 10:00 to 18:00 (cash desk until 17:00). Weekend - Monday. Sanitary days - the first Tuesday of each month.
The main Orthodox church in Gatchina, the Cathedral of St. Paul the Apostle, was built by order of Emperor Nicholas I. The cathedral became the compositional center of the city, the street leading to it became known as the Cathedral. The building of the cathedral is massive. It is a synthesis of classical elements and techniques of Old Russian architecture.
It's lunchtime and you must be pretty hungry by now. This Irish gastropub will pleasantly surprise you with its large and tasty portions.
The estate is located in the center of the village of Christmas. It is connected with the name of V.V. Nabokova - his mother, born Rukavishnikova, grew up here. Since there are only two houses in Russia that are directly connected with the great writer, this estate is especially significant. The estate park occupies about 16 hectares, with a long central alley, where grow more than 150-year-old linden and oak trees. It ends with a canyon of the river Gresna with cliffs of red sandstone, springs and a complex of caves. Hours of work: Wednesday-Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00. Weekends: Monday and Tuesday.
The stele is a column topped with the State Emblem. Sculptural bas-reliefs depicting the events in connection with which the city was awarded the honorary title "City of Military Glory" are placed at the corners of the square. During the Great Patriotic War soldiers, militia, civilians of the city in a short time erected an impregnable border on the way of fascist troops. Defending the approaches to Leningrad, thousands of soldiers were killed. The names of many are still unknown.
Remember the most memorable moments of the day during a delicious dinner. This cozy restaurant offers a wide range of European and Russian dishes.
The second day of the trip will be devoted to acquaintance with the city of Pskov. It is a very picturesque, cozy and unusual city with an exciting fate. You will visit places filled with masterpieces of ancient architecture. You will learn the secrets of history and get in touch with culture.
The museum-estate of N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov consists of two complexes - former estates Lubensk and Vecha. They are located near, on the shores of Lake Pesno. These places retain amazingly beautiful and very Russian landscapes: hills and fields, lakes, forests, groves, gardens and alleys. This estate became not only a place of summer vacation for N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov and his family, where the luminaries of Russian intelligentsia gathered. Mode of operation: From 11:00 to 16:00, The day off is Monday.
This stylish and small restaurant will be a great place for your lunch. It serves quite big and very tasty dishes of European cuisine. Pay attention to beef stroganoffs and cheesecakes.
The Pskov Fortress was the best in Russia of the XVI century, occupied the area of 215 hectares, it was fenced with 4 belts of stone fortifications 9 km long. The power was strengthened by 37 towers. Communication was provided by 14 gates, wall, tower and underground passages. You can study not only the history of construction, but also the military history of the Pskov fortress. Visit the Order Chamber, get acquainted with the details of the state service of the voivode, deacon and scribes, as well as learn about the system of state administration of Russia in the XVII century.
The monument of medieval Russian architecture dates back to the end of XVII century. The chambers were built by order of the merchant Sergey Pogankin. According to the plan of the customer they were to become a universal structure: inside there were living quarters, outhouses, warehouses and guild shops. Today the Hogankins are part of the Pskov Architectural Museum Reserve and are open to the public all year round.
Make a stop in the city park and walk to the monument to Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin.
This stylish grill bar offers a wide range of dishes cooked on fire, so you won't be disappointed to try them. Visitors praise the juicy burgers.
Old Izborsk is a small town, located 12 km. from Pechora. Old merchant houses, ancient buildings and fortresses have been preserved here. It is forbidden to drive in the center of the city, as it is a historical square. The main attraction of Old Izborsk is the fortress, from which your acquaintance with the city will begin. On the territory of the fortress there is St. Nicholas church, which has a wonderful shrine - an icon of St. Spiridon of Trimiphunsky with a part of his relics.
Izborsk fortress is unique because its walls have been preserved since 1330s, their length is about 850 meters, and the height of towers reaches 10 meters. The fortress stands on an elevation called the Hill of Heart. Its shape is a wrong "rounded" triangle, repeating the shape of the elevation. The western part is fortified by 3 most powerful towers: Dark, Ryabinovka and Vyshka. Museum-Reserve Izborsk receives visitors daily. Summer time (1 May-30 September) is from 9:00 to 18:00, Winter time (1 October-30 April) is from 10:00 to 17:00.
Make sure you find this tower in the fortress. This is the first stone building of the defensive fortifications. Immediately after its construction, the construction of a stone fortress wall on the eastern side began. The modern height of the tower is about 13 meters. The location of the tower inside the fortress is still a unique phenomenon in the history of defense architecture, as all famous Russian fortresses had the first towers on the protruding sections of the fortress walls.
The museum's work is continuously connected with economic activities, care of the protected area, collection and collection of archaeological objects found at various times in the Izborsk-Mala Valley. The history of the museum began in the 60s of XX century on the initiative of S.A.Shcherbakov.
What do you think about homemade pancakes for lunch? Here you can choose any one you like. A cozy pancake room in Russian style will take you back several centuries and you will feel like a real hut.
The Slovenian Keys are twelve springs that merge into a single river and the same one flows into the picturesque Lake Gorodishchenskoye. They are named after Slovenia, who according to legends founded this city. Places in the area are very picturesque and many artists have transferred all this beauty to canvas. For example, Nikolai Roerich, whose name for many people is associated with Shambhala and landscapes of the Himalayas, dedicated a whole series of paintings to these places.
The history of the city begins with the Truvor fortress. This place amazes with its extraordinary inner power. According to the "Tale of Bygone Years", in 862 Rurik was invited to reign and donated in Ladoga. He came with his brothers, Trouvor and Sineus. Truvor sat down to reign in Izborsk and Sineus in Belozero. Izborsk was already a powerful fortress by that time, but his prince was not here. And so the voters gladly accepted the new ruler.
It's a great place for dinner tonight. If you come here in the warm season, you can sit on the terrace with a wonderful view of the river. Make sure you order a kebab, it's very tasty.
Did you know that there is the same Lukomorye, about which the famous Russian poet Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin wrote? And the place that so much inspired the master of the word for fairy tales and the works that became the golden fund of Russian literature, even marked on the map? Today you will have the opportunity to see these magical places. You'll get to a picturesque village called Pushkin's Mountains, which can be called a whole museum-reserve. There are also picturesque panoramas, three museum estates, dear to the heart of the poet, and other sights.
This is a family estate of the ancestors of Alexander Pushkin. These lands were presented by Empress Elizabeth in 1742 to the great-grandfather of the poet Abram Petrovich Hannibal. Here the poet often met with his cousin Peter Abramovich, interested in the history of his kind and the history of Russia. Mode of operation: Tuesday - Sunday 10:00 - 17:00, Monday's a day off.
This is the ancestral estate of A.S. Pushkin's mother, his poetic homeland. There are more than seventy historical and cultural monuments on the territory of the Pushkinsky Reserve. Mode of operation: Tuesday - Sunday 10:00 - 17:00, Monday's a day off.
It's time for lunch and some rest. In the menu of this restaurant you will find a large selection of European and Russian dishes.
A unique museum called "Pushkinskaya village" is located in the village Bugrovo near the river Lugovka. In addition to the peasant house there are yard buildings, a barn, sheds, sheds and much more. Many items of peasant life of the first half of the XIX century can be seen and touched here with your own hands. You will get acquainted with folk crafts and trades, you will see how the Pskov peasant's dwelling was arranged and what his life consisted of. Monday's a day off.
Make a stop here and pay tribute to the memory of the great Russian poet Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin.
It's a great trip, isn't it? And to make it dynamic, come to the Gazpromneft filling station, take water and a snack.
The road was long and quite tiring. It's time to get some rest and finally have dinner. Look at today's photos and just smile. It's been a beautiful day. In this cozy restaurant, guests are advised to try meat dishes, cooked on open fire.
Today you will move back to the North, to the shores of Lake Peipsi, which is located on the border between Russia and Estonia. It is a historical place that remembers many battles and battles. You will visit the Gdov Fortress, which is built into the strategic defence line of Pskov on the Livonian side, situated on a flat hilltop and built in the shape of an almost correct rectangle.
Buy all the necessary food for the picnic, which will be on the lake shore during lunch.
This monument was erected in honor of the famous Ice Battle on the shore of Lake Peipsi in 1242. It is one of the bright and significant monuments of monumental art in the Pskov region.
The fortress is located in a small town Gdov, which is located north of Pskov, on the river Gdovka. The fortress itself is built on a high hill near the shore of Lake Peipsi, covering the most important land road leading to Pskov from the north. It was the largest fortification in a stone ring of fortresses of the Pskov land. A special strength of the Gdov fortress was given by boulders, from which the walls were built.
Here you will spend your time in silence and unity with nature. Take your time anywhere, find your ideal place and just be in the moment. If you're lucky with the weather, make sure you swim in the lake. Picnic in the countryside, dream of the beautiful and go on to adventure.
It's time for the long-awaited dinner. You must be hungry after such a long journey. Visit this Irish restaurant. You'll love its stylish design and pleasant service. Be sure to try the saltpaper, the visitors recommend it.
The last day of the trip you will start on the bank of the Luga River near the small town of Kingisepp and its important sights. This day will not pass without a nature park in the area of Duderhof Heights and the nearby Duderhof Lake, which you will visit on the second section of the route.
The main orthodox temple of Kingisepp looks like a real palace of the brilliant Catherine era, with its graceful forms and emphasized exquisite details. It is a project by the talented Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi, who has put his hand to many masterpieces of St. Petersburg, Tsarskoye Selo, Lomonosov and Gatchina.
Take a leisurely stroll through the nearby park. They say that Peter the Great himself liked to spend time here.
Two-story restaurant with breathtaking views of the golf club. You'll love it here and you won't want to leave here. The restaurant serves European and Scottish cuisine. Visitors recommend burgers.
Not far from the station "Mozhayskaya" is the highest point within St. Petersburg. Three major hills: the Raven, Nut and Kirchhof mountains form the Duderhof heights. The hills were formed during the Ice Age. Today, on the slopes of the heights there is a half-wild Nagorny Park, which offers a great view of the suburbs of St. Petersburg. In addition, there is a spring with drinking water.
Walk along the shores of ecologically clean Duderhof Lake. This lake is fed by melt, rain and spring water. A small river Duderhofka flows out of the lake.
The journey has come to an end, and it's time to remember all the highlights of the week and have a delicious dinner. This Caucasian restaurant has a cozy atmosphere and friendly service. Be sure to order dessert, they are very tasty.