Kazan- Blue lakes- Raifa planetarium- Yoshkar-Ola.

In half an hour from the Blue lakes you can find the Kazan Planetarium. Be sure to come here, even if you are traveling without children: interactive tours and full-dome programs will appeal to everyone without exception. The most convenient session for us starts at 12:30 (except Fridays) and lasts about 1.5 hours.

It's time for a refreshment! The only cafe nearby is near Raifa Monastery. A choice of unpretentious travelers is offered hot kebabs, salads, pies, tea and coffee. And for those who want to taste lean dishes, I recommend the cafe "Monastic meal" near the walls of the ancient monastery. It was opened quite recently, but is in great demand due to the cozy atmosphere and convenient format of service.

On sunny days there's nothing more pleasant than stretching on wooden pontoons on the shore of Lake Raifa. The peace of this place will not be disturbed by the croaking of frogs. According to the legend, exhausted monks asked God to deliver them from annoying "songs" that didn't keep silent all day long. The Almighty heeded their pleas and the frogs kept silent.

Pilgrims and tourists come here to touch the Orthodox shrines and enjoy the peace and quiet. On the territory of the monastery complex, which dates back to 1613, there is a chapel: here you can draw water from the consecrated spring.

A couple of minutes by car - and you in the arboretum of the Volga-Kama Reserve. The park is small, but curious: it's a wonderful place for walks. Its collection consists of more than 530 species of trees and plants of temperate zone and a number of exotic species. Bear in mind that the park is only open to the public during the spring and autumn, and cash offices are open until 4 p.m. (the arboretum closes at 5 p.m.).

And here we are in Yoshkar-Ola! You can start to get acquainted with the local culture at "Marie" restaurant. It's one of the two national cuisine restaurants in the capital. Three-layer pancakes "kommandelna", dumplings from pike, sweet koloboks "Ўяча" from dough and honey - everything here is delicious, unusual and inexpensive. By the way, on weekends the restaurant hosts Mari disco: another adventure!

After a hearty dinner with Mari delicacies, you will surely overcome a pleasant sleepiness. Hurry up to the hotel! Fortunately, over the last couple of years the choice of accommodation in Yoshkar-Ola has been pleasing with variety and prices have not bitten at all.