Of course, Moscow and St. Petersburg. Most foreigners associate all other trips into the interior of the country with extreme tourism.

However, besides the two capitals, Russia has something to show and surprise. And it seems that the interest of tourists in the Russian outback not only does not wane, but only intensifies every year.

Recently, many experts have started talking about the fact that the “Golden Ring” brand has “deflated”; its former popularity has supposedly declined. However, if you study the offers of European tour operators, travel to the cities of the Golden Ring takes a strong position after Moscow and St. Petersburg. One of the most popular cities on the list is the nature reserve city of Suzdal. The city is amazing, it personifies a quiet and modest Russia, where life flows as measuredly as the Klyazma River. You can easily walk around the city in a day, explore the ancient monuments, including 5 monastery ensembles, the Museum of Wooden Architecture, more than 30 churches, look into the workshop of a potter or blacksmith, and after a delicious lunch lie on the banks of the quiet Kamenka. The city's only livelihood is tourists, so everything is done here to make the guest feel good. IN last years New hotels and complexes have appeared in the city that meet international standards, so foreign speech began to be heard on Suzdal soil not only on the days of large-scale festivities like the “Cucumber Festival” or “Lapty Day”.

Rostov Veliky

People go to ancient Rostov the Great, located on the picturesque shores of Lake Nero, to the homeland of St. Sergius of Radonezh, not for entertainment, but for spirituality. The bulk of foreigners arriving are elderly people. However, foreigners in general, as we know, travel more when they are retired. There are domes everywhere: the Kremlin, Spasa-Yakovlevsky and Avraamiev monasteries, the Assumption Cathedral and the Holy Trinity Varnitsky Monastery. Unfortunately, in many Rostov hotels they still turn off hot water, in restaurants they hear “Taganka... Why did you ruin me?”, and in bars you can hang axes because of the swirling cigarette smoke, but such “little things” do not stop foreigners. And how can they really become a reason to refuse a trip that could change the idea of ​​Russia?

Yaroslavl

After the inclusion of the historical city center in the UNESCO list, Yaroslavl received a rebirth. Today the city is mainly visited by French, Germans and Englishmen. But American interest in Yaroslavl has greatly decreased - especially many US citizens came to the city in the 80s, after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Choice cultural program often depends on the traveler himself: many rush to see what was created in the 17th century, the Church of Elijah the Prophet, the frescoes. And, for example, some Norwegian farmer with great pleasure will drink a glass of beer on Kirov Street and will be absolutely happy from such a “trip”. Increasingly, foreigners refuse to see the sights, and ask to be shown the life of the city, and not some polished spot in the center, but real, Russian life. Curious foreigners are interested in everything: why are tree trunks whitened or why do most Russian women always wear high heels? And foreigners are also very fond of the “Wishing Stone”, by applying to which a sore spot can supposedly be healed. The Spaniards and French are more willing than others to support the tradition and willingly apply their “sores” to the stone, and many men even rub their balding heads against the stone.

Velikiy Novgorod

The name Veliky Novgorod as New Rome is very common among foreign tourists. They are invited in the city to visit the Byzantine Hagia Sophia and Novgorod Kremlin, as well as see icons of the 11th-12th centuries and frescoes of Theophanes the Greek. The program also includes a bell ringing concert at the Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Wooden Architecture. Foreign guests are greeted with bread and salt, as well as with majestic songs, dances, games and round dances, in which foreigners happily take an active part. Special dinners for foreigners often include tasting pancakes and the Novgorod drink “spotykacha”. In general, a stay in Veliky Novgorod can be not only useful, but also very fun. Some of the old Novgorod pastimes - running on stilts or pushing on poles - are worth it. Of particular interest is visiting workshops, primarily a visit to birch bark craftsmen, where foreigners are happy to weave souvenirs to remember Russia.

Foreigners may choose Pskov in cases where they want to get acquainted with the history of Russia in detail. After all, here on Vechevaya Square they first started talking about Russian democracy. The baptist of Rus', Vladimir, lived on Pskov soil and Princess Olga grew up. The author of the famous concept “Moscow – the Third Rome,” Elder Philotheus, lived in the Eleazarovsky Monastery. At the Pskov station, Nicholas II abdicated the throne, and the history of the Russian Empire ended. In battles with the Kaiser's units near Pskov, the legendary Red Army was born. Many foreigners want to attend the military reenactment festivals “Battle on the Ice,” “Iron City,” and “Isaborg,” or take part in Maslenitsa festivities. Pskov captivates foreigners with its antiquity and silence, and people with its openness and beauty. You can often hear comparisons between Pskov and Paris. Both cities are one big attraction. Only here in Paris are advertisements in in public places dubbed into English.

Ekaterinburg

Every year, Ekaterinburg is visited by about 140 thousand foreigners, and most of them come to the city on a business visit. 68% of foreigners consider the city as an attractive platform for investment and business. Ekaterinburg is most often presented to foreigners as the place where the family of the last Tsar “met a violent death,” and also as the birthplace of Russia’s first president, Boris Yeltsin. They also remember Ural mountains. People willingly come here for adventure, because the “city of sad image” in the minds of most Europeans and Americans is truly exotic. True, most savage tourists do not go to Yekaterinburg, but they definitely include it in their free “voyage” around Russia. Foreigners live with Russian families, go for walks in the forests, and navigate the Ural rivers. In general, they emerge from civilization at the first convenient opportunity, and Yekaterinburg is one of Russian cities, who successfully helps them with this.

An ideal trip for foreigners who want to see Siberia with their own eyes, as well as for those who have an incredible desire to confirm or debunk many rumors and stereotypes about Russia, a huge country in which, according to foreigners, it is often not clear what is happening. Russia was and is a mystery for those who have never been to it. And between the search for answers to an unresolved question, foreigners are captivated by examples of Tomsk wooden architecture - there are no such houses anywhere else in the world. These are not just buildings, these are real works of art. And, of course, the river views from the observation deck of the Camp Garden cannot leave you indifferent. Even after Nizhny Novgorod and Tobolsk they are impressive. Many come to the Russian outback to study, work, for an internship or just to relax. And almost everyone thinks with regret that they will have to leave this country.

THE CITY SHOULD BE CONVENIENT FOR TOURISTS

I watch with interest how opponents of the city’s transformations begin to whine that “Moscow is not for tourists, but for Muscovites” and “for whom is all this being done anyway?” For tourists too. Countries and cities spend huge amounts of money to attract tourists. Because tourists mean money, tourists mean new jobs. And the city should be convenient for tourists!

Russia does not know how to work with tourists. The share of income from tourism in our country is no more than 1.5% of GDP, when in global GDP this figure is about 10%. We still don’t have a normal taxi service at any airport in the capital, so that you can get out and without hesitation board an official city taxi, which will take you home at a fixed rate. Our service sector is not developed; it is dangerous and inconvenient to walk around the city. St. Petersburg and Moscow are still somehow reaching out and accepting the people, but outside the capitals there is general darkness.

I did a little calculation of the income from tourism in different countries, and this is what happens.

As you can see, we are very far behind developed countries. Despite the fact that tourism potential Ours is huge! Gorgeous nature, cuisine, historical cities, art. Russia could receive 10 times more tourists.

Tourism is an excellent stimulus for the development of the city. The reason for this is the growth of small and medium-sized businesses. Demand creates supply, and in places where there is a large tourist flow, locals do not miss the opportunity to open small hotels and hostels, coffee shops and bars, souvenir shops and various entertainment venues. New jobs appear, the employment rate increases, people earn more and spend more, tax revenues to the budget increase, and the city develops and prospers.

But there is one thing: in order to attract tourists to the city, you must first create comfortable and interesting conditions for them. This is exactly what is a big problem in Russia. Nobody wants to create tourism infrastructure, restore monuments and monitor the quality of service. Nobody wants to build normal roads and develop air traffic so that it would not be so difficult for visitors to get to resorts and tourist centers. Nobody wants to cancel visa regime for countries with a high level of outbound tourism. Americans, Chinese, Germans, British, Italians, French and other nations that lead in terms of spending on foreign trips still have to apply for visas to Russia. And at this time, residents of Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru and Guatemala can easily come to us without visas, but they don’t need it at all.

The number of tourists directly depends on how comfortable, accessible and interesting a particular country is for them. On this moment Russia is uncomfortable and inaccessible for tourists. According to the World Economic Forum, in 2015 Russia took 45th place in the ranking of countries in terms of attractiveness for foreign tourists. In the global flow of tourists, the share of trips to Russia is only 2–3%. And this share is not increasing for the reason that Russia lacks high-quality infrastructure for normal recreation - this is directly stated in official reports.

But what can we say about foreign tourists, when even the Russians themselves prefer to go on vacation abroad. Yes, in 2015, domestic tourism increased by 20% due to the collapse of the ruble and bans on travel to Turkey and Egypt. But the following year it began to decline again as Russians began to return to Turkey. Russian resorts And tourist cities They cannot compete even with cheap holidays abroad. The reason for this is the low quality of transport infrastructure, the insufficient number of good inexpensive hotels and cafes, the lack of resort infrastructure, undeveloped domestic air traffic and much more.

But let's return to foreign tourists. And here I want to give a few numbers for clarity. In 2016 Foreign tourists spent $212 billion in the United States, $119 billion in China, $65 billion in Spain, $46 billion each in France and Germany, and $32 billion in Japan. How much do you think they spent in the huge and beautiful Russia? Just 11 billion dollars. And now estimate how much money our country could earn if it had comfortable and comfortable cities, restored architectural monuments, developed infrastructure, comfortable tourist routes and normal transport connection.

So make comfortable and convenient cities. And if someone starts telling you that we don’t need tourists, that pedestrian streets there is no need to do this - know that this is the enemy of Russian cities.

Residents of some countries experience only negative feelings when they see tourists.

This is not strange, given the antics they sometimes indulge in, from destroying art installations for selfies to throwing objects at Buckingham Palace guards.

In some places around the world, tourism has caused such problems that they have imposed restrictions on the number of people who can visit a city in one day.

Besides, local residents They also openly protest against tourists. See in which cities they cause the most damage.

Venice, Italy

Many people know that Venice has been sinking for a long time, and tourists are actively helping it with this.

In recent years, local residents have been constantly complaining that vacationers are polluting the city, and the Committee world heritage UNESCO is seriously concerned about how this affects historical sites.

Thus, the Venice authorities have introduced strict rules regarding the behavior of tourists. Now leaving trash on the streets, love castles, writing on trees and destroying buildings are punishable by hefty fines.

According to information from well-known world publications, Venice has even introduced restrictions on the number of new hotel rooms.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Since the release of the Game of Thrones series, Dubrovnik has been constantly crowded with tourists. Many people want to take a look at the famous King's Landing.

In 2015, the number of holidaymakers in the city increased by 10%, and by 2017 the situation had worsened so much that the mayor of Dubrovnik announced his intention to reduce the limit of tourists in the city from 8,000 per day to 4,000.

Reykjavik, Iceland

In recent years, Reykjavik and the whole of Iceland have been crowded with holidaymakers, which is why the country is now often compared to Disneyland.

In 2015, Iceland was visited by 1.26 million travelers, despite its own population of 330 thousand people.

The influx of tourists stimulated the country's economy, but it also led to a rapid increase in prices, which locals are unhappy with.

Cozumel, Mexico

This island is one of the most popular destinations for cruise ships, so it regularly suffers from tourists. Much of the coral reef surrounding Cozumel has been destroyed by ships and scuba divers floating nearby, while the remainder continues to be destroyed by pollution from heavy shipping traffic.

Barcelona, ​​Spain

Local residents do not hide their antipathy towards vacationers. Last year, people's protests became especially violent: there was even an attack on tourist bus and one of the city's hotels.

Due to such activity of tourists, the rules for visiting some attractions have become increasingly subject to changes. Thus, since 2015, vacationers are prohibited from moving around the Boqueria market in groups of more than 15 people. Before this ban, crowds of tourists wanting to photograph everything around them simply blocked pedestrian traffic.

New York, USA

New York has been for many years now - popular destination, but the tourism industry continues to gain momentum.

There are currently 113 thousand hotel rooms in the city, and by 2019 their number should increase to 137 thousand.

Many locals, looking at the hotel market expanding at an alarming rate and the long lines for popular goods, complain that tourists have literally taken over New York.

Machu Picchu, Peru

The ancient Inca city attracts huge numbers of tourists, far exceeding the limit of 2,500 people per day set by Peru and UNESCO in 2011.

Thousands of tourists arriving at Machu Picchu cause irreparable damage to the ancient ruins, due to which they may later be on the verge of destruction.

New plans are currently being developed there, according to which, from 2019, visitors will be required to hire guides and walk along certain routes.

Santorini, Greece

The island usually suffers from an influx of travelers in the summer, to such an extent that authorities have been forced to place restrictions on the number of people coming ashore. cruise ships, up to 8000 per day.

In 2015, Santorini was visited by 636 ships and 790 thousand tourists, while its own population is just over 15 thousand inhabitants.

Rome, Italy

Many holidaymakers do not respect the history of Rome. The latest unpleasant incident occurred in August 2017, when a tourist from Ecuador was caught carving the names of his family at the Colosseum. He received a fine of about $23 thousand for damaging an ancient Roman amphitheater.

Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is very popular with nightlife lovers due to its abundance of bars and cheap beer.

One day, tourists got so out of control that the authorities intervened in the situation, introducing a citywide “quiet hour” from 22:00.

Big Major Cay, Bahamas

The swimming pigs of Big Major Cay have begun to get sick and die as tourists feed the animals on the beach and regularly get sand into their stomachs. They often feed the pigs beer and rum, and also try to ride them.

Pet owners are now working with the government to stop this behavior from holidaymakers.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam is a popular destination for tourists who enjoy... night life. According to authorities, the root of the evil that provoked the unwanted influx of travelers was home rental sites. As a result, certain restrictions were imposed on the well-known Airbnb resource.

Now you can't rent out apartments in Amsterdam for more than 60 days a year.

Cuba

In 2016, a record number of tourists came to Cuba - 3.5 million people visited the country.

The consequences were severe: local residents experienced food shortages, not to mention the fact that many of them were unable to pay for necessary goods, since their prices had skyrocketed due to high demand.

The Cuban government was forced to place restrictions on the cost of basic necessities to keep them affordable for the population.

Sometimes you get the feeling that there is very little in Russia good places for recreation: several million people, several resorts, and that’s all. But that's not true. We present to you the most interesting cities Russia for travel - and these are not at all the cities that are talked about at every step.

Arkhangelsk

If you have never visited Arkhangelsk, then Arkhangelsk has definitely visited you: its Marine Station and the monument to Peter I are depicted on the 500-ruble bill, which you held in your hands anyway, and sometimes spent. In this city you can enjoy magnificent northern nature and get acquainted with ancient traditions.

Arkhangelsk is a rare city where the embankment is main street, and the historical center. The fact is that the city grew from here, from Cape Pur-Navolok - and there is something French in this name, isn’t it?

This can and should be done in Arkhangelsk:

Try northern berries, fish and curly roe gingerbread (no, this is not what you think, they are actually delicious);

Board a motor ship and take a ride along the Northern Dvina River;

Swim in the White Sea, because if you swam in the Black Sea, then for universal balance you need to dive into the White Sea.

Smolensk

This city is more than 12 centuries old, it stands on 7 hills, and its symbol is the Phoenix bird - as a sign that Smolensk has survived many invasions, but has always been reborn. The famous Smolensk Wall was built by Boris Godunov, and even he could not imagine that it would remain the main city attraction to this day.

In the 1960s, a diamond production factory was opened in Smolensk, and the city began to be called the “diamond capital.” This souvenir is held in high esteem by many tourists, including Sir Elton John, who came to the local Crystal plant to see how the best friends of girls are produced, among whom Elton John can count himself.

The most tall building Smolensk is the Assumption Cathedral. They say that when Napoleon entered the city, he was so struck by the beauty of the church that he ordered his soldiers to stop looting it.

This needs to be done in Smolensk:

Try Vyazma gingerbread, which for many is tastier than Tula gingerbread (with the exception of tourists from Tula);

Walk along the partially intact Fortress Wall;

Visit the only Flax Museum in Russia.

Where to stay in Smolensk:

Cheboksary

In Cheboksary you will be greeted by a 46-meter sculpture of the Patron Mother, ready to accommodate all guests of the Chuvash land in her wide arms. This city is incredibly green and extremely comfortable, and on the left bank of the Volga it is located recreational area- thanks to the pine forest.

Cheboksary has an excellent embankment and the only Chapaev public garden in Russia, which is located on the site of his native village. The Chapaev Museum is also located here - perfect place to find out the details of his life and remember the anecdotes with the participation of Petka and Anka the Machine Gunner.

Why go to Cheboksary:

Try it national cuisine, having managed to pronounce “kakai-shurpi”, “tultarmash” and other names of local dishes the first time;

Visit one of the many churches: Holy Trinity Monastery, Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Vvedensky Cathedral and others;

Take a walk along the local Arbat - the street of the merchant Efremov, who (not Arbat, but a merchant, of course) began his merchant career as a simple peasant.

Ulyanovsk

Ulyanovsk has undeservedly fallen out of tourist rankings, and yet it is one of the most interesting cities Russia for tourists. There is a beautiful wide Volga, a landscaped embankment on the Volga slope, as well as historical quarters with small wooden houses of the late 19th century - including those in which young Volodya Ulyanov lived.

Recently, Ulyanovsk has become famous not only as the birthplace of Lenin, but also as the birthplace of the kolobok, because he is no less colorful than the leader of the world proletariat. Wooden figurines with a spherical hero from Russian fairy tales can be found in city souvenir shops.

What to do in Ulyanovsk:

Go to the History Museum civil aviation and climb into famous model airplanes, forgetting about aerophobia;

Drive along one of the most long bridges throughout Europe;

Sit on Oblomov’s sofa, which is located on Goncharov Street - the creator of this very hero.

Where to stay in Ulyanovsk:

Moore

When you hear the name of this city, the question immediately comes to mind: is there a connection with the famous Russian hero, who sat in Sydney for 33 years, and then got up and away we go. Indeed, Murom is considered the birthplace of Ilya Muromets. According to legend, the hero was born in the village of Karacharovo, which later became part of the city - well, what do you want, Moscow is not the only one to expand.

Murom is a city for travelers who appreciate shrines. People come here to venerate the relics of Saints Peter and Fevronia - they are located in Spaso-Preobrazhensky monastery. And in Karacharovo there is a spring with healing properties.

3 things worth doing in Murom:

Take a photo at the monument to Ilya Muromets and understand that monuments also have heroic strength;

Buy a Russian folk doll - Stolbushka;

Buy Murom kalach and make sure that this treat is depicted on the coat of arms of Murom for a reason.

Where to stay in Murom:

Pskov

Like many cozy cities Russia, Pskov has a Kremlin, because comfort and protective structures in our country they combine in the most amazing way. It’s interesting to walk around the Kremlin, and on the Vlasyevskaya Tower there is Observation deck. It is better to visit the fortress in the evening: then you will hear the ringing of bells from the 17th century - one might say, the ringing of the distant past.

There are many churches in Pskov. Some of them are about a thousand years old, and some are 200-300 years old - still very young, how old are they? The main shrine of Pskov is the Trinity Cathedral, in which Alexander Nevsky prayed for victory in the Battle of the Ice - as we know from textbooks, quite successfully.

3 must-do things in Pskov:

Buy handmade products: mugs, pots, candlesticks, whistles and other utensils;

Have lunch in a cafe stylized as a wooden hut or chamber of the 17th century;

See wall paintings from the 12th century in the Transfiguration Cathedral.

Svetlogorsk

This is a quiet and peaceful resort on the Baltic Sea, which became so about 200 years ago, when it bore the German name Rauschen. We will not self-confidently call this place “an island of Europe” or “a Russian resort with a European spirit” - no, Svetlogorsk is Russia, just like Crimea.

The resort has a 6 km long coastline, the water here is clean and cool. The most popular beach is called “Svetlogorsk”. It’s always crowded here: tourists are probably attracted not only good weather, but also the original name of the beach.

The city has a lot of Scandinavian architecture, and thanks to this, it has And in the summer, knightly tournaments are held here - and believe me, this is much more beautiful than the now popular no-holds-barred cage fights.

The main attraction is Vyborg Castle, which was both an outpost and administrative center, and prison. Now it is a museum.

Things to do in Vyborg:

Climb into the watchtower of the Vyborg Castle and from a height of 70 meters check whether the crusaders are coming to the city, wanting to convert everyone to Catholicism;

Take a walk along the stone pavement central square and feed intelligent pigeons that look like native Europeans;

Go to Mon Repos - one of the most beautiful landscape parks in Europe.

What to do in Tyumen first of all:

Take a walk along the local Tsvetnoy Boulevard - according to the laws of the genre, there is a circus here;

Dive into the thermal pool in Verkhniy Bor;

Go to the Siberian Cat Square and make sure that they are everywhere there.

Where to stay in Tyumen:

Just a few years ago, the word “vacation” was certainly associated with distant overseas countries, comfortable hotels, as well as tiring flights and considerable financial costs.

Today, more and more Russians spend their holidays on endless spaces our homeland. After all, in Russia there are so many picturesque corners, historical cities, architectural and cultural monuments that many have never even heard of.

Which Russian cities attract tourists more than others? We bring to your attention a unique rating:

1 place- Saint Petersburg

It is not for nothing that this city is called the “cultural capital”. It contains the best examples of world architecture from different eras: Kazan Cathedral, Peterhof, Winter Palace and much more. In the Hermitage you can admire a unique collection of paintings. The attention of young people will be attracted by a large number of nightclubs and unusual restaurants. You can find inexpensive and decent housing in this city quite quickly by entering the phrase “hotels in St. Petersburg search by metro” into a search engine.

2nd place- Moscow

It's political and historical Center our homeland. It will pleasantly surprise you with the intersection of modernity and antiquity. The tour should start from Red Square. Be sure to visit St. Basil's Cathedral, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Lenin's Mausoleum, climb the Sparrow Hills and, of course, look at the Kremlin. In Moscow, you can unwind on various excursions, browse fashionable shops, visit all kinds of catering establishments, exhibitions, cinemas, etc. And Orekhovo hotels will delight guests of the capital with excellent service and affordable prices.

3rd place– Kazan

The most popular place for tourists it is the famous Kazan Kremlin.

4th place- Ekaterinburg

Ekaterinburg is loved by intellectual tourists. There are a huge number of libraries, theaters, and museums.

5th place– Kaliningrad

This land has long been famous for its beautiful amber jewelry. The main attraction of the city is the Cathedral.

6th place- Nizhny Novgorod

The mixture of cultures in this marvelous city attracts tourists from all over Russia (Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, stone cathedrals, futuristic planetarium, medieval-style monasteries).

7th place– Samara

In Samara, you should definitely try the most popular products of this city: chocolate, vodka and beer.

8th place– Krasnoyarsk

IN unique reserve The world-famous “Pillars” are granite formations that attract climbers here.