The Volga cities are usually associated with beach holidays near the water, fishing and walks along the embankment. Saratov is no exception, but we assure you that the routes here can be much more diverse. The creator of the special projects department BURO has prepared her guide to her hometown. Marina Sergeeva.
The landing place of Yuri Gagarin, the birthplace of two famous personalities at once – Oleg Tabakov and Oleg Yankovsky – these are the first associations with Saratov. Surprisingly, this small city (less than a million) turned out to be a leader in many ways. The first Russian stationary circus appeared here, the first regional conservatory, and the Saratov-Engels bridge was for a long time the longest in Europe.
Saratov has many theaters, cafes, historical sites, suburban complexes, constantly hot and hot summers. Recently, the city has been surprising even locals with a transformation: huge festivals are taking place, foodie spaces are opening up, and the boardwalk is being expanded. A week-long vacation in Saratov can now definitely be spent intensively.
SARATOV BRIDGE – ENGELS VIEW OF THE RESTAURANT “JOS” IN THE STREET. OCTOBER VIEW FROM THE ROOF OF THE MANEZH TC
There are three ways to get to Saratov from Moscow: by train in 12 hours (the coupe will cost about 5,000 rubles), by plane in 1.5 hours (ticket price – from 6,000 to 12,000 rubles) or by car in 12-15 hours .
BUREAU OF ELECTION.
Hotels are not the strongest side of the city. Of the popular ones, where visiting artists most often settle, there is the Hotel Slovakia near the embankment. Its windows face the Volga, but the rooms are far from modern standards. It is better to rent an apartment for rent in the Volga-Sky residential complex near the bridge. This is the only skyscraper in the city and offers a great panoramic view from there. If the location of the Volga is not important, you can stay at the Cherry Mountain Hotel with a summer outdoor pool or at the 4-star Olympia Hotel.
LCD VOLGA-SKY LCD VOLGA-SKY
It is worth starting a tourist route around the city from Stolypin avenue, which until April 2022 was called Kirov avenue. This is the main pedestrian street in Saratov. We begin our walk with the legendary Nikitin Brothers Circus, the very one that became the first stationary in the country.
Opposite is another historically important object – the Covered Market. The building was built in the Art Nouveau style, facing the entrance, pay attention to the doors and the atlantes that support the facade. Inside, the atmosphere of a traditional market, reminiscent of shots from a Soviet film. In the center, under the central dome, is the Fountain of the Women of the Collective Farm, very popular with photographers.
CIRCUS NAMED IN PLACE OF THE NIKITIN BROTHERS COVERED MARKET
Many Saratov residents have an innate love for St. Petersburg. Hence the description of Stolypin Avenue by the locals – “our Nevsky.” As befits a historic street, there are many architectural monuments and old houses. If a tour isn’t your option, at least pop into the Chitay-Gorod bookstore, the former House of Books built in the second half of the 1930s. Then, along the way, you’ll come across the Volga Hotel, where a once stayed Vladimir Mayakovsky.
At this stage, most likely, you already want to have a snack. Around you will see many establishments with different cuisines, but the place of attraction for the last two years of Saratov residents and guests has become Gastrodvor, opposite the Volga Hotel, at the junction with the Manezh shopping center. This is a food mall with a transparent roof, where more than ten residents are represented: fans of Israeli cuisine can study the menu of the Jaffa hummus bar, fans of juicy burgers and steaks will be waiting at KARMA or Ugol, and lovers of European food. classics in Port Food. There are also bars and seafood.
HUMMUS BAR “YAFFO” FOODMALL “GASTRODVOR” FOODMALL “GASTRODVOR” COFFEE HOUSE PORTLAND COFFEE
Another similarity between Saratov and Saint Petersburg is the large number of cafeterias where different types of alternatives and the freshest croissants are tried. One of the first third wave coffee shops in the city is PortLand Coffee. The cafeteria has several locations in the center, which will be found on the proposed route.
At the end of the avenue, you will see the Lev Sobinov Conservatory, built in the Gothic style – this is the hallmark of the city and historically the third conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg and Moscow. If time permits, I recommend attending an organ concert. And it is necessary to continue the cultural program in the Alexander Radishchev Museum. There is a permanent exhibition “Masterpieces of the Radishevsky Museum Collection”, which presents more than one and a half thousand works of art. From there you can return to the conservatory and walk along the pedestrian Volzhskaya street to the embankment. The street itself is very busy – there are many cafes, bars and various boutiques.
LEV SOBINOV CONSERVATORY MUSEUM NAMED IN PLACE OF ALEXANDER RADISCHEV
Day three – we move away from the center to observe nature and feel the atmosphere of the Volga holiday. In the summer season, every second Saratov citizen rides a wakesurf. If you are one of them, then for extreme water go to the residence “Maria” in Engels or to the first wakesurf club in the Volga Surf Camp region. Active recreation is not suitable, and you want to spend hot days (and here Saratov can definitely compete with the southern cities) by the pool or by the Volga. Hit the beach at Volzhskiye Dali or Roger Country Club, which is located on the peninsula. For aristocratic relaxation, head to Hermes, a large country resort with an equestrian club. After that, I propose to relax in the bath complex, by the pool, and end the evening with dinner in the hotel restaurant.
SURF CAMP WAKESURF SCHOOL SURF CAMP WAKESURF SCHOOL
For true travelers, I suggest setting a scenic route to Khvalynsk. In winter, people come here for a ski resort, and in summer – for the apple trees and the incredibly beautiful nature of the Khvalynsky National Park. In the latter you can contemplate a varied landscape, drink water from a spring and visit the Cueva del Monje in the calcareous mountain gorge. It is better to make a decision on the trip in advance in order to reserve a place in the Khvalyn recreation park, on the territory of which the Khvalynskiye Termy are located. In the city itself, locals advise visiting the house-museum of the artist Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin.
NATIONAL PARK “KHVALYNSKY” COMPLEX “KHVALYNSKY THERMS” PARK OF THE CONQUERORS OF SPACE NAMED BY GAGARIN
The Saratov region is inextricably linked with the biography of Yuri Gagarin: on April 12, 1961, a capsule with an astronaut landed in a plowed field near Engels, four kilometers from the village of Uzmorye. For a long time, the landing site was marked only with a sign and a small monument, but in 2019, a large park of space explorers named after Gagarin was built on this area. Now here you can learn to the smallest detail how the first flight into space was carried out.
Saratov has a rich theatrical life, and all thanks to a strong acting school – it was here that the teacher Natalya Sukhhostav revealed the talent of the legend of Soviet and Russian theater and cinema Oleg Tabakov. “To conquer Moscow, you need to have a lot of money or be from Saratov,” the artist said. There are many theaters in the city, both academic and experimental. Youth Theater Yes. Kiseleva, Drama Theater. I A. Slonova, the Opera and Ballet Theater and the theater-studio “Frontiers” are the author’s favorites.
SARATOV ACADEMIC OPERA AND BALLET THEATER
