Moscow travel guide

Russia’s capital is packed with museums, art galleries, theatres and beautiful old buildings. There’s always something to see here – even a trip on the Metro, with its magnificent marble stations, is a treat. And when you’ve had enough of sightseeing, you can do some serious shopping in the city’s markets and malls.

Top things to see and do in Moscow

• Head to Red Square: with the Kremlin at one end and the multi-coloured onion domes of St Basil’s Cathedral at the other, the square is the absolute must-see of Moscow.
• Hit the malls: also at Red Square is GUM. This iconic department store with its arched arcades and wrought iron balconies is gorgeous looking and especially pretty lit up at night. It’s home to an array of designer stores. Serious shoppers can also head to the Okhotny Ryad mall and the very upmarket TsUM.
• Take a walk in the park: Gorky Park is where Muscovites come out to picnic, play table tennis and generally take time out to relax in middle of this bustling city. In the summer, there’s an open-air cinema to enjoy and in the winter you can skate on the ice rink.
• Buy souvenirs at the market: for some authentically Russian gifts to take home, try Izmaylovo Market. Here you’ll find Russian lacquered miniatures, intricately painted wooden handicrafts and Russian dolls.
• Take in some culture: visit the Tretyakov Gallery which is packed with over 100,000 works of Russian art dating from the 10th to 20th century. And if you can, get a ticket to the opera or the ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre.

Tips for travellers

Around 20 kilometres south-west of the city is Peredelkino, a former artists’ colony where many famous Russian writers had their dachas, or country homes. You can visit the dacha of Boris Pasternak, author of Dr Zhivago, which is now a museum.