Visit to the Kremlin Armoury. The Armoury is the oldest and most important museum in the Kremlin. It is supposed to have been built in 1485, though the first record of it dates back to 1508. Its collections include the costumes used in the coronations of the tsars, made of the most expensive materials and encrusted with precious stones; the tsars’ carriages, cars, and harnessing made by the best artisans with the most glamorous materials; thrones encrusted with diamonds; and jewellery, tableware, and weapons belonging to the royal family.
We will also admire the world-renowned Faberge Easter Eggs, as well as the most important item of the museum, the so-called “Crown of Monomachos:” the imperial crown of Russia, legend having it that it was a present from the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomachos. It has been used since 1547 during all the coronations of the tsars.
The small city of Pushkin, located 30 kilometers to the south of St. Petersburg, was named after the great Russian poet. In the past it was also called Tsarskoe Selo, meaning “Village of the Tsars”. Catherine Palace, named after Peter the Great’s wife, Catherine I, is one of the most beautiful residences of the Russian tsars.
It was designed by the famous Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the designer of the most important monuments and palaces of the city, and was constructed in the 17th century, spanning the reigns of five tsars. Each of them altered the palace according to their own personal tastes and what was in vogue at the time, from the initial Rococo through to the later Neoclassic. It was a favourite of Catherine II, her incomparable heritage crowned by the Amber Room, covered from floor to ceiling with Baltic amber.
The Amber Room was kept from the public for almost 100 years and opened only after a full renovation in 2003, on the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg. We will also admire the beauty of the large ballroom known as the Grand Hall or the Hall of Paintings. T
he beautiful architecture of the palace is surrounded by the neighbouring park, where you can walk among the birches, firs, lakes, ponds, streams, bridges, sculptures, and pavilions - unforgettable beauty that has been the subject of many poets and artists. The palace at Pavlovsk was a present made by Catherine the Great to her son Pavel, future Tsar Paul I, in 1777. The place soon took the name of Pavlovsk and quickly acquired numerous masterpieces thanks to the tsar’s spouse, Maria Fedorovna, who was fond of art and a sponsor of many artists.
We will appreciate the refinement of its salons, the harmony of its colors, the elegance of fireplaces made from Carrara marble, and an extensive collection of porcelain, paintings, and ivory articles. Its park, covering 600 hectares, was initially a game reserve for the tsar, and is considered a masterpiece of European landscape architecture.
The word “Kremlin” in Russian means fortress, and in early Rus every important town had a fortress encircled by a wall where the main buildings, churches, and cathedrals were located and protected. The Moscow fortress, the cradle of the city, is the main fortress in the country and has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Built in the 12th century, it took the form we know today in the 15th century. It is an excellent reflection of the different stages of Russian art; a single monumental centre of architecture, painting, and decorative and applied arts. The best craftsmen and artists worked on its churches, cathedrals, and palaces, bequeathing to us their priceless work framing the power and fame of Russia that is concentrated in its unforgettable alleyways and different sections.
The Kremlin is even today the seat of some of the main political and religious government bodies: the President’s Palace, different administrative and military buildings such as the Senate and Armoury, and also numerous churches and cathedrals. Its walls, 19 meters high and 2235 meters long, tower above the Moskva River and Red Square and are made from eight kilogram bricks. We will visit the fortress, enjoying the view of the world’s biggest "tsar bell", forged in 1733, and the "tsar cannon", one of the biggest guns ever made in the entire world. Forged in 1586 by Andrew Chokhov, its purpose was to defend the gate of the Spasskaya tower, though it has never been used.
The Cathedral Square is an architectural jewel, flanked by the Dormition Cathedral, the Cathedral of the Annunciation, and the Cathedral of the Archangel.
The ideal way to get in touch with the city, including its historical centre and major monuments.
We will stroll along the broad avenues, making our way through the famous Tverskaya Street to the top of Sparrow Hills, under the imposing stare of Lomonosov University, one of the Stalin-era skyscrapers scattered throughout the city. From there we will admire an impressive panorama of the city, followed by a stop at Victory Park and another in front of Novodevichy Convent and its lake, the inspiration for Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. We will approach the historical centre from the banks of the Moskva River, coming out near the White House, location of the siege of the Russian Government. We will also stop at Arbat Street; a busy pedestrian thoroughfare nicknamed the “Moscow Montmartre” because of the artist that used to live in the area and the painters that nowadays populate the street.
We will pass in front of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Parliament Building (Duma), Bolshoi Theatre, and the imposing facade of Lubyanka, headquarters of the KGB. We will continue through the alleyways of the ancient merchant district Kitai-Gorod, which contains numerous small churches, finally arriving at Red Square, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in the world and designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It was named Red, or “Krasnaya” in Russian, which in Old Russian was a synonym of “beautiful.” Now the square is surrounded by the famous buildings of the Russian Historical Museum, the Kremlin, and Saint Basil’s Cathedral with its gorgeous onion domes, built by order of Ivan the Terrible. Red Square is also home to Lenin’s Mausoleum and features Russian Army parades on various holidays throughout the year.
Opened on May 15, 1935, by the Soviet government as a symbol of the technological and industrial prowess of the political system, the Moscow metro was considered to be the "People’s Palace." The most important artists of the period took part in its decoration, and materials were brought from all corners of the country, representing the union of the Soviet people. The metro is still the city’s main transportation artery and even one of the most important in the world, with its 200 kilometers of railway lines and 145 stations. We will visit the most important stations decorated with luxurious materials: more than 20 types of marble, granite, and onyx, as well as paintings, majolica, glass, mural paintings, mosaics, etc.
Pasea por el corazón de Rusia con esta emocionante excursión al Kremlin y tres de las principales catedrales. Esta ciudad histórica ha conseguido librarse de su temible reputación y sus cinco palacios y cuatro catedrales pueden recibir visitas, lo que te permitirá hacerte una idea del opulento estilo de vida de los zares y los dictadores soviéticos.
La palabra Kremlin en ruso significa 'fortaleza', y esta fortaleza invencible es la cuna de la ciudad, con sus murallas desafiantes protegiéndola durante siglos. En la actualidad sigue siendo la sede del poder en Rusia. Más que un solo monumento, el Kremlin es una enigmática y ecléctica selección de iglesias, palacios, plazas, murallas y torres, que ofrece un amplio abanico de muestras de artes decorativas y aplicadas.
Maravíllate ante la impresionante muralla medieval y observa las torres que todavía hoy velan por el conjunto. Admira las magníficas iglesias y catedrales con sus relucientes bóvedas de cebolla. Te quedarás asombrado ante la belleza del Gran Palacio del Kremlin y el encantador Palacio de Poteshny. Después visita el fuerte para ver de cerca la campana del zar, la más grande del mundo. La campana se rompió durante un incendio, y nunca la han hecho sonar, pero sigue siendo una obra digna de ver.
Continúa hacia la monumental plaza de la catedral, la Sobornaya, para observar con todo lujo de detalle la catedral de la Dormición, la catedral de la Anunciación y la catedral del Arcángel. Allí también encontrarás el Palacio de las Facetas, la iglesia de la Deposición del Manto de la Virgen y la iglesia de los Doce Apóstoles, además del imponente campanario de Iván el Grande.
This sumptuous palace on the bank of the Moika River belonged to the Yusupov princes, the richest and most aristocratic family in Russia.
You will be impressed with its decorations: frescoes, marble, stucco mouldings, reliefs, Venetian mirrors, gold chandeliers, sets, lovely furniture, soft silks, carpets, and much more. A visit to this palace will allow you a glimpse into the luxury and wealth of the noble families in pre-revolutionary times.
The palace even has its own theater with seating for 180 people where the most famous artists of the time gave private performances for the family and its guests. It was in this palace that Grigory Rasputin, favorite of Tsar Nicolas II and his wife, was killed in December 1916.
Descubre la sensacional ciudad de San Petersburgo con este recorrido por la impresionante catedral de San Isaac y la imponente Fortaleza de Pedro y Pablo. Visita el famoso museo del Hermitage o la multicolor Iglesia del Salvador sobre la sangre derramada, conocida también como Iglesia de la Resurrección de Cristo, entre otros puntos de interés. Pararán para poder hacer fotos pero sin entrar.
San Petersburgo es una ciudad muy bonita y se la conoce popularmente como la Venecia del norte gracias a sus numerosas islas separadas por canales pero unidas por múltiples puentes. Visita algunos de los edificios más elegantes y majestuosos de la ciudad como los que se encuentran a lo largo del Muelle del Palacio: el Hermitage, el Palacio de Invierno de los Zares, el Palacio de Mármol, el Palacio de Vladimir o el de Ficquelmont, entre otros.
Observa la Iglesia de la Resurrección de Cristo con sus cúpulas en forma de cebolla y luego ve a la catedral de San Isaac, una obra maestra del neoclásico característica por el color dorado de sus torres y sus hechizantes frescos de su decoración interior.
La Fortaleza de Pedro y Pablo, antaño famosa, es el último de los proyectos faraónicos en los que Pedro el Grande se embarcó. Con él, pretendía que su poder militar y su fortaleza espiritual se proyectaran en la construcción de este edificio. Admira la impresionante catedral barroca de Pedro y Pablo, con su interminable aguja de oro de 123 metros de largo coronada por un ángel. Dentro de la fortaleza se encuentra la Casa de la Moneda y aún emite monedas y medallas. Explora las mazmorras e imagina las condiciones infrahumanas en las que Trotsky, Dostoievski, Gorki y hasta el propio hijo de Pedro el Grande, Alexei, soportaron.
Take your time exploring the capital of Russia with a combined 24-hour, hop-on hop-off bus and boat ticket and discover Moscow from on board a double-decker bus with retractable roof. Learn the history of the city from the audio commentary, available in 8 languages.
Ride the double-decker bus around the city's historic streets, past canals and rivers, and admire the onion domes of Red Square. Then, swap land for water and cruise along the Vodo’otvodny Canal around Golden Island, stopping at Gorky Park to see the Pushkin Museum of Fine Art.
Our tour on foot will begin on Nevsky Prospect, the main thoroughfare of St. Petersburg and the city’s most beautiful and important avenue. It is the commercial and social heart of the city; an animated place full of shops and cafes where the inhabitants of the city love to walk and have fun.
We will admire some of its most important buildings, such as the Anitchkov, Stroganov and Beloselsky-Belozersky palaces; the Gostiny Dvor Department Store, the Eliseev, Mertens, and Singer houses; and the Anichkov Bridge. Nevsky Prospect is also home to some of the most important churches in St. Petersburg: the Lutheran Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, the Catholic Church of St. Catherine, the Armenian Church of St. Catherine, and the imposing neoclassical colonnade of Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral. We will walk in front of the sumptuous Grand Hotel Europe on our way to discovering the Arts Quartier, and around the majestic Mikhailovsky Palace.
Visit to the Russian Museum, with the biggest collection of Russian art in the city: 320,000 items conveying an excellent narrative of the evolution of Russian art since the 11th century. We will be able to admire the best of Russian paintings and one of the best collections of sculpture, applied arts, decorative art and traditional crafts, not to mention the splendid icons of Andrey Rublev. Located in the same square are Mikhailovsky Theatre, the Theatre of Musical Comedy, the Philharmonic, and the imposing façade of the Ethnographic Museum.
A short distance from Nevsky Prospect we will visit the Church of the Saviour on Blood with its multi-coloured onion domes soaring above Griboyedov canal. The experience, however, will not be complete until we venture inside the magnificent interior where the splendour of the decoration will take our breath away: more than 7500 square metres of mosaic, unlike any other church in the world. It was built in 1882 by order of Alexander III in memory of his father, assassinated in a terrorist attack at the same place. Inside we will see the fragment of pavement on which the tsar fell, fatally wounded.
Contempla la majestuosidad de Moscú con esta fantástica excursión panorámica por la ciudad que pasa por los principales monumentos y lugares de interés de la capital rusa. Visita los símbolos de la ciudad, la Plaza Roja, la Catedral de Cristo Salvador, con sus imponentes bóvedas doradas, el Teatro Bolshói, el cuartel general de la infame KGB, la universidad, el Monasterio Novodévichi y mucho, mucho más, durante esta excursión de tres horas de duración.
Pasea por la vibrante calle Tverskaya, y quédate con su ambiente bullicioso y sus tiendas exclusivas. Continúa hacia la Plaza Roja, que debe su nombre a los edificios circundantes construidos con ladrillo rojo. Visita el museo de historia, el muro del Kremlin y las famosas y coloridas bóvedas de cebolla de la Catedral de San Basilio. En la Plaza Roja podrás encontrar todavía el mausoleo de Lenin, una curiosa reliquia de la Unión Soviética.
Admira la reconstruida Catedral de Cristo Salvador (Stalin dinamitó la original) y después contempla el célebre Teatro Bolshói. A continuación veremos el Lubyanka, donde muchos desafortunados prisioneros pasaron por las manos de la KGB y que en la actualidad es la oficina central de la agencia que la sucedió. Pasea por las calles del distrito histórico de los comerciantes, Kitay-Gorod, para después pasear por la orilla del río Moscova, donde podrás ver el parlamento (Duma) y hacer una parada en lo alto de la ''Colina de los Gorriones'' para disfrutar de unas vistas inmejorables de toda la ciudad. Visita también la Universidad de Lomonosov para ver un rascacielos de la época de Stalin para luego llegar hasta el parque de la Victoria. Por último, contempla el Monasterio Novodévichi, que dicen que inspiró ''El lago de los cisnes'' de Tchaikovsky. La visita finaliza en Arbat, una bulliciosa calle proletaria en el corazón del casco antiguo.