Moscow

If you yearn for gold, velvet and precious stones, you must visit the Armoury. The treasures that have been collected over the centuries by the Russian tsars and princes can be found here. Some magnificent examples are the Fabergé egg and Catherine the Great’s coronation dress.

Enclosed by the GUM, Kremlin, and Saint Basil's Cathedral, the Red Square stands proud. This is also the place where Lenin rests in his mausoleum. Since 1924 he has been as carefully guarded as he was embalmed.

With its round, brilliantly coloured cupolas, St. Basil’s Cathedral truly looks like a fairy-tale castle. Ivan the Terrible had it built around 1550 in order to celebrate a victory over the Tartars. Today the cathedral is one of the world’s architectural wonders.

With its 62 halls and 100,000 paintings, the Tretiakov Gallery contains the world’s largest collection of Russian art. Fortunately, all of these pieces are not all displayed together, but a few at a time.

The Pushkin Museum of Fine Art is a paradise for those interested in art. Here Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art mingles with older works by Rembrandt and Botticelli.

Going on the metro in Moscow is an attraction in itself. The metro here is just beautiful with its architecture and majestic spaces. If you have to choose, two of the most beautiful stations to visit are "Komsomol'skaya" and "Kazan'skaya".

One of the most famous places in Moscow for buying souvenirs is at the Izmaylovo Market. Here you can find all the typical Russian souvenirs like matryoshka dolls and fur hats. The market is quite big, so make sure to have enough time and money when coming here.

In the middle of Moscow you can find Gorky Park, named after the author Maxim Gorky. This park is located on the riverbank and is full of fun activities. Here you can find parkland, a sports centre, an open-air cinema and much more.

Restaurant “Expedition. Northern cuisine” serves delicacies of northern Russian cuisine of the highest quality.Each product “flies” or “comes” or “swims” here from distant ecologically clean lands and is cooked only on Baikal water! This restaurant is the place for those who appreciate high quality in everything! So don’t be surprised if some famous singer is performing a song for his friends at a table next to yours… They are big family and every guest for them is a good friend!

This is one of Moscow’s finest restaurants. Go on a journey through time back to the sumptuous 19th century. Here, well-dressed Muscovites enjoy caviar and the Franco-Russian cuisine. Here you can also enjoy a grandiose breakfast buffet.

Noev Kovcheg serves award-winning Armenian food. When here, be sure to taste the famous Armenian cognac. The prestigious restaurant opened its doors to the public on July 17th 1999, the same date that Noah’s Ark settled on the mountain of Ararat.

At this restaurant you can enjoy European food of a very high standard served by Swedish chefs - the steaks are especially renowned. In the winter you can have a drink in the ice bar, and in the summer a cocktail in the courtyard.

Argentinean restaurants are always good choices if you feel like a big and tasty steak, this one is no exception. The meat is fantastic and cooked on charcoal. Of course, they also have an extensive wine list to go with the menu.

In the beautiful Lotte Hotel you can find Les Menus. The Michelin three-star chef Pierre Gagnaire provides the guests with experimental dishes in a classic and stylish interior.

In downtown Moscow, near Pushkinskaya / Tverskaya underground station, you can find the elegant Rybniy Bazar ("fish market"). This restaurant serves seafood, and the lobster and oysters are especially popular here.

At this city café you can enjoy some traditional Georgian food. Here you can choose between traditional grilled dishes, soups, kebabs and much more. It is recommended to leave lots of room in your stomach when coming here, because the portions are reportedly huge.

One of the most famous places in Moscow for buying souvenirs is at the Izmaylovo Market. Here you can find all the typical Russian souvenirs like matryoshka dolls and fur hats. The market is quite big, so make sure to have enough time and money when coming here.

Popular shopping streets are Noviy Arbat and the more exclusive Kuznetskiy, but the number one shopping street is Tverskaya ulitsa. Stalin had the street restored in the 1930’s, so here, too, there is evidence of his liking for massive, grey buildings.

Those who wish to start their shopping trip at one of the shopping centres with the finest old traditions in the world should head for GUM. The building was designed in the new Russian style at the end of 19th century. During the Stalinist period, GUM was temporarily converted to offices. Today it accommodates a plethora of international luxury brands.

The Hugo Boss name is associated with chic, elegant design for men and women. At Hugo Boss Moscow you will find just this and much more.

Edgy, cool, filled with attitude and known for its quality jeans, Diesel is one of the stores that have a distinctive personality. Take a look at their signature jeans, the popular fragrances or their cool accessories.

Yeliseyev’s Covered Market is the name of Moscow’s most famous delicatessen shop (known during the Soviet period as Gastronom no. 1). This is the place to buy your ration of vodka, caviar, and other local delicacies. Russians are avid tea drinkers and at Chudesa Podnebesnoi you can find the finest Chinese teas.

Hearing the name Burberry, most of us come to think of their exceptional trench coats and their trademark tartan pattern. This British luxury house still remains at the top when it comes to posh sophisticated design.

This is a store where the prices actually do not equal a month's rent. Emporio Armani is the more affordable end of the designer brand Giorgio Armani, but never the less with the same attention to detail and fashion trends.

The city's third and most compact airport, Vnukovo is located approximately 28 kilometers southwest of the city center. The air hub is best reached by Aeroexpress trains departing from the Kievskaya Railway Station. Several mini-buses also run here from Yugo-Zapadnaya metro station (south end of the red line).

The largest international airport in Moscow is Sheremetyevo International Airport, located 30 kilometres from the city centre. The easiest and fastest way to reach any of Moscow's three major airports is by Aeroexpress - a fast train designated for air travelers (train departs from Belorussky Railway Station). The train ride takes 35 minutes. Another way to get here is by taxi. At the airport you can order taxis at the operator desk. You can usually book a taxi in advance through the hotel or travel agency when going to the airport. Alternatively, there are different bus routes. The buses take about 30-70 minutes depending on the route and your final destination. When traveling by car or bus, do keep in mind that rush hour traffic may sometimes be very dense, and significant delays are possible.

Another large airport in Moscow is Moscow Domodedovo Airport. The airport is located 22 kilometres away from the city. You can also reach the airport from Domodedovskaya underground station by mini-bus or bus and from Paveletsky railway station by train. The train from Paveletsky railway station takes 40-50 minutes going on the Aeroexpress train, and 1 hour and 10 minutes on the commuter train. The express buses and shuttles from Domodedovskaya underground station take 25-30 minutes and leave every 15 minutes. Buses run from 6am-12am. Taxis can be ordered at the domestic and international arrivals hall. There are car rental services at the airport.

Moscow has one of the world’s most beautiful underground railways which operates very efficiently. If you carry big luggage on the metro, make sure you buy a special luggage ticket. Tickets can be bought at station entrances - either at vending machines or special staffed kiosks.

In Moscow there are also buses, trolley buses and trams apart from the beautiful metro. Tickets can be bought from the kiosks in the street or from the driver and validated once aboard.

In Moscow the easiest way to get a taxi is the traditional way: to stand in the street and hold out your arm. Civilian cars like to operate as taxis, it is therefore recommended to only use professional taxi services. Taxi meters are not always used, so agree on a price before travelling. English-speaking taxi services in Moscow: Welcome Taxi +7 499 922 06 74 www.welcometaxi.ru LingoTaxi: +7 495 204 21 34

There are many post offices around town. If you want to send a letter you can drop it of in one of the dark blue post boxes. Main Post Office:

Medical care may be very expensive if you do not have insurance. Hotels often have their own doctor, so start there if you need help. There are dozens of pharmacies all throughout the city, and many work 24/7. Rigla 102 www.rigla.ru 15/43 Arbat, Moscow Apteka 36,6 www.366.ru 25 str 1A Zemlyanoy val, Moscow