All through December, we're showcasing the best of the holiday
season in cities around the world. Today it's Christmastime in Moscow and we've asked local experts for the
essential ways to enjoy the winter's best. Visitors and locals alike come
together to celebrate the holidays and the New Year, and we encourage you to
share your own favorites with us in the comments below.
Michael Hopf, Chief Concierge
- Take in the Nutcracker ballet by Tchaikovsky at the Bolshoi Theatre from the end of December through the middle of January, or the Nikulin Circus (aka the Old Moscow Circus) on Tsvetnoy Boulevard.
- Visit Ismailovsky souvenir street market located outside of the city center to buy handcrafted Russian folk goods (like Matryoschka nesting wooden dolls), and paintings and souvenir items from the Soviet era. The nearby park is popular with locals for winter sports.
- In several parks you can meet Ded Moroz (the Slavic Santa Claus) and his
granddaughter Snegurochka giving small gifts to children. The Tsaritsino Park--a huge park outside of Moscow with a beautiful refurbished castle, is a popular park.
- Among the traditional Russian dishes you should not miss are pirozhki (pies filled with meat or cabbage), salat olivier (the traditional salad in Russia) and a good shashlik. Other specialties include dishes from Siberia (Restaurant "Expedition") like pelmeni (a dumpling filled with meat or vegetable) soup, or the frozen raw ice fish cut into thin pieces and served with different sauces.
Srdjan
Milekovic, General
Manager
- During the holiday season an ice-skating rink is constructed on Red Square with a huge decorated Christmas tree and festive music, ushering in the holiday spirit. Here you can warm up with a glass of gluhwien (mulled wine).
Oliver Eller, General Manager
- Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate at Café Pushkin. The Café brings you back to those years when writer Alexander Pushkin strolled the boulevards of 19th-century Moscow.
- Kolomenskoye--a recreational area with parks and museums (including the old house where Peter the Great spent his childhood). Located not far from city center, it offers a variety of Russian experiences including performances of Russian folklore musicians and rides in a troika--a Russian carriage or sleigh pulled by three horses.
- For lovers of extreme Russian experiences - the heated outdoor Chaika swimming pool, located in the prestigious Prechistenka district, is popular with all Russians. Swim in the warm water (about 85 F degrees), when it's below freezing outside and the snow is falling around you. The service is still Soviet and assistance of a Russian speaking guide is highly recommended.
- Sanduny--Moscow's famous sauna, or banya, as it is called in Russian, is the best place to relax. The furnishings and interior from the tsar's times make the experience a special one. It is recommended to buy the oak leaves and beat yourself (or your neighbor) until you feel you can't stand it any longer, according to the Russian tradition. The oak leaves are available in the Sanduny Banya.
Photo: Skating in Red Square, by Digenis Akritas via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool
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