The Golden Ring is a chain of small ancient towns located to the North and East from Moscow. It is the most popular tourist route among the Russian provinces. Depending on the time available you can choose one day or multi-day tour.
Vladimir is one of the most ancient cities in Russia. It’s history begins in 1108 when the prince Vladimir Monomakh founded it to fortify the Klyazma river’s shores and gave the new city his name. The main three sights of the city are 3 architectural monuments which were built in the 12-th century: The Golden Gates, the Cathedral of St. Demetrius, the Cathedral of Assumption.
Suzdal is a so-called museum-town, one of the most beautiful towns of the country with more that thousand-year history: it was the first time mentioned in the chronicles in the year 1024. This ancient town will greet you with tolling of the monastery bells. It’s a wonderful quite place which looks as if nothing had changed for the last two centuries. Suzdal with its hilly green valleys, ancient monasteries and amazing landscapes looks more like a fantasy village, walking around it is a pleasure.
Sergiev Posad is one of the pearls of Russian Golden Ring. Though the crowded and noisy Moscow is not so far (70 kilometers away), Sergiev Posad is still like an ancient small town – calm and peaceful. Even the people are different here: they don’t run in a hurry, you will not see nervous businessmen or informal youth here. Everyone is polite and serene. The history of the town is connected with the establishing of the greatest orthodox monastery in Russia in the year of 1345 by St. Sergius the Radonezh. The monastery was dedicated to Saint Trinity and was called Saint Trinity Sergius Lavra. It gained a reputation of the source of Russian military and spiritual strength. For a long time Sergiev Posad was the spiritual center of the country, sort of Russian Vatican. The architectural ensemble of the Saint Trinity Sergius Lavra is protected by UNESCO now.