Side Trips from Moscow - Moscow and St. Petersburg - page 198

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a fortress as well as a monastic refuge, and served it well when Catherine the Great founded
a prison here for political opponents. The central Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral com-
bines several styles of Vladimir-Suzdal architecture from the 11th to the 16th centuries. It's
open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm.
One of the few Soviet contributions to Suzdal was the Museum of Wooden Architec-
ture and Peasant Life (Pushkarskaya Ulitsa; & 492/312-0937 ), across the Kamenka
River from the Kremlin. It includes izbas (small wooden homes), mills, and wooden
churches brought here from surrounding Vladimir Province. The museum costs 100
rubles and is open May through October, Wednesday to Monday from 9:30am to
4:30pm. In June the town hosts a lively crafts festival.
A newer addition is the Wax Museum, with some traditional Russian figures as well
as internationally known faces (10B Ulitsa Kremlovskaya; & 985/763-8451; www.wax-
museum.ru; 300 rubles).
A wander around Suzdal gives you good glimpses of the decorative wooden frames of
typical Russian houses, and a peek at the compact but rich vegetable gardens that feed
many rural families.

WHERE TO STAY
Vladimir
Accommodations here are much cheaper and generally more intimate than in Moscow,
but the selection and services are limited. Because Suzdal lacks any large hotels, most
organized tours put groups in Vladimir, often at the Golden Ring Hotel (27 Chaikovsky
St.; & 492/260-0028 ). It's a bland, Soviet-style tower 4km (2 1 ⁄ 2 miles) from the center
of town, meaning you rely on buses or taxis to get around. The advantage is that it has
plenty of space (170 units) and that a basic double costs only 1,800 rubles (www.amaks-
hotels.ru/hotel8/index.htm).
A more creative and environmentally friendly option is the Russian Village ( Russkaya
Derevnya ; 5A Moskovskoye Shosse; & 492/238-3690 ) complex, on the edge of town
abutting a forest. Recently built of local pine and with energy self-sufficiency and respect
for nature in mind, it has three motel-like buildings all with a view on the woods. The hotel
can help arrange transport to the key sites. It runs about 2,000 to 2,500 rubles a night.

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Suzdal
Small groups and individuals prefer to stay in Suzdal's more romantic inns and lodges. A
top choice is Likhoninsky House (34 Slobodskaya Ulitsa; & 492/312-1901; aksenova-
[e-mail]), a wooden home with a small museum of local history and
seven cozy guest rooms, located just behind Rizopolozhensky Monastery. One single has
a fireplace with a mattress over it, so you can sleep on top as Russian families did for
centuries. (There's also a regular bed.) Most rooms have traditional country furniture.
The house is a 5-minute walk from the center and costs just 500 to 1,400 rubles per
night. Reserve a few weeks in advance.
If you've ever fancied monastic life, try a night at Pokrovskaya Hotel (Ulitsa Pokrovs-
kaya; & 492/312-0889 ) on the grounds of Pokrovsky Convent. The wooden cottages are
basic but quite roomy and comfortable. It's run by Intourist so the service is less than effu-
sive but doesn't spoil the experience. Rates are about 1,650 rubles per night for two people.
A higher-end option is the bright and inviting Hotel Sokol (2a Torgovaya Ploshchad;
& 492/312-0987 ), a sunny yellow building next to the Kremlin with recently renovated
rooms for 3,300 rubles per night (www.hotel-sokol.ru).