The Golden Ring: medieval towns north east of Moscow

Why visit the Golden Ring

If Moscow and St Petersburg are the grand capitals, the Golden Ring shows where Russia came from. Several of these towns were capitals of medieval principalities, and their white stone cathedrals from the 12th century are among the oldest buildings in the country. **Vladimir and Suzdal** together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as are the Trinity Lavra in Sergiev Posad and the historic centre of Yaroslavl.

The pace is slow, the air is cleaner and the people are often curious about foreign visitors. It is also the best region to visit with older relatives or children, since distances are short and the towns are compact. As everywhere in Russia, read current travel advice first and carry cash.

The main towns

**Sergiev Posad**, around an hour and a half from Moscow by train, is home to the **Trinity Lavra of St Sergius**, the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. Its blue and gold domes are one of the most photographed views in the country. It makes an easy day trip from the capital.

**Vladimir** was a capital before Moscow. Its **Assumption Cathedral** holds frescoes by the icon painter Andrei Rublev, and the **Golden Gate** and **Cathedral of St Demetrius**, with its carved stone walls, are close by. The fast Lastochka train from Moscow's Kursky station takes around two hours.

**Suzdal**, a short bus ride from Vladimir, is the jewel of the ring. This small town has dozens of churches and monasteries, a riverside kremlin and the **Museum of Wooden Architecture**, where log churches and peasant houses have been moved from villages across the region. Stay at least one night to see it at dawn and dusk without day tour crowds, and try **medovukha**, a honey drink made in the town.

**Yaroslavl**, on the Volga, is a larger city with a lovely riverside embankment, the **Church of Elijah the Prophet** with vivid frescoes and the Spaso Preobrazhensky monastery. **Rostov Veliky**, between Yaroslavl and Sergiev Posad, has a fairytale kremlin by Lake Nero.

Other towns on the wider ring include **Kostroma**, with the Ipatiev Monastery linked to the Romanov family, **Pereslavl Zalessky** on Lake Pleshcheyevo, and the tiny river town of **Plyos**, which inspired the painter Isaac Levitan.

How to plan a route

With two days, take the train to Vladimir, see the cathedrals, then sleep in Suzdal. With four or five days, add Sergiev Posad and Rostov and finish in Yaroslavl, which has fast trains back to Moscow. Buses fill the gaps between towns without rail links. Tours from Moscow are available, but independent travel is straightforward if you can read Cyrillic town names.

Food and stays

Golden Ring towns are known for hearty Russian cooking: fish soup called **ukha**, mushroom dishes, pickles, pies and pancakes. Suzdal has a range of guesthouses in wooden houses and a few larger hotels, while Yaroslavl and Vladimir have city hotels near the stations.

Practical tips

Churches ask women to cover their heads and men to remove hats; carry a scarf. Many monasteries are working religious houses, so be quiet and ask before photographing people or services. Cash is essential in small towns, and English is less common than in Moscow, so a translation app helps.