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 Moscow is a city of contrasts where the bohemian and the glamorous merge in an idiosyncratic fusion – do not be surprised to find a golden-domed 16th-century church next to an ultra-modern glass skyscraper or a Soviet blockhouse. Here, salty fish eggs (caviar) are washed down with bubbly champagne, and worn-out commuters travel by the elaborately decorated, elegant metro, one of the city's main attractions.

currency

Russian ruble (RBL) 1 ruble = 100 kopeks

phone

Emergency: 01
Police: 02
Ambulance: 03
Moscow Tourist Helpline: +7 800 220 00 02 (English)

newspaper

The Village (www.the-village.ru): current news, new openings and events
Afisha (www.afisha.ru): cultural events in town
Time Out Moscow (http://www.timeout.ru)
The Moscow Times (www.themoscowtimes.com)

hours

Most shops are open from 9/11am-7pm on weekdays. Banks are open from 10am-5pm. Some offices are closed an hour for lunch. Many museums are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

population

11,514,330

Moscow view onto river Delpixel/Shutterstock.com

The City

The Kremlin has long served as headquarters for Moscow's many rulers – Ivan the Terrible and Stalin once issued their orders from here and today, the Kremlin’s walls protect some of the country’s most precious treasures.
Outside the Kremlin microcosm lies Russia in constant flux. Since Gorbachov introduced perestroyka (restructuring) in 1985, the Communists have given way to a new generation of business-minded men and women, hungry for progress. However, old traditions are being honoured and kept alive – excellent performative arts (ballet, opera, and instrumental music), beautifully restored Orthodox churches, Soviet architectural and cultural heritage, and the national cuisine are only a few of the things modern Moscow has to offer.

Girl taking selfie in Red Square Yulia Mayorova/Shutterstock.com

Do & See

Moscow might be one of the world's most exciting cities, an embodiment of the intricate fusion of the old and the new. You will definitely be able to fill your time here with history, art, culture, and great food. Visit the many churches and cathedrals, enjoy a show at the Bolshoi Theatre, or go for a walk in one of the city's many parks – Moscow certainly has many ways to enchant you.

Stoyanov Alexey/Shutterstock.com

Children are the Victims of Adult Vices Sculptures

Tatiana Popova/Shutterstock.com

Peter the Great Statue

Boris Stroujko/Shutterstock.com

Novodevichy Convent and Monastery

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Church of Ascension Kolomenskoye

Gubin Yury/Shutterstock.com

Wooden Palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich

Gubin Yury/Shutterstock.com

The Pushkin Museum of Fine Art

Grisha Bruev/Shutterstock.com

The Tretiakov Gallery

Anton_Ivanov/Shutterstock.com

Armoury Chamber in The Kremlin

Baturina Yuliya/Shutterstock.com

Red Square and the Lenin Mausoleum

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St. Basil’s Cathedral

Gubin Yury/Shutterstock.com

Moscow Metro

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Flacon Design Factory

eFesenko/Shutterstock.com

Izmaylovo Market

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Gorky Park

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Sparrow Hills

Tatiana Popova/Shutterstock.com

Arbat Street

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Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics

Alexey Kljatov/Wikimedia Commons

Seven Sisters

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Gulag History Museum

Delpixel/Shutterstock.com

Cathedral of Christ the Savior

Baturina Yuliya/Shutterstock.com

Bolshoi Theatre

Mos.ru/WikimediaCommons

Zaryadye Park

Borsh russian soup DarZe/Shutterstock.com

Dining

It is truly an adventure to go out for dinner in Moscow. The city teems with extravagant themed restaurants where one is transported through both time and space. You may suddenly find yourself in Thailand, on a farm or in the past century. If you want to have good food and spend less, you can go to some of the city’s many Georgian and Armenian restaurants. There are also food chains such as Moo-Moo and Yolki-Palki, where you can serve yourself inexpensive, simple Russian fare. For most restaurants, it is recommended to book a table in advance.

Discover some of the best restaurants in Moscow, Russia:

Restaurant Expedition

Restaurant Expedition

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Central Market (Центральный рынок)

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Café Pushkin

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Danilovskiy Rynok Foodcourt

Elena Dijour/Shutterstock.com

Depo Food Mall

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Rybnyy Bazar

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Mu-Mu

minadezhda/Shutterstock.com

Noev Kovcheg (Noah’s Ark)

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El Gaucho

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Khachapuri

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Darbars

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Delicatessen

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Cafes

Moscow is a city teeming with cafes that suit all tastes and wallets. In the summer, city parks turn into visitor magnets with abundant outdoor cafes - the recently re-conceptualised and ever-evolving Gorky Park being one of the main summertime hot spots. Outside of parks, there are multiple cafes at nearly every corner, ranging from local and international coffee shop chains to quirky themed establishments.

Here are some of the best cafes in Moscow, Russia:

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Coffeemania

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Stolovaya 57

Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com

Lyudi Kak Lyudi

5 second Studio/Shutterstock.com

Upside Down Cake Company

Igor Normann/Shutterstock.com

Margarita Bistro

People in a bar Syda Productions/Shutterstock.com

Bars & Nightlife

The nightlife scene in Moscow is varied, and long gone are the days when the only kind of venues in operation were luxury establishments guarded by stern-looking bouncers. Although some places still enforce FC/DC, many are now leaning towards a more casual approach to entry - the recent decade has seen a rise in the number of casual bars modelled after hip urban haunts of West European capitals. Wine bars, craft breweries, bohemian cafes, indie bars, and glitzy nightclubs are all to be found in abundance, spread throughout the city's many neighbourhoods.

And here are the best bars and nightclubs in Moscow, Russia:

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Strelka

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Propaganda

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Zhan-Zhak

Ollyy/Shutterstock.com

Chinese Pilot Jao Da

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16 Tons Club

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Belfast

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Hookah Bar Friends

Matryoshka dolls risteski goce/Shutterstock.com

Shopping

In order to satisfy the wishes of Moscow's well-off upper middle classes, many chic designer stores have opened their stores in Moscow. Today there is definitely a risk that tourists will return home with considerably more expensive souvenirs than fur hats and Russian "matryoshka" dolls, which are readily available throughout - a good place to start browsing for these is the souvenir market right next to the Red Square.

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Popular Shopping Streets

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GUM

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Eliseyevskiy Store

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Tsvetnoy

GaudiLab/Shutterstock.com

Flacon Design Factory

eFesenko/Shutterstock.com

Izmaylovo Market

Fireworks in red square Moscow Vilenia/Shutterstock.com

Tourist Information

Vnukovo International Airport

The city's third and most compact airport, Vnukovo is located approximately 28 kilometres southwest of the city centre. 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).

Address:

Email:

Phone: +7 495 937-55-55

Website: www.vnukovo.ru/en

More Information:

Sheremetyevo International Airport

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.

Address: Sheremetyevo International Airport, Moscow

Email:

Phone: +7 495 578 65 65

Website: https://www.svo.aero/en/main

More Information:

Domodedovo International Airport

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.

Address: Moscow Domodedovo Airport, Moscow

Email:

Phone: +7 495 933 6666

Website: www.domodedovo.ru

More Information:

Metro

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.If you plan to use the metro multiple times during your stay, it makes sense to purchase a top-up card called "Troika".

Address:

Email:

Phone: +7 495 688 02 93

Website: www.mosmetro.ru

More Information:

Public Transport

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.

Address:

Email:

Phone: +7 495 950 4204

Website: www.mosgortrans.ru

More Information:

Taxi

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

Address:

Email:

Phone:

Website:

More Information:

Post

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:

Address: Ul. Myasnitskaya 26, Moscow

Email:

Phone: +7 495 623 67 01

Website: https://www.pochta.ru

More Information:

Pharmacy

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

Address:

Email:

Phone:

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More Information:

Telephone

National code: +7

Area code: 495/499

Address:

Email:

Phone:

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More Information:

Electricity

220 volt, 50 Hz

Address:

Email:

Phone:

Website:

More Information: