Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin

About this place

The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is a fortress in the historic centre of Nizhny Novgorod, on a high hill where the Volga and Oka rivers meet, less than a kilometre from the city centre in a straight line. Work on the stone kremlin began in 1500 with the Ivanovskaya Tower and was finished around 1515, after a great fire destroyed the old oak walls in 1513. Its wall runs about 2 km and is reinforced by 13 towers, one of which, on the Volga shore, was rebuilt in 2012. Red brick walls run down the green hillside, and from inside the view opens over the meeting of the rivers and the far bank. Inside are a cathedral with a pointed green roof, government buildings and gardens. You can walk parts of the wall, descend the long Chkalov Staircase to the Volga, or ride the cable car across the river. The best views come at sunset and in the evening, when the walls are lit. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Russia, and non-Russian bank cards may not work, so read the current advice before you plan.