Red walls
On the river.
SadPetzl — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Andrey Gaverdovsky — CC BY 2.0 · Konstantin hramov — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sergey Lemtal — CC BY-SA 3.0 · SadPetzl — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Novgorod Kremlin, also called the Detinets, is an oval red-brick fortress on the left bank of the Volkhov River. Its walls and towers enclose green lawns and paved paths, with the silver and gold domes of Saint Sophia Cathedral at the centre. The site was a church centre from the 10th century, and the first mention of a fortification dates to 1044. The present walls were rebuilt between 1484 and 1490. The fortress is 545 m long and 240 m wide, its walls run 1,487 m around, and nine towers survive. Inside stand the Chamber of Facets with its 15th-century Gothic vaults and the Kokui Tower, which you can climb. It is part of the Historic Monuments of Novgorod UNESCO World Heritage Site. You walk along the walls inside and out, then go down to the river beach to see the whole fortress from the opposite bank, best at sunset. It is about 250 m in a straight line from the city centre. 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.
On the river.
You can climb it.
At sunset.
Left bank of the Volkhov River, central Veliky Novgorod, Novgorod Oblast
Usually the grounds yes; museums are ticketed.
From the opposite riverbank.
