Suzdal

About this place

Suzdal is a small town in Vladimir Oblast on the Kamenka River, with about 9,300 people. It is the smallest of Russia's historic Golden Ring towns and has sites on the UNESCO list. It feels like an open-air museum, with white churches, wooden houses and green meadows, and it is the finest country break people take from Moscow. In the early 12th century Suzdal became the capital of the Rostov-Suzdal principality, which evolved into Vladimir-Suzdal and later Moscow, the nucleus of the modern Russian state. The name is thought to come from an old verb meaning to make from clay, as in building with rammed earth or brick, perhaps first as the name of a potter or bricklayer. At the heart of town is the Suzdal Kremlin, with a white cathedral topped by blue domes and gold stars, seen from outside above an earth rampart. Around the calm river are wide meadows and water lilies, with white towers far off on the skyline. The streets have wooden houses with carved windows and the white Pokrovsky Convent among the trees, with no tall modern buildings. It is about 32 km from Vladimir in a straight line and about 190 km from Moscow. Take a train to Vladimir and then a bus, and stay a night if you can. Walking is the best way around, or by bicycle. Dress modestly at churches and convents, and ask before taking photos inside. 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.