Moscow to Saint Petersburg by 4WD via Lake Seliger
Moscow to Saint Petersburg by 4WD via Lake Seliger and Source of Volga Day 1: Moscow – Tver – Torzhok Just as eight centuries ago, the first major stop en-route from Moscow to Novgorod (and later to St. Petersburg) is the city of Tver. Situated in a strategically important location at the confluence of Tvertsa and Volga rivers, this almost 900 years old town (nowadays capital of a large principality) used to be the main rival of Moscow in becoming the political center of North-Eastern Rus’. We will make a short walking tour around the historical center of Tver and stop for lunch on the Volga embankment. In the ancient times we would continue our way to Torzhok directly by Tvertsa either by sledge in the winter. The first thing that we would see from aboard of our vessel is the pier of Mednoye village. We will visit a memorial cemetery of this «Tver Katyn» and will then deviate a little from the Tvertsa's course in order to see a remarkable example of an XVIII century Russian noble estate – ZnamenskoyeRayok. An introduction to this masterpiece of architecture and a walk along the picturesque English garden will give you a good insight of how the Russian nobles lived in their Golden age, during the times of Catherine the Great. Returning to the quiet waters of Tvertsa, we will get our first chance to taste some real Russian offroad. Using that very road – now abandoned and unused – we’ll try to break through to our final destination of the day. Total distance: 250 km; overnight: Hotel in Torzhok (BLD)
Day 2: Between the two capitals Torzhok - once the southern outpost of the Novgorod Republic, and then the inevitable stop on the road between the two capitals - will charm you with the spirit of an old provincial town, which has miraculously preserved the ancient Boris and Gleb Monastery, numerous churches, medieval ramparts, road palace of Catherine II and a number of urban mansions that adorn both banks of Tvertsa with their facades. Following Tvertsa further upstream w e’ll soon reach its source, located in the town of Vyshny Volochok. In this place, where the rivers of the two seas most closely approach each other, people have since ancient times dragged their boats across the dry land in order to deliver cargo from Northern Europe to the Russian principalities, the Golden Horde, Persia, etc. It is here that Peter the Great built a large reservoir and a channel, which later became part of Vyshnevolotskaya water system. We will visit this impressive hydraulic structure, find out how it used to function, what difficulties travelers had to face here and what was the role of the pilots who conducted the boats through the dangerous rapids. After a hearty lunch, we continue our way and make our final stop for the day in the amazing Zaklyuchie estate, which before 1917 belonged to a well-known St.Petersburg architect Alexander Khrenov, who built a real fairytale castle here and began breeding horses in this beautiful solitary place. Total distance: 210 km; overnight: Hotel in Valday (BLD)
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Day 3: The City of Bells Valday is not only a city of bells (which we’ll get a chance to listen to at the Russian bell museum) and barankis (Russian bagels) (which we’ll certainly taste during lunch), but also the capital of the country of lakes, with the status of a National Park. One of the most famous attractions of Valday is the famous Iversky monastery, founded in the XVII century by Patriarch Nikon and situated in the middle of the Valday Lake on Selvitsky Island. We will change our mode of transportation for a while and take a boat to reach the island. After communicating with God, and a smart lunch we will get back into our cars and pay a visit to the abode of… Satan! Lost in the Valdai woods we will find an abandoned military base of Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles, a true witness of the cold war era. “Satan” was the name given by NATO to one of the modifications of this terrible weapon. In the evening back at the hotel there will be some free time to relax or to enjoy the Russian banya (sauna) as an option. Total distance: 100 km; overnight: Hotel in Valday (BLD) Day 4: Tretyakov Art Gallery A day of transition from the Valday region to the Seliger area. There will not be too many particular sights to stop at, but there will surely be a lot of beautiful scenery around and quite a bit of challenging driving. Moving along the east coast of Seliger we will pass through some of the most remote and hardly accessible villages of the area. The snow cowered gravel and forest roads will put both our vehicles and their drivers through a good test before bringing our group to a well-deserved lunch-brake in Gorodec. The afternoon sees us back on fast gravel roads as we pass through Krasuha, an old village notable for its unusual architecture and continue in the direction of Svetlica. Total distance: 195 km; overnight: Hotel in Svetlica (BLD) Day 5: Nilova Pustyn The day begins with a walking tour of Nilova Pustyn’ (St. Nilus Hermitage), nowadays probably the most popular attraction of the Seliger area. Just one century ago it used to be the second most visited Christian shrine of the world after the Holy Sepulcher. After a pleasant and informative walk there we get back to our cars and start making our way towards Peno, Vselug and Sterzh – the first three in the chain of Upper-Volga lakes. Driving along their coasts we will make a couple of short stops at various points of interest and enjoy the breathtaking views changing in front of us with every turn of the road. The second major stop of the day will be at Shirkovo, where we also have lunch. The afternoon finds us on a challenging forest-road section making our way further north and finally arrive at our hotel near Svapusche just in time for dinner. Total distance: 130 km; overnight: Hotel near Svapusche (BLD) Day 6: The Source of Volga The first point to be visited today is the source of Volga. Right after breakfast a short drive brings us to the gates of Olginsky Convent, a monastery founded in the early 20th century at the very place where the mother of all Russian rivers rises. We make a short walking tour around the monastery grounds and “the Source of Volga” complex after which we move straight on to a small local khutor (farm) for a taste of some authentic Russian village food and atmosphere. After lunch we move on to a challenging off-road driving section as we make our way to Ignach-Krest, a granite cross, hidden in the depth of Valdai forests. After successfully negotiating the forest www.dubbed-adventourer.com
tracks our next stop is Zaluch’e - one of the most picturesque villages on the coast of Seliger with a beautiful little wooden. Thereafter we continue in the direction of Sosnica, just to find another brilliant example of modern Russian wood architecture the church of St. Herman Stolobensky. Soon after that we cross the border between Tver and Novgorod regions and in a short while reach the place of our next overnight stay. We have an early dinner and a well-deserved banya is waiting for us in the evening. Total distance: 110 km; overnight: Hotel in Novgorod (BLD) Day 7: Dostoevsky museum As we say goodbye to Seliger, almost encircling it from the north, our first challenge is to climb mount Orekhovna (Nut-hill), one of the highest points of the area, the top of which offers a breathtaking view over the northern part of the lake and the surrounding forests. We will pass through the city of Demyansk. Many people discovered Russia for themselves and fell in love with it thanks to Feodor Dostoevsky's works. The famous Russian writer spent his last eight years, the happiest and most fruitful, with his family in his own house in the city of Staraya Russa. We will visit this very house, which has become a Dostoevsky museum, and will walk on the streets on which the Karamazov Brothers, Grushenka, Smerdyakov and other heroes of the world famous novels set foot on. After lunch, we’ll only have to drive around Lake Ilmen from the west to reach Novgorod. At the southern approaches of the city we will visit the ancient Yuriev (St. George’s) Monastery, founded by Yaroslav the Wise in the XI century. Total distance: 260 km; overnight: Hotel in Novgorod (BLD) Day 8: Great Novgorod Great Novgorod is Russia’s oldest city, one of the two (the second is Kiev) economic and cultural centers of ancient Rus’, the capital of one of the first European republics of Common Era. The St. Sophia Cathedral approaching its millennial anniversary, the medieval Detinets (citadel), the merchants Yaroslav's Court with its numerous birch-bark letters, the "Millennium of Russia" monument with 126 statues of historical personalities of Russia – all that is what we’ll see during our walk through the city center. Novgorod is also rich with old churches, which have kept their distinctive exteriors and stunning frescoes. We will visit the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa, Savior on Ilyin and St. Simeon’s church, the walls of which remember Alexander Nevsky and Маrfa Posadnitsa, Ivan the Terrible and Jacob De la Gardie. At dinner you will have the opportunity to taste fresh fish from Lake Ilmen, pelmeni (dumplings) with game and medovukha (mead). Total distance: 50 km; overnight: Hotel in Novgorod (BLD) Day 9: The Ancient Russian Cities Saying goodbye to Novgorod, we can’t miss the beautiful Vyazhischsky monastery decorated with fancy tiles. To get over to the Leningrad region we will once again need to apply our off-road skills. As we move on, you will be astounded, to find yourself under the red vaults of Borschovsky caves on the bank of the river Oredezh. Their layered walls are made of nothing else but sand, and stand under their own weight which truly looks and feels amazing. Around lunchtime we should arrive to the city of Luga, which lies halfway between St. Petersburg and Pskov. The history of the city is associated with the Great Patriotic War. After lunch, we will continue to advance to the west, exploring along the way the landscapes of Shelonskaya pyatina of the former Novgorod Republic stopping on our way at the www.dubbed-adventourer.com
Assumption Dolozhskaya cave church. Total distance: 320 km; overnight: Hotel in Kingisepp (BLD) Day 10 Grey Horse Battery and Red Hill Fort During the last day of our voyage, we will work our way to St. Petersburg along the western border of Russia. No wonder that almost all the attractions of the day are associated with defense. In the morning we will drive right to the bank of Narva River, which nowadays serves as the border between Russia and Estonia. For many centuries two fortresses have stared at each other from different banks of the river: the Estonian Hermann Castle and the Russian Ivangorod. We will spend some time here studying the towers and walls of the well preserved medieval citadel of Ivangorod. Much older, and maybe even more interesting is the Koporskaya fortress, awaiting us about 80 km to the northeast. After Koporye we are finally going to see the waters of Baltic Sea as we make a lunch stop in the town of Sosnovy Bor (literally - Pine Forest). In the afternoon we will reach some defensive structures of a completely different era - the period of the heroic defense of the Oranienbaum bridgehead in 1941-1944. First we’ll go down into the catacombs of "Grey Horse" battery, and then walk around the "Red Hill" fort, where we’ll try to imagine the power of 305-mm cannon, striking already by its appearance. As our journey ends, we will drive through the towns of Lomonosov and Peterhof, and finally drop our anchors at the parking lot of our excellent hotel. A well-deserved gala dinner awaits us here and it’s time to raise our glasses and celebrate the successful completion of our expedition. Price per person: 2000 USD Included:
Accommodation for 10 nights Services of English speaking guide (in a separate car) Meals as specified in the itinerary Jeep rental including fuel Car insurance (third party and damage) All excursions and activities as per itinerary with entry fees Russian visa handling
www.dubbed-adventourer.com
Day 2: Between the two capitals Torzhok - once the southern outpost of the Novgorod Republic, and then the inevitable stop on the road between the two capitals - will charm you with the spirit of an old provincial town, which has miraculously preserved the ancient Boris and Gleb Monastery, numerous churches, medieval ramparts, road palace of Catherine II and a number of urban mansions that adorn both banks of Tvertsa with their facades. Following Tvertsa further upstream w e’ll soon reach its source, located in the town of Vyshny Volochok. In this place, where the rivers of the two seas most closely approach each other, people have since ancient times dragged their boats across the dry land in order to deliver cargo from Northern Europe to the Russian principalities, the Golden Horde, Persia, etc. It is here that Peter the Great built a large reservoir and a channel, which later became part of Vyshnevolotskaya water system. We will visit this impressive hydraulic structure, find out how it used to function, what difficulties travelers had to face here and what was the role of the pilots who conducted the boats through the dangerous rapids. After a hearty lunch, we continue our way and make our final stop for the day in the amazing Zaklyuchie estate, which before 1917 belonged to a well-known St.Petersburg architect Alexander Khrenov, who built a real fairytale castle here and began breeding horses in this beautiful solitary place. Total distance: 210 km; overnight: Hotel in Valday (BLD)
www.dubbed-adventourer.com
Day 3: The City of Bells Valday is not only a city of bells (which we’ll get a chance to listen to at the Russian bell museum) and barankis (Russian bagels) (which we’ll certainly taste during lunch), but also the capital of the country of lakes, with the status of a National Park. One of the most famous attractions of Valday is the famous Iversky monastery, founded in the XVII century by Patriarch Nikon and situated in the middle of the Valday Lake on Selvitsky Island. We will change our mode of transportation for a while and take a boat to reach the island. After communicating with God, and a smart lunch we will get back into our cars and pay a visit to the abode of… Satan! Lost in the Valdai woods we will find an abandoned military base of Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles, a true witness of the cold war era. “Satan” was the name given by NATO to one of the modifications of this terrible weapon. In the evening back at the hotel there will be some free time to relax or to enjoy the Russian banya (sauna) as an option. Total distance: 100 km; overnight: Hotel in Valday (BLD) Day 4: Tretyakov Art Gallery A day of transition from the Valday region to the Seliger area. There will not be too many particular sights to stop at, but there will surely be a lot of beautiful scenery around and quite a bit of challenging driving. Moving along the east coast of Seliger we will pass through some of the most remote and hardly accessible villages of the area. The snow cowered gravel and forest roads will put both our vehicles and their drivers through a good test before bringing our group to a well-deserved lunch-brake in Gorodec. The afternoon sees us back on fast gravel roads as we pass through Krasuha, an old village notable for its unusual architecture and continue in the direction of Svetlica. Total distance: 195 km; overnight: Hotel in Svetlica (BLD) Day 5: Nilova Pustyn The day begins with a walking tour of Nilova Pustyn’ (St. Nilus Hermitage), nowadays probably the most popular attraction of the Seliger area. Just one century ago it used to be the second most visited Christian shrine of the world after the Holy Sepulcher. After a pleasant and informative walk there we get back to our cars and start making our way towards Peno, Vselug and Sterzh – the first three in the chain of Upper-Volga lakes. Driving along their coasts we will make a couple of short stops at various points of interest and enjoy the breathtaking views changing in front of us with every turn of the road. The second major stop of the day will be at Shirkovo, where we also have lunch. The afternoon finds us on a challenging forest-road section making our way further north and finally arrive at our hotel near Svapusche just in time for dinner. Total distance: 130 km; overnight: Hotel near Svapusche (BLD) Day 6: The Source of Volga The first point to be visited today is the source of Volga. Right after breakfast a short drive brings us to the gates of Olginsky Convent, a monastery founded in the early 20th century at the very place where the mother of all Russian rivers rises. We make a short walking tour around the monastery grounds and “the Source of Volga” complex after which we move straight on to a small local khutor (farm) for a taste of some authentic Russian village food and atmosphere. After lunch we move on to a challenging off-road driving section as we make our way to Ignach-Krest, a granite cross, hidden in the depth of Valdai forests. After successfully negotiating the forest www.dubbed-adventourer.com
tracks our next stop is Zaluch’e - one of the most picturesque villages on the coast of Seliger with a beautiful little wooden. Thereafter we continue in the direction of Sosnica, just to find another brilliant example of modern Russian wood architecture the church of St. Herman Stolobensky. Soon after that we cross the border between Tver and Novgorod regions and in a short while reach the place of our next overnight stay. We have an early dinner and a well-deserved banya is waiting for us in the evening. Total distance: 110 km; overnight: Hotel in Novgorod (BLD) Day 7: Dostoevsky museum As we say goodbye to Seliger, almost encircling it from the north, our first challenge is to climb mount Orekhovna (Nut-hill), one of the highest points of the area, the top of which offers a breathtaking view over the northern part of the lake and the surrounding forests. We will pass through the city of Demyansk. Many people discovered Russia for themselves and fell in love with it thanks to Feodor Dostoevsky's works. The famous Russian writer spent his last eight years, the happiest and most fruitful, with his family in his own house in the city of Staraya Russa. We will visit this very house, which has become a Dostoevsky museum, and will walk on the streets on which the Karamazov Brothers, Grushenka, Smerdyakov and other heroes of the world famous novels set foot on. After lunch, we’ll only have to drive around Lake Ilmen from the west to reach Novgorod. At the southern approaches of the city we will visit the ancient Yuriev (St. George’s) Monastery, founded by Yaroslav the Wise in the XI century. Total distance: 260 km; overnight: Hotel in Novgorod (BLD) Day 8: Great Novgorod Great Novgorod is Russia’s oldest city, one of the two (the second is Kiev) economic and cultural centers of ancient Rus’, the capital of one of the first European republics of Common Era. The St. Sophia Cathedral approaching its millennial anniversary, the medieval Detinets (citadel), the merchants Yaroslav's Court with its numerous birch-bark letters, the "Millennium of Russia" monument with 126 statues of historical personalities of Russia – all that is what we’ll see during our walk through the city center. Novgorod is also rich with old churches, which have kept their distinctive exteriors and stunning frescoes. We will visit the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa, Savior on Ilyin and St. Simeon’s church, the walls of which remember Alexander Nevsky and Маrfa Posadnitsa, Ivan the Terrible and Jacob De la Gardie. At dinner you will have the opportunity to taste fresh fish from Lake Ilmen, pelmeni (dumplings) with game and medovukha (mead). Total distance: 50 km; overnight: Hotel in Novgorod (BLD) Day 9: The Ancient Russian Cities Saying goodbye to Novgorod, we can’t miss the beautiful Vyazhischsky monastery decorated with fancy tiles. To get over to the Leningrad region we will once again need to apply our off-road skills. As we move on, you will be astounded, to find yourself under the red vaults of Borschovsky caves on the bank of the river Oredezh. Their layered walls are made of nothing else but sand, and stand under their own weight which truly looks and feels amazing. Around lunchtime we should arrive to the city of Luga, which lies halfway between St. Petersburg and Pskov. The history of the city is associated with the Great Patriotic War. After lunch, we will continue to advance to the west, exploring along the way the landscapes of Shelonskaya pyatina of the former Novgorod Republic stopping on our way at the www.dubbed-adventourer.com
Assumption Dolozhskaya cave church. Total distance: 320 km; overnight: Hotel in Kingisepp (BLD) Day 10 Grey Horse Battery and Red Hill Fort During the last day of our voyage, we will work our way to St. Petersburg along the western border of Russia. No wonder that almost all the attractions of the day are associated with defense. In the morning we will drive right to the bank of Narva River, which nowadays serves as the border between Russia and Estonia. For many centuries two fortresses have stared at each other from different banks of the river: the Estonian Hermann Castle and the Russian Ivangorod. We will spend some time here studying the towers and walls of the well preserved medieval citadel of Ivangorod. Much older, and maybe even more interesting is the Koporskaya fortress, awaiting us about 80 km to the northeast. After Koporye we are finally going to see the waters of Baltic Sea as we make a lunch stop in the town of Sosnovy Bor (literally - Pine Forest). In the afternoon we will reach some defensive structures of a completely different era - the period of the heroic defense of the Oranienbaum bridgehead in 1941-1944. First we’ll go down into the catacombs of "Grey Horse" battery, and then walk around the "Red Hill" fort, where we’ll try to imagine the power of 305-mm cannon, striking already by its appearance. As our journey ends, we will drive through the towns of Lomonosov and Peterhof, and finally drop our anchors at the parking lot of our excellent hotel. A well-deserved gala dinner awaits us here and it’s time to raise our glasses and celebrate the successful completion of our expedition. Price per person: 2000 USD Included:
Accommodation for 10 nights Services of English speaking guide (in a separate car) Meals as specified in the itinerary Jeep rental including fuel Car insurance (third party and damage) All excursions and activities as per itinerary with entry fees Russian visa handling
www.dubbed-adventourer.com
