6 Weeks in Moscow

You cant go to Moscow without a visit to the Krelim. The most powerful buildings in the whole of Moscow are housed here and you really get a sense how important it is with the number of military that are stationed everywhere.

Also worth a visit is Lenin's Tomb. Its free to get in and although the queue looks horrific, it moves quite fast.

Other sights worth noting are the fantastically decorated Christ the Saviour Church, Kuskovo mansion, Red Square itself and a day trip to Sergiev Posad.

Quick Tips:

Always have change on you if you can for transport and buying things from street vendors as they may not have change and may not want to take big notes from you.

Keep an eye on your bag while hanging around metro stations and watch out for people bumping into your bag when it is very busy. Things might go missing this way.

Go and check out some of the lesser known churches and convents as they have some real beauty and are not as busy as the main tourist attractions.

Best Way To Get Around:

By far the best way to get around Moscow is the metro system. For 15rub per trip or 400rub for 60 trips it is incredibly cost effective. Also the metro is so simple to use and going anywhere requires a maximum of two line changes. At busy times there may be trains arriving every 40 seconds.

Another reasonably cheap and effective way to get around are by bus and tram. Again each ride is only 15rub however it is slower than the metro and may be more difficult to find which bus to take to get to where you are going.

If you are in the city centre and want to get to anywhere within the limits of the brown metro line it is easy enough just to walk as everything in this area is relatively close together.

My-My (pronounced moo-moo) is generally recognised by the large cow statue situated outside of the restaurant. This method of eating out is very useful for anyone who doesn't want to spend too much money and who doesn't speak much Russian. In all of these restaurants the menu is listed in English and in the Arbat district (tourist area) all of the staff speak English also. Very tourist friendly.

I can highly recommend traditional Russian borscht (beetroot soup). There is also a large selection of salads, meat dishes and an array of desserts. Alcoholic drinks are also served here along with juices, coffee, tea and all favourite fizzy drinks.

The restaurant itself is very clean and the toilets are some of the nicer toilets I had seen during my stay in Moscow.

All in all the cheap food, easy to order from menus, tourist friendly staff and cleanliness made eating in My-My and enjoyable experience.

This was probably one of the best meals I had during my whole time in Moscow.

There is a huge menu with plenty of traditional Chinese dishes, sushi and vegetarian options. There is also a fantastic range of desserts all moderately priced.

I can highly recommend the speciality duck in sweet and sour sauce. Also the apple pie for dessert was delicious.

You are only supplied with chop sticks here so it might be a bit tricky to eat the rice at first however, there are always friendly staff around and I'm sure it would be no problem to get cutlery if required.

Not all the staff speak English however, if you attempt a little Russian they will attempt a little English and you can all get what you want. Menus are in English.

The Kremlin is the main tourist attraction in Moscow and it has reason to be. Throughout history the Krelim has been the site for major political leaders of Russia to live in and rule from. The power of the Kremlin is still felt today when you are inside it by police situated everywhere to prevent anyone from straying to places in which they shouldn't be.

It is not possible to enter any of the government buildings at the Kremlin, however, there are many churches and cathedrals inside that visitors can explore. Be warned though your ticket only allows entrance to each of these places once so see everything you want to before you leave. Places which you can visit include the Assumption Cathedral, Annunciation Cathedral, Archangel's Cathedral, Ivan the Great Bell-Tower, Church of the Laying Our Lady's Holy Robe, Tsar Cannon and the Tsar Bell.

Also worth a look around are the Secret Gardens which are extremely beautiful. The Armoury is situated within the Kremlin also but getting tickets can be a nightmare. I couldn't get a ticket to enter alone so it is worthwhile taking part in an organised tour of this if you really want to see it.

Overall the Kremlin is a wonderful place to visit as you really do get a feeling of the power that has come from these buildings throughout history.

This cathedral was my favourite place to visit in Moscow. When approaching the cathedral on a sunny day the white exterior looks incredibly white and the golden domes shine magnificently. This exterior pales in comparison to the interior of this wonderful place.

The cathedral was only completed in 1997 after Stalin had destroyed the original during his reign.

When entering the cathedral women must cover their shoulders. Inside the cathedral the walls are covered in the most magnificent paintings in amazingly bright colours with gold all through it too. There are candles everywhere inside and the cathedral is full of people who have come to light candles and pray. Candles can be bought in a small shop inside.

Entrance to the cathedral is free so even a budget trip to Moscow should allow for visiting this site. No photographs are allowed to be taken inside so unfortunately I cannot show you how magnificent this place is. It is somewhere you will just have to visit for yourself.

St Basils Cathedral is the iconic building that most people think of when they think of Moscow. It looks fabulous in a picture but even more impressive up close, almost like it should be a Disney castle. The exterior is an amazing riot of colours and textures, which is most impressive in bright sunlight or when it is lit up at night.

It costs 100 rubles to enter the cathedral, which is equivalent to £2, so it is not very expensive. Inside, the walls are covered in frescoes in every room, which are just as colourful as the exterior of the building. Some of the rooms were closed when I was there, but you can still see inside them through the bars.

There are plenty of souvenirs to buy inside, but I suggest you walk around all of the stands before buying anything (look around corners to see if there is another stand). We got ripped off a bit this way, as we bought postcards from the first stand, only to discover that a later stand had them much cheaper. We didn't speak enough Russian to try and take them back.

All in all, St Basils cathedral is a must-see in Moscow. A trip to Moscow would not be complete without viewing this amazing sight.

Well, I have to admit that I was a little nervous about going to see Lenin's body when I was in Moscow (never seen a dead person before). Standing in the queue, which seemed huge when we joined, I wondered if it was really worth it to go and see a dead guy. However, the queue moved pretty fast, and it was not long before we were going through security to get into the tomb. Security is pretty tight here, especially since it is free to visit the tomb. There are no bags or cameras allowed inside at all.

As I walk in out of the bright sunlight, the tomb seems pitch-black. I can't really see anything at all. Then, out of the darkness, I see the first in a series of guards. They look pretty creepy standing so still in the dark, and even more so since it was so light outside.

When you eventually get inside the tomb, Lenin's body is in the centre, lit up from all angles so he really stands out in the darkness. It is completely silent in the tomb out of respect, and every person spends a total of about a minute inside before they are back out in the sunlight of red square. After the tomb, you can walk around and visit the graves of other important people from Russia's past, such as Stalin.

Overall, Lenin's tomb was an interesting place to visit. However, if it was not free entry, I feel that it would be a waste of money, as you spend a fair time in a queue to get about a minute inside the tomb. Despite that, I still would suggest that people who have some time in Moscow go and visit it, as Lenin is such an important part of Russian history.

Well arrived at my hostel and there really was only one way to describe it. Crap. Cockroaches were having a field day in my room and in the bathroom, the fridge smelled as though many things had died in it and my room was without curtains. Luckily some smart packing of bed stuff meant that curtains were made from the bed sheets I was provided with (only thing they were useful for). The fridge remained closed for 6 weeks and a diet of bread and fruit followed. As for the cockroaches...well you just have to get used to them. Nice pets??? Just don't leave any food uncovered. Oh and who needs air conditioning when the windows can be left open 24-7. The cockroaches had friends to play when the mosquitos came in. All was well though as insect repellent was always around.

The best way to get around Moscow is definitely by Metro. It is so cheap (400rub for 60 trips) and extremely efficient. At busy times there is a metro every 40 seconds and even late at night there is a metro every 5-6 mins. You can pretty much travel anywhere in the city on the metro.

However, the real beauty of the metro system is not the cost of the efficiency. It is the stations themselves. The stations on the brown line (circle line) are decorated so beautifully with stained glass, chandeliers, statues and mosaics. There are no two stations the same.

A great way of seeing these stations is to do a tour of the circle line. Getting off at each station will allow you to see the wonder of these stations.

Taking photos on the metro is no longer allowed due to terrorist attacks a few years ago, however, tourists taking photos of the stained glass and mosaics is still a common sight. Just don't get caught.

I highly recommend a tour of the metro to see transportation system that Russians are so proud of.