What to see in Pereslavl-Zalessky: city attractions with photos, addresses and descriptions

Pereslavl-Zalessky is a rare example of a city that has survived from the 12th century. There are fourteen such cities in Russia (among them Moscow, Tver, Tula, Velikiye Luki, Volokolamsk). It was founded as a border protection settlement by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky and became the birthplace of the famous Alexander Nevsky.

It has preserved on its territory the remains of fortifications and earthworks of the 12th century, temples and monasteries founded in the 11th-17th centuries, unique places of worship of the ancient pagan Slavs. This makes it a place of pilgrimage for both Orthodox Christians and neo-pagans.

To make your trip more interesting, see what important places in the region you can visit on the way to and around Myshkin.

The city is part of the Golden Ring of Russia; about three hundred thousand people visit it every year, a considerable number of which are foreigners.

Other nearby cities of the Golden Ring, the visits of which can be conveniently planned with a trip to Pereslavl-Zalessky, are Sergiev Posad and Alexandrov. About all the cities of the ring, official and unofficial, in this list.

Lake Pleshcheyevo

Pereslavl-Zalessky stands on the shore of Lake Pleshcheyevo, which is almost perfectly round and looks like an overturned saucer from a height. The lake is thirty thousand years old, it is a trace left by a glacier traveling through ancient lands.

The age of the lake and its location allowed it to grow and preserve in its depths some endemic species, for example, the Pereslavl vendace and the relict marsh turtle.

The famous vendace is now listed in the Red Book, but, unfortunately, in shops in Pereslavl it can be found in smoked and salted form, albeit at an incredible price.

The size of the lake and the convenience of its sloping coastline in the 17th century prompted Peter the Great to think that it would become an excellent training ground for his Amusement Fleet.

At the moment, there are no shipyards or piers on the shores of the beautiful light lake. Many resorts and recreation centers offer water activities: kitesurfing in summer and snowkiting in winter.

The shores of the lake are sparsely built up, and you can simply walk along it, sit by the water, watching the waves splashing here since the times when there was not a trace of man on the Pereslavl land.

Author's excursions

For those who want to save time on preparing for the trip and immerse themselves more fully in the atmosphere and history of the city, I would recommend using the services of a private guide in Pereslavl-Zalessky. In my opinion, individual excursions are much more interesting than organized excursions with their large number of people and a hackneyed program. Moreover, you can always agree with a private guide on a time and day that is more convenient for you.

Look below, selected author's excursions, not many, but high quality.

Excursions in Pereslavl →

Museum-estate "Boat of Peter the Great"

Address: Pereslavl district, Veskovo village Telephone: (48535) 6-21-16 Website: https://www.museumpereslavl.ru/ Opening hours: from May to September from 10.00. until 18.00, the ticket office is open until 17.30 from October to May from 10.00. until 17.00, the ticket office is open until 16.30. day off - Monday. Cost: students under 16 years old - 100 rubles, pensioners and students - 150 rubles, adults - 200 rubles.

This is the oldest Russian provincial museum. It was founded in the 19th century. The main exhibit of the museum is the boat "Fortune", the only surviving witness to the ceremonial salvo in honor of the birth of the Russian fleet in the 17th century.

The conditions and care with which the boat was kept suggest that it was built personally by Peter the Great, and its name says the same thing: the great tsar respected capricious fortune and believed in it.

The museum-estate now includes:

White Palace;
Gatehouse;
Rotunda;
Triumphal Gate;
Monument to Peter the Great;
Obelisk to Peter the Great;
Botny house.

On the territory of the museum-estate there is an interesting themed restaurant with the same name as the museum. The restaurant's interior is designed in the style of the hold of an old ship.

Where to go

Pereslavl-Zalessky is conveniently located in terms of developing different travel routes around Russia.

On North

Rostov - Yaroslavl - Vologda - Kargopol along the way

Download route maps for the cities of the Golden Ring

Along the small ring

Or go along the small Golden Ring: Moscow - Sergiev Posad - Pereslavl-Zalessky - Rostov - Borisoglebsky - Kalyazin - Tver - Moscow. You can also expand such a circular route and add Yaroslavl, Tutaev, Rybinsk , Myshkin and Uglich .

Follow the links to see what to see in these cities and have a good trip! And with my developed routes along the Golden Ring, driving is much more pleasant - and you won’t miss anything.

All Golden Circle with 4trek guides
Select a city and follow the links
Vladimir Bogolyubovo and Pokrova-on-Nerl Suzdal Ivanovo Kostroma Yaroslavl Rostov Pereslavl-Zalessky Sergiev Posad Ples Privolzhsk Furmanov Borisoglebsky Kideksha Uglich Gus-Khrustalny Rybinsk Muromtsevo

Blue stone

Address: Kriushkino village How to get there: along Kooperativnaya street (Nikitskaya Sloboda) along the shore of the lake 5 km to the village.

The legendary stone, a stone whose history is associated with many mystical secrets, continues to amaze people even now. Most likely, it arrived on Pereslavl land with a glacier and since then lay peacefully in a ravine until the ninth century, when its unusual color (and the stone, when wet in the rain, turns blue) and huge size (the weight of the stone is about 12 tons) attracted attention of the pagans. The stone became the center of rites and rituals dedicated to the spirit living in it, and since then it has seemed to come to life.

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the monks of the Borisoglebsky Nadozerny Monastery, concerned that the pagans continued to organize games and dances around the stone, buried it, but already in the eighteenth century the stone came out again due to soil erosion.

Then they decided to attach it to a holy cause and lay it in the foundation of the Spiritual Church under construction, but during winter transportation across Lake Pleshcheyevo, the heavy stone went under the ice and hid at a depth of about three meters, only to appear on the shore again seventy years later.

Now the stone lies in the same place where it was washed up then. People come to the spirit of the Blue Stone with gifts and offerings: kvass, bread, grain. It is believed that all wishes made at the stone come true. This attention does not benefit the stone: pieces break off from it, its surface is contaminated with soggy bread.

There is a silent, friendly feeling of support from it, but apparently the stone is tired: for unknown reasons that even geologists cannot explain, it sinks into the ground. Its height is now just above the knee, but some twelve years ago it was more than one and a half meters high.

Visit the Blue Stone before it is completely hidden from human eyes. An incredible power emanates from the stone, which is felt by anyone who approaches it with respect.

My walk around Pereslavl-Zalessky

The city is very small and most of it is occupied by the private sector; you will not see high-rise buildings or skyscrapers here. The population is 40 thousand people, located 140 km from Moscow, part of the Golden Ring. According to Wikipedia, the city is visited by about 300 thousand people a year. Perhaps that’s why the prices here are touristy.

I didn’t set out to walk around the entire city, especially since the weather was windy, cold, and I was dressed for summer. The city did not make any special impressions; everything is typical for a small town: shabby houses, bad roads, desolation. In my opinion, it’s worth going here primarily for the nature; Lake Pleshcheyevo alone is worth it. But there are also plenty of tourist attractions, although they are local. So there is a lot to see in a couple of days. I will list them below.

There are many houses like this in Pereslavl-Zalessky

But there are also refined pieces

Main road in Pereslavl-Zalessky

Nice bookstore

Oil painting

Walking along the shaft ring

The river flows into Lake Pleshcheyevo, near the church there is an embankment with a view

The balconies are sad

Building favored by pigeons

Some of the backyards are quite unsightly.

Sovetskaya Street

Church of Peter the Metropolitan

Souvenir shops near the Church of Alexander Nevsky

They're watching us all

Contrasts

Someone lives very well

Entrance in Pereslavl

The pink elephant is somehow completely out of place

Pereslavl Dendrological Garden named after. S.F. Kharitonov

Address: st. Zhuravleva, 1 Phone: (48535) 2-31-32 Website: https://www.botik.ru/park/dendrosad/ Opening hours: daily, 10.00 - 20.00, sale of entrance tickets until 19.00 Cost: 100 rubles.

A national dendrological park that you can return to many times: its territory covers as much as 58 hectares. There is a certain integrity in its diversity, woven from plants from dozens of countries: the park harmoniously combines compositions of trees, herbs and flowers brought from:

China;
Japan;
North America;
Europe;
Crimea;
Caucasus;
Siberia.

The park's forbs and forests envelop you in aromas and green noise in the summer, delight with bright patterns of flowering, and in the fall they show the fiery splendor of extinction.

The park is decorated with wooden sculptures in the Russian style of an ancient wooden toy.

Goritsky Monastery

Address: Museum Lane, 4 Phone: (48535) 3-81-00 Website: https://museumpereslavl.ru/ Opening hours: from May to September: Tue-Sun 10.00 – 18.00. From October to April 10.00 – 17.00. Sanitary day is the last Tuesday of the month. In winter, the entrance to the bell tower is closed. Cost: https://www.museumpereslavl.ru/ru/visitor/price/

Founded in the 14th century under Ivan Kalita and lost its monastic significance in the eighteenth century. In the same century, the monastery lost its archives in a fire, and because of this loss, little historical reliable information about it remains.

The reasons for the abolition of the monastery also remain unknown: the huge complex, majestic and functional, could have fulfilled its role as a monastery for monks for many centuries, but for some reason it came into the possession of the Pereslavl bishop, turning into his estate. Perhaps ordinary human greed played a role in this matter.

The monastery remained an estate for no more than forty years, and then it began to overgrow, decay, and collapse... At the beginning of the twentieth century, it was completely littered with garbage and presented a sad spectacle of complete decline.

In 1919, it was saved by inclusion in the Pereslavl Museum-Reserve. On the territory of the monastery you will see:

Assumption Cathedral (18th century);
Bell tower and Church of the Epiphany (18th century);
All Saints Church (17th century);
Refectory Chamber (17th century);
Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (17th century);
Column of the Church of Gethsemane (18th century);
Holy gates, fortress walls and towers (17-18 centuries)

Pereslavl Kremlin

Address: Central part of the city, st. Soviet. Opening hours: around the clock Cost: free.

The Pereslavl Kremlin is still surrounded by high embankments and small ponds - the remains of former ditches and defensive structures. In the 12th century it was surrounded by wooden walls, and inside them there were princely mansions, outbuildings and the stone Transfiguration Cathedral, which you will see there even now.

The Kremlin was plundered by the Horde successively in the 13th, 14th, 15th centuries, after which it was carefully erected and fortified again by the inhabitants of Pereslavl. In the 16th century Sretensky Novodevichy Convent appeared on its territory.

The Kremlin is small, you can walk around it in half an hour. At the moment, only a few buildings remain from it, including walls: this is the Cathedral of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, the Church of Alexander Nevsky.

How to get there

Pereslavl-Zalessky is located 145 kilometers from Moscow. You can only get here by bus or car - there is no train station in the city. The cost of renting a car for a day in Moscow is from 2,500 rubles*.

Select a car

By bus the trip will take two hours, the ticket price is from 480 to 525 rubles*. Buses from Moscow depart from the Central Bus Station and the Northern Gate bus station.

You can get there by train only with transfers. For example, it takes 2 hours and 208 rubles* to get to Sergiev Posad, and then take a bus to Pereslavl-Zalessky, which runs three times a day: at 09:00, 18:05 and 20:15. Ticket prices range from 290 to 325 rubles*. Travel time is about 1.5 hours.

The distance from St. Petersburg to Pereslavl is about 800 kilometers. By car the trip will take about nine hours. By train you can only get to Yaroslavl (the journey takes from 11.5 to 14.5 hours, the ticket costs from 1900 to 2400 rubles*), there you can change to a bus or car and get to the place.

Nikitsky Monastery

Address: st. Zaprudnaya, 20, Nikitskaya Sloboda Phone: (48535) 3-20-08, 3-17-65 Opening hours: daily 7.00 – 20.00 Cost: free

The first church appeared on the site of the future monastery in 1010. Since then, its history has developed as follows: in the 16th century, Saint Daniel lived and worked here. In the seventeenth, the monastery was taken and burned by the Lithuanians; in memory of this event, two Lithuanian cannons can now be seen on the territory of the monastery.

In the eighteenth century, the monastery lost its main shrines: the chains and stone cap of St. Nikita were taken to Moscow. In the twentieth century, under Soviet rule, the monastery was plundered and handed over to secular authorities. A women's correctional labor colony was set up there.

Reconstruction and restoration began only in the late nineties of the twentieth century. Despite the difficult history, various architectural monuments and Orthodox shrines were erected on the territory of the monastery at different times and can now be seen.

Sixteenth century buildings:

Fortress walls and towers
Nikitsky Cathedral

Seventeenth century:

Church of the Annunciation and refectory
Tent bell tower

Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries:

Pillar of Saint Nikita
Monastic residential building
Gate bell tower
Chernigov Chapel

Sorokosvyatsky Church

Address: st. Left Embankment, 165 Phone: (48535) 9-85-11 Opening hours: Saturday 7.00 – 20.00, Sunday and holidays 7.00 – 15.00 Cost: free

It is relatively young compared to the rest of the temples and churches of Pereslavl: it was founded in the 18th century. It attracts the attention of tourists going in search of true antiquities due to its difficult location for construction: the muddy shore of Lake Pleshcheevo. The church is reinforced with piles, rocky embankments and special bridges and thanks to them it has retained its appearance for two hundred and fifty years.

The five-domed church with a bell tower survived Soviet times by a miracle that is associated with its dedication. It is dedicated to forty Christian martyrs who were executed for refusing to join pagan games and idolatry.

Legend has it that it was the holy martyrs who protected the church from destruction and encroachment by Soviet power, just as they once protected their souls from the secular power of the Roman emperors.

The place is very beautiful: the view of the smooth lake and the silence surrounding the church, the invisible presence of its holy defenders leave an impression that is called “grace”.

Streets of Pereslavl

Pereslavl is small, but there are a lot of temples and monasteries visible from different parts of the city, so even a short walk will be enriched by the views.

You will be delighted by Rybnaya Sloboda : most of the paintings and drawings on boxes that are offered in Pereslavl as souvenirs depict landscapes of Rybnaya Sloboda. It is called “Russian Venice,” which does not really fit with its real name.

The areas of ancient streets and houses in the spirit of Russian architecture on the shores of the lake are becoming smaller and smaller due to the construction of modern cottages, so it is better to visit the settlement before it turns into an area of typical cottage development.

In Sokolskaya Sloboda you will find another monastery built in the 16th century: Holy Trinity Danilovsky . The monastery was erected in honor of the birth of Ivan the Terrible, and this dedication seemed to leave an imprint on the appearance of the monastery: severity, some architectural heaviness are reminiscent of the character of the famous Russian Tsar.

Going to Red Square, take a walk along the ancient earthen rampart : from there you can see the lake and the heads of the monasteries on the other side melting in the fog.

What to see and where to go in Pereslavl-Zalessky - day 2

On the second day in Pereslavl-Zalessky, you should continue your journey through museums and go to the Iron Museum, the Museum of Cunning and Ingenuity, the Alexander Nevsky Museum, the Museum of Gramophones and Records, the Berendey House, the Teapot Museum, and the Pereslavl Museum-Reserve. In addition, you can spend time with your family in places such as the exhibition hall “House of Artist”, Pereslavl Dendrological Garden named after. S.F. Kharitonov, Pleshcheyevo Lake, Russian Park complex.

If you are interested in seeing the remaining architectural monuments of the city, be sure to go to the Nikolsky Monastery, Trinity Danilov Monastery, Simeon Church, Feodorovsky Monastery, Sretenskaya Church, Intercession Church.

Nikolsky Monastery

Throughout its long history, this monastery was subjected to devastation as a result of raids. Until the 14th century, the Nikolskaya monastery was a women’s monastery, and after that it became a men’s monastery. In the 1920s the monastery was closed. The main cathedral was blown up, other rooms were used for cattle sheds, as well as apartments and repair shops. In the 1990s, most of the temples had to be completely restored.

St. Nicholas Monastery is distinguished by its beauty and grandeur. The temple is active, so you can go inside it and carefully examine all the details. The monastery itself is located in a very picturesque place where you can take a leisurely stroll, enjoying the beauty of the architecture.

Iron Museum

The museum houses a small private collection, which is located inside a merchant's mansion. This place is very popular among tourists. It attracts them with its theme and interesting exhibits. The collection includes more than 200 irons that people used before the advent of electricity.

It is unlikely that you will find an analogue to this museum anywhere. Its exhibits are very unusual and interesting. Therefore, you definitely should not miss the opportunity to visit it.

Complex "Russian Park"

This tourist complex, which consists of a Russian village with wooden houses, has the atmosphere and interior of the 19th - early 20th centuries. Museum exhibitions will tell you about the discoveries and inventions that were made by our compatriots. At the local tavern you can try traditional Russian cuisine.

Here you can carefully examine the conditions in which people lived several centuries ago. The atmosphere of wooden houses fully corresponds to that time. The comfortable conditions that the complex provides you will allow you to spend a lot of time here.

Trinity Danilov Monastery

This temple, founded by a monk of the Nikitsky Monastery, is another monastery in Pereslavl. Trinity Cathedral - the main temple - was built in honor of the birth of Ivan the Terrible. The monastery had at its disposal numerous lands and villages with peasants, and even during the Time of Troubles it did not completely lose its wealth.

The temple is located in a very picturesque place. It is best to come here in warm and sunny weather. Here you can sit on benches installed near the monastery and enjoy the beauty of the architecture.

Simeon Church

Simeonovskaya Church is a monument of Russian provincial baroque. Construction of the temple began in 1771. The church is a two-story and two-altar building. During Soviet times, the church was destroyed and closed. In 1992 it was handed over to believers. Today, services are held in the lower room of the temple, and the upper room is under restoration.

The tall church building attracts the attention of tourists. The temple amazes with its unusual beauty both outside and inside. In the church you can see unique icons that were returned from museums, other churches from private collections, and were also painted to order.

Museum of Cunning and Ingenuity

In this unique museum you can see many different objects and devices that people used to make housekeeping easier. The collection includes fruit cutters, dishes for mustachioed men, pest traps, etc. You will be allowed to test how some of the exhibits work in practice.

This museum is worth visiting with children. People of absolutely any age category will be interested here. The uniqueness of the exhibits and the opportunity to test their effect will definitely not let you get bored.

Feodorovsky Monastery

The Feodorovsky Monastery is located on the site of the battle between the Moscow princes and the Tver princes, which took place in 1304. At the beginning of the 20th century, this monastery numbered 500 nuns and nuns. Three deserts were assigned to the temple, one of which included Alekseevskaya. During the Soviet Union, the monastery ceased to exist; its restoration began in the 2000s.

The Feodorovsky Monastery has a very unusual and attractive aura. Tourists speak admiringly of the time they spent in the temple. Here you can take many colorful photographs as a souvenir.

Lake Pleshcheyevo

Lake Pleshcheyevo can deservedly be called one of the most beautiful bodies of water in Central Russia. Around this lake you can find a large variety of tourist centers and hotels. Many tourists come to them to actively spend their weekends or vacations. You can take a walk near the lake, enjoying the fresh air.

This attraction is good because you can find a suitable place to relax here, choose a hotel where you will stay while traveling around Pereslavl-Zalessky. The lake attracts the attention of tourists with its beauty. You can come here with the whole family to spend time together.

You can enjoy magnificent panoramas of the mysterious reservoir and hear folk legends on this excursion:

Alexander Nevsky Museum

The museum was opened in 2012. The exhibition is dedicated to the time when Alexander Nevsky ruled on the territory of Pereslavl-Zalessky. In the museum you can see a model of the city from the 12th century, icons depicting the prince, awards that bear his name, as well as the composition “Three Warriors”.

You will not find analogues of this museum in Russia. This place will definitely be of interest to history buffs, as well as people who want to know more information about the city they are visiting. This is why you should include the museum in your itinerary.

Pereslavl Dendrological Garden

This garden was opened in the 1950s, and since 1998 it has been part of the Pleshcheyevo Lake National Park. In this place you can find plants that came from different parts of Russia, as well as the world: Crimea, Caucasus, Far East, Siberia, Western Europe, China, Japan, etc. In the park you can leisurely stroll along the alleys, as well as stone bridges that are located over artificial reservoirs.

This place is perfect for lovers of a quiet and measured holiday. In the park you can hide from the city noise and bustle. In addition, here you will take many colorful pictures that will remind you of your trip.

Museum of Gramophones and Records

The Museum of Gramophones and Records is a small private museum dedicated to music and devices for playing it. The museum's collection includes gramophones, phonographs, electrophones, and gramophone records. In the museum they will tell you the history of these devices, show you how the devices are designed and how sound is created.

You can safely visit the museum with your children. It will be interesting for people of different ages. In addition, you will be able to take atmospheric photographs with the exhibits of this unusual museum.

Sretenskaya Church

The strict classical style of the Sretenskaya Church sets it apart from other churches in the city. The temple was built in 1785. In the first years of Soviet power, the church was closed. It was returned to believers only in 1988. The temple is located in a beautiful and picturesque place. Here you can take a walk, carefully examining the architecture of the church. If you have to choose several architectural monuments of Pereslavl, include this unusual temple in your route.

Berendey's House

"Berendey's House" is a museum complex that combines an exhibition, a playground, a cafe and a souvenir shop. During the excursion you will be told about traditional Russian life, customs, and traditions. Here you can choose any excursion to suit your taste. The main character of all the actions is the fabulous Berendey.

This place is perfect for spending time with the family. You can enjoy an interesting excursion and then try local dishes in a cafe. In addition, on the territory of the complex you will have the opportunity to buy souvenirs for your family, friends and colleagues.

Church of the Intercession

The Church of the Intercession stands out from other architectural monuments by the fact that it has never been closed since its creation. The stone temple was built in 1769. The Soviet government transferred all valuables and utensils from closed churches here. Thanks to this, many ancient and unique things were kept here.

The Church of the Intercession attracts attention with its rather unusual architecture. It is located on a small and quiet street in the city. Thanks to this, you will be able to see absolutely all the details of the temple without being distracted by anything.

Teapot Museum

You simply cannot pass by this museum. Firstly, your attention will immediately be attracted by the appearance of the building in which the collection is located: the house is painted in very bright colors that catch the eye of tourists. The museum was founded in 2003. Here you can look at different types of teapots: porcelain, copper, cupronickel.

In this museum you can not only carefully examine the interesting collection, but also take photographs against the backdrop of an unusual house. Funny inscriptions will not let you pass by this museum. And after visiting it you will have many good memories.

Pereslavl Museum-Reserve

The exhibitions of the Pereslavl Museum-Reserve are located within the walls of the Goritsky Monastery, which was abolished in the mid-18th century. The structure of the complex includes an art gallery, the Transfiguration Cathedral, the Boat of Peter I, etc. In the museum-reserve you can view iconography, paintings, wooden sculptures and other historical exhibitions.

The museum-reserve attracts the attention of many tourists. This place has a great advantage: when you come here, you can at the same time visit other attractions of the city. Thanks to this, you will save time that would otherwise be spent on travel.

Exhibition hall "House of Artist"

“The Artist’s House” is an exhibition hall where you can see paintings, graphics, sculpture, ceramics, as well as various souvenirs. This gallery exhibits works by nine of the best masters of painting in Pereslavl. In addition, the exhibition hall hosts artist excursions, master classes and thematic programs.

This place is recommended for visiting with children. Here you will definitely not be allowed to get bored or regret visiting the exhibition hall. “The Artist's House” will leave only pleasant impressions and memories.