A Day Trip to Suzdal

Curtis & Marla and Todd & Beth came for a visit to Moscow July 8 and returned home July 16. Except for the one day we went to Suzdal, we kept them busy seeing some of our favorite places in Moscow.

Marla, Sam, Narene, Todd, Beth, and Curtis

We had heard that Suzdal was an interesting place to visit, but we wondered if it would be worth traveling the 124 miles from Moscow for just one day. It was! We were fortunate to have Elena from the Service Center and her two friends go with us, and Elena helped us with tickets and arranging transportation. She was a good guide in Suzdal as well, and I think we were able to experience more of Suzdal in one day than some do in two.

Suzdal is said to be the best preserved
of the cities of 'The Golden Ring.

Leaving Moscow at 8:00 a.m., we traveled to Suzdal on the electrishka as far as Vladimir where we got on a bus that took us to Suzdal. We had ridden electrishkas before with their hard seats, but never before had we seen people having to stand as the seats were all full. It was even worse on the bus with more people standing than sitting. Fortunately, Elena had purchased tickets that included being able to have a seat. Those standing paid the same price for their ticket, but didn’t have a seat.

We rode the bus from Vladimir to Suzdal.

Suzdal has white-washed churches
and wooden houses with carved eaves and windows.


It was fun walking by these houses to see
the different ways the windows were decorated.

We like the windows on the old wooden houses.


The lady was selling cucumbers.

The first records of Suzdal date from 1024. You feel like you are going back in history with the quaint wooden houses with their unique window trim and the numerous old churches. We especially enjoyed the tour of the Museum of Wooden Architecture, which are buildings that have been brought to this outdoor museum from all over Russia.

Touring the Museum of Wooden Architecture.
(More photos below.)

Walking between buildings in the Museum of Wooden Architecture.

A place to store grain.

A cradle rocker.

Model of how the flour mill worked.


The Cathedral of Nativity inside the Kremlin walls.
(Todd, Beth, Elena, Curtis, Marla, Narene, Elena's friends)


The Cathedral of Nativity in the Kremlin.


Every where you looked
it seemed there was another church.

Each church was unique in architecture.

Two churches in one photo.


Icons

Very unusual architecture.
It makes me think of Candy Land.

I like the simplicity of this church.

Here is another view.

Bell Tower

Another bell tower in the background.

Several brides were getting their picture taken at scenic places.

I bought a small pottery bowl from this potter.

The train returning to Moscow left in the afternoon earlier than we wanted to leave, so we opted to take a bus that went directly to Moscow without making any stops along the way. It was a comfortable bus and not very crowded.

Waiting for the bus to come to take us back to Moscow.
(Elena and two friends)

Yuck! The toilet at the bus station was free, but to be avoided.

We returned home tired,
but happy that we had an enjoyable day in Suzdal.