Top 10 Valdai Attractions, Russia

Most tourists associate Valdai with the lake and the national park - very popular places for eco-recreation at any time of the year. At the same time, this is a small and rather cute town with an ancient centuries-old history. The first mention of it refers to the XV century. The city was a palace village until 1654, 100 years later it was transferred to the Iversky Monastery.

The main reason why many travelers come here is to visit the famous monastery, admire the unique architectural ensemble of its temples or spend a few unforgettable days on the shores of Valdai Lake, which is distinguished by its incredible beauty. The town itself has several noteworthy museums and churches from the past centuries.

What to see and where to go in Valdai?

The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.

Valdai Iversky Monastery

The Iberian monastery was founded in the middle of the 17th century at the behest of Patriarch Nikon himself, a reformer and prominent church leader with the permission of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The construction of stone temples immediately began, bypassing the wooden stage. In 1654, the island, lake and other vast lands were transferred to the monastery. In the 18th century, a period of decline began, and at the beginning of the 20th century, the monastery was transformed into a labor artel. Its revival began in the 1990s. The architectural complex includes preserved temples, economic and residential buildings of the 17th - 19th centuries.

Museum of Bells

The museum was opened in 1995 in the building of the Church of the Great Martyr Catherine, built in the 18th century. The building is made in the form of a classical rotunda. The exposition tells about the history of bells and introduces visitors to various casting techniques. You can not only look at the exhibits, guests are allowed to call themselves, having previously listened to the reference recordings, which are also stored in the museum.

Museum Bell Center

Another museum dedicated to the history of bells. Its exposition is located in four halls. In the first one, visitors will see the most ancient exhibits (from the 3rd century BC), as well as bell-shaped structures from the countries of Asia and Europe of later periods, documentary materials. The second contains signal bells, which first appeared in Valdai. In the third and fourth rooms you can see various decorative mechanisms and get acquainted with the modern history of bells.

Museum of the county town

The exposition is located in the estate of the XIX century, previously owned by the local aristocrat K. O. Mikhailova. Before the Revolution, various administrative institutions were located in the house. Part of the collection was made up of items confiscated from the Iberian monastery after its closure. The institution was opened in 1998, at the same time the exposition was significantly replenished with items donated to the museum by the Valdai families.

Trinity Cathedral

Before the construction of the stone building, the Trinity Church was built several times from wood. The exact date of the founding of the first church is not determined, approximately it happened in the 17th century. It received the status of a cathedral in 1772. In the XVIII-XIX centuries, the building was rebuilt due to the fact that it often burned. The last fire occurred in 1993, after which the cathedral had to be rebuilt.

Vvedenskaya Church

The stone church was erected in the second half of the 18th century. Prior to that, its place on the Market Square was occupied by a wooden temple, which later died in a fire. The structure was built in the form of two quarters, hoisted one on top of the other. Before the fire of the middle of the 19th century, the building was decorated with a bell tower, but after the disaster it was never restored. The church is currently in disrepair.

Chapel of Jacob Borovichi

The building is located next to the church of St. Catherine. It was erected in 1826 in memory of Emperor Alexander I in just one year. The small building is made in the classical tradition: the main entrance is decorated in the form of a Greek portico with massive columns, the main building is a quadrangle crowned with a dome. In 2009, the chapel was overhauled.

Church of Peter and Paul

The Church of Peter and Paul is a cemetery church. It was built in the middle of the 19th century with the money of the merchant V. A. Kolobov. The temple did not operate in the period 1941-43, the rest of the time services were held on its territory, despite the fact that the rest of the religious institutions of the city were closed. Before being transferred to the Iberian monastery, the image of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, highly revered in the Orthodox tradition, was kept here.

Valdaisky National Park

The national park was established in 1990 in order to preserve the natural diversity of the Valdai Upland. Over time, it has become a popular outdoor recreation area (with all strict rules and regulations for not harming the environment). On the territory of the reserve there are lakes Valdai, Seliger and Velye, which are in demand among lovers of water tourism.

Valdai lake

A picturesque reservoir located on the territory of the national park of the same name. There are sandy beaches along the shores of the lake, and there are also three large islands. On one of them - Rudnev just stands the ensemble of buildings of the Iberian monastery. The water in Valdai Lake is clean and transparent, in some places boulders and stones lie at the very edge, the outlines of trees are reflected in the mirror surface.