Moscow?

[alex330]

Planning a trip to Moscow to meet my girl over Turkey Day weekend. First time to Moscow, flying into DME.
Any advice on must see or do's? Anything advice that will make the trip more enjoyable?

[JR]

Best thing to see in Moscow: your girl

[acctBill]

Alex depending on your age and the age of your g/f and your time on the ground in Moscow there are an endless number of sites to see.  At the top of the list is probably the Kremlin and Red Square.  If you or your g/f are arts lovers then the Bolshoi is a must see.  Unless the season has changed in the last couple of years there should be shows on while you're there.  GUM Department Store and shopping mall is probably the most famous store/mall in Moscow.  There are also a number of outdoor markets in Moscow.  Your g/f probably knows where some good ones are.     

[Vaughn]

Alex - I spent Thanksgiving Day 2002 walking around Red Square with my future wife and stepdaughter, just a day
before their first flight to the USA. It was snowing very heavily - dress darkly and warmly without fail.

[Eduard]

yes, make sure you have good quality warm clothes and a warm hat. Russian winter can be very nasty. keep in mind that they don't have TJ Max, Marshall's or Ross in Moscow. If you have to buy anything there you will be paying premium prices like at designer stores in Manhattan (NY).

[JohnDearGreen]

Planning a trip to Moscow to meet my girl over Turkey Day weekend. First time to Moscow, flying into DME.
Any advice on must see or do's? Anything advice that will make the trip more enjoyable?

A boat cruise down Moscow river.  It was cool even in August.  Sparrow Hills near Moscow University.  Two couples were celebrating a wedding there on a Saturday.  Arbat street.  Gorky Park.  Nightclubs.  Parks.
I enjoyed staying in an apartment to get a taste of the local life, rather than the PencilBox Hotel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Moscow_tourist_attractions

[wicheese]

Planning a trip to Moscow to meet my girl over Turkey Day weekend. First time to Moscow, flying into DME.
Any advice on must see or do's? Anything advice that will make the trip more enjoyable?

Is she from Moscow because if that's the case then do not worry as she'll want to show you around.

The weather will be cold, but not too cold as you might even catch some cold dreary rainy days (granted, I'm looking at the forecast for next week when I'll be there).  Only reason why weather matters is that some of the best things to see in Moscow are outside.  I would recommend buying "Eyewitness Travel: Moscow" as it's dated on a lot of things, not to mention an out-of-date subway map, but they have the main tourist attractions down.

I've only been there 10 times, so I'm not an expert, but I probably have seen most of the main attractions at least twice (as I always make sure to see the sites when traveling).

My list would be:

1. Kremlin (go inside and don't forget the Treasure room)
2. Red Square, St. Basils, and GUM (a few minor sites right around the corner like Palace of the Boyers and in the other direction Bolshoy)
3. An easy walk Red Square is the Tretyakov Gallery (my favorite art museum in Moscow) and if you were there during warmer weather a walk around the area can take you to the Luzkov bridge as there is a nice little garden there.
4. Christ the Redeemer Cathedral is another landmark you can't miss, not too far from the Peter the Great Statue.  Across the street is the Pushkin museum, but if time is limited I would go with the Tretyakov.  (again if the weather is warmer, you can walk towards (across the pedestrian bridge from the Cathedral) the New Tretyakov as a lot of artists display their work, plus you can duck into the garden of fallen monuments which has a lot of old statues from Soviet times and quite quiet on a summer day).  The street artists can also be found in the pedestrian crossing in front of Gorky Park.
5. Take a walk along the Old Arbat as it's the most touristy area in Moscow, but still worth a stroll for a first time visitor.  
6. Novodevich Convent, nice park on the outside and lots on history on the inside (don't forget the graveyard).  
7. If you like things military, stop by the Russian Army museum as the flight line of old planes is impressive (if the weather is nice then take a walk in the adjacent Alexandar Gardens).
8. If you are with you lady, then stopping by Sparrow Hills is a must as it's a nice overlook and the Moscow State U. also makes a good backdrop for pictures (probably one of the better places to get trinkets from street vendors as it seems like they have clean up a lot of vendors in the red square area.  
9. Victory Park (only if the weather is nice as it's a big area and better to be seen during the summer when the fountains are on).  Nearby you have the Triumphal Arch.
10. Parks that are well worth the visit, only if you have good weather (read: summer) are Kolomenskoe (they recently finished building a big replica wooden palace of the Tsars), Tsaritysyno, and Kuskovo.

Oh, if you are into snow skiing and your lady has a car, then you might be able to ski in the area as they might be operation by the time you arrive.  Tiny little hills, but it's a hoot as Moscow is a pretty flat city (they are usually open to about 4 AM as a lot of people drive out there after work).  The place I went to was Volen, but a few little hills are in the city if you have your own equipment.  

This just scratches the surface, but you will have no shortage of things to see.  Good Luck!

[Kuna]

Greatrecommendations above.

For me,  if you're there for a short time the MUST SEE spots are:

Kremlin Museum/Red Square/St Basils
Tretyakov Gallery

Fabulous city....  have fun!

[Chicagoguy]

If you have some time try Izmailovo Park. It is a HUGE area with hundreds of tourist booths in front and many very interesting older things in the rear. But you are not allowed to bring older Icons out of the country.

[Thomcat]

Just to let you know DME is one of the easiest airports I have ever navigated.
All boarding signs were in Russian and English.Very modern airport.

[Jack]

Moscow is a must city to see for anyone going to Russia. Even if you are just changing airports to head further east, or going to St. Petersburg, every man must take out a little time to see Moscow. 

And what I found several years ago is still true today, many ladies from the far corners of Russia will jump at the chance to meet you in Moscow. I cannot think of a better way of discovering the sites and sounds of Moscow than with a beautiful Russian woman also excited in seeing Moscow.

No trip to Moscow could ever be complete without a trip to Red Square and seeing St. Basil's Cathedral. Don't forget to get your photo taken standing in front of St. Basil's. Usually best to stand about 120 meters in front of St. Basil, in Red Square, to get the best photo.

If beautiful Cathedral's are to your liking you must see Kazan Cathedral and the Troitse-Sergiyeva Larva.

I never make a trip to Moscow without visiting the Tretyakov museum.  As I have learned more about Russian history over the years I find I spend more time in the Tretyakov (and Pushkin) museums. Now many of these wonderful paintings that I first saw some 15 years ago make more sense to me. I can look at the painting of the Battle of Poltava now for 15 minutes and look at all the little details I had never noticed before learning more of this famous battle, the battle that made the world aware for the first time that Russia was a military power.   Now when I see the painting of Ivan holding his dying son in his arms, when I see the device used to strike his son laying next to Ivan, a tear will come to my eyes. Now, after learning more of Russian history, these great paintings have so much more meaning.

Take a walk down Old Arbat, then take a walk down New Arbat. Want to see a lot of cars that cost a hundred thousand dollars? There on New Arbat.

A guided tour of the old KGB building was greatly educational. You must travel on Moscow's metro station. The most efficient, beautiful metro in the world.  If you just missed your train, don't worry, another will be along in one minute. The metro is a lot better than sitting in one of Moscow's almost daily traffic problems.

How flat, how green and beautiful is Moscow?  Well, at Thanksgiving you will not see how green Moscow is but in the spring, in the summer, take a ride to the top of the TV tower. They have a rotating restaurant at the top. Can't say much for the food but the view is beautiful. Find Stalin's Seven Sisters and you'll have a good idea as to where other sites are located in Moscow. My first time going to this restaurant at the top of the tower I did not have my passport with me and they would not allow me to enter without my passport. I was staying at the Hotel Cosmos at the time so a quick trip back to the Cosmos to get my passport and I went to the top of the tower.  A year after my visit to the restaurant it caught fire, some people died.

A walk up Tverskaya street, doing the Moscow river boat ride, taking photos from in front of Moscow University overlooking the river and city, are also must do things.

In addition to Red Square you will find Pushkin square, Komsomolskaya Square, Slavyanskaya square and Theatre Square interesting.  In addition to Gorky Park you will like Lzmaylovskiy and Sokolniki Parks as fun parks to visit as well Neskuchniy Garden.

[Kuna]

Moscow is a must city to see for anyone going to Russia. Even if you are just changing airports to head further east, or going to St. Petersburg, every man must take out a little time to see Moscow. 

And what I found several years ago is still true today, many ladies from the far corners of Russia will jump at the chance to meet you in Moscow. I cannot think of a better way of discovering the sites and sounds of Moscow than with a beautiful Russian woman also excited in seeing Moscow.

No trip to Moscow could ever be complete without a trip to Red Square and seeing St. Basil's Cathedral. Don't forget to get your photo taken standing in front of St. Basil's. Usually best to stand about 120 meters in front of St. Basil, in Red Square, to get the best photo.

If beautiful Cathedral's are to your liking you must see Kazan Cathedral and the Troitse-Sergiyeva Larva.

I never make a trip to Moscow without visiting the Tretyakov museum.  As I have learned more about Russian history over the years I find I spend more time in the Tretyakov (and Pushkin) museums. Now many of these wonderful paintings that I first saw some 15 years ago make more sense to me. I can look at the painting of the Battle of Poltava now for 15 minutes and look at all the little details I had never noticed before learning more of this famous battle, the battle that made the world aware for the first time that Russia was a military power.   Now when I see the painting of Ivan holding his dying son in his arms, when I see the device used to strike his son laying next to Ivan, a tear will come to my eyes. Now, after learning more of Russian history, these great paintings have so much more meaning.

Take a walk down Old Arbat, then take a walk down New Arbat. Want to see a lot of cars that cost a hundred thousand dollars? There on New Arbat.

A guided tour of the old KGB building was greatly educational. You must travel on Moscow's metro station. The most efficient, beautiful metro in the world.  If you just missed your train, don't worry, another will be along in one minute. The metro is a lot better than sitting in one of Moscow's almost daily traffic problems.

How flat, how green and beautiful is Moscow?  Well, at Thanksgiving you will not see how green Moscow is but in the spring, in the summer, take a ride to the top of the TV tower. They have a rotating restaurant at the top. Can't say much for the food but the view is beautiful. Find Stalin's Seven Sisters and you'll have a good idea as to where other sites are located in Moscow. My first time going to this restaurant at the top of the tower I did not have my passport with me and they would not allow me to enter without my passport. I was staying at the Hotel Cosmos at the time so a quick trip back to the Cosmos to get my passport and I went to the top of the tower.  A year after my visit to the restaurant it caught fire, some people died.

A walk up Tverskaya street, doing the Moscow river boat ride, taking photos from in front of Moscow University overlooking the river and city, are also must do things.

In addition to Red Square you will find Pushkin square, Komsomolskaya Square, Slavyanskaya square and Theatre Square interesting.  In addition to Gorky Park you will like Lzmaylovskiy and Sokolniki Parks as fun parks to visit as well Neskuchniy Garden.

Jack, 

The fourth picture in your post, The Unequal Marriage, is a great conversation starter and quite appropriate for this pursuit too in some cases. 

Kuna

[Jack]

Yes Kuna, your right. 

For those who think that only older foreign men over the last 20 years have pursued young Russian wife's that's not the case.
 
When one examines these many old masterpieces they should realize these are essentially photos of their time. These masterpieces tell so many stories.

[GoodOlBoy]

Hey Alex330.

You might want to check out Lenins Tomb.
When my wife and I were walking through Red Square, I saw this long line of people waiting to go into this small building.
I asked Marina, "What's in there?".
She looked at me with that "deadpan" expression of hers and said in a very hushed voice "The devil rests there Rick". :evil:
I had to wait in line about 45 minutes in freezing/snowy cold weather, But...it was worth it for me (I am the curious type).

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Travel/Russia/Moscow/Highlights/index.html



Also hands down the "Bolshoi Theatre".
We saw the "The Nutcracker".
It was OUTSTANDING!

http://www.bolshoimoscow.com/index.html?sid=5wx86a6Gw26G8LT8h21U&theatre=5&page=catalog&play_date_from=01-Dec-2010&play_date_to=31-Dec-2010

Have a GOOD time in Moscow!!

GOB

[Boethius]

For those who think that only older foreign men over the last 20 years have pursued young Russian wife's that's not the case.

You are incorrect.  It was rare for peasants to marry anyone much older.  Among the nobility, it was more common, but those arranged marriages were often made to form family allegiances, or for property rights.  However, the worlds of the nobility and the peasantry rarely mixed, at least, not maritally (there are a few exceptions).

Also keep in mind that the majority of those young women took lovers closer to their own ages.  

I posted that painting some time ago, noting it is intended to mock old men marrying much younger girls (hence the painting's title).  As I noted then, such marriages were also mocked in Russian literature.
 

[alex330]

Best thing to see in Moscow: your girl

Yea, probably the best answer 
Every time we meet it is so strange, like meeting a new person for the first time, and then we just click and resume right where we left off.
I am sure I am not the only one who has experienced this with the long distance and only seeing each other every 6-8 weeks. Unusual yet exciting.

I really appreciate all the great insight and replies everyone. Looks like I have plenty to see and do.

[GQBlues]

My first trip to Moscow, I remember relying on this site for better or for worst. It did proved to be both helpful and informative.

There are folks who live in Moscow that can likely give you more of a natives' perspectives, but short of that, I like this site.

In most of my other travel, I have also used Virtual Tourist. There's a forum there where you can even query folks that live in the city...

Moscow is a beautiful city....Have a great time.

[Gator]

If you have the time take a trip, consider Suzdal and Vladimir.  Sergey Posad is a shorter trip.  If your lady is religious, she may find the latter very interesting, and even the former.

KGB Museum - Most interesting museum in Moscow  (maybe because I am old enough to remember the cold war).  Entrance by appointment only and difficult to obtain appointment.
 
Other museums not mentioned above:

        -  Museum of the Great Patriotic War - I believe this is the one on a hill surrounded outdoors by real examples of armor, artillery, etc. from the war (including some American airplanes, etc. that we supplied them) and an impressive railroad mounted cannon.

        -  Pushkin Museum (various collections including impressionist art)

Also, go to an "in crowd club" at 2 am and see the beautiful people (actually, rich men and fabulous women).