Moscow’s energy and drive hits you like nowhere else in the
world.
This sophisticated city is bursting with chic designer shops
and world-class restaurants which sit comfortably alongside historic buildings
and centuries-old decorative churches.
Red Square, the site of St Basil’s Cathedral, had to be my
first stop. That cathedral and its brightly-coloured onion shaped domes,
commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century, is more impressive in
reality than in pictures.
Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton
The Kremlin is on one side and on the other is Gum, the
former state department store, now a luxury shopping mall.
In Soviet times there were always long queues at Gum and not
much on offer. Today there is plenty of choice, but it is incredibly expensive
so you won’t have to wait long to be served. Go inside just to see the
architecture, it is so grand. I couldn’t help thinking how ironic that Lenin’s
mausoleum is opposite.
Next stop was the Kremlin, a fortified citadel with
palaces. The past meets the present here. Once home to the tsars and heads of
the Russian Orthodox Church, it now houses the President’s offices.
The Tsar Cannon, the world’s biggest cannon is near
Cathedral Square. Supposedly it has never been fired. A strange anomaly is
that the nearby enormous Tsar Bell, also the largest of its kind in the world,
has never been rung.
From the Kremlin's gardens, I had wonderful views of the
River Moskva and the city’s eclectic mix of architecture. Dominating the
skyline are the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour with its golden domes and the
so-called Stalin’s Wedding Cakes (also known as the Seven Sisters) which are
peppered all over the city.
Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton
I stayed at the glitzy Ritz-Carlton, a complete contrast
from the Intourist Hotel which formerly occupied the site. The hotel, which I
can thoroughly recommend, is only a short walk away from the Kremlin, Red
Square and the Bolshoi Theatre.
Taxis can be expensive in Moscow and the Metro is hard to
navigate as the signs are in Russian. My ride was included in my sightseeing
tour so I got to see many stations so lavishly decorated with marble, mosaics,
bronze statues and paintings. It is one of the city’s highlights.
The weekend is a good time to visit Moscow as there is
less of its notoriously bad traffic. But still cross the main streets by the
tunnels or you will be taking your life into your hands.
I ended my trip with a visit to the infamous Lubyanka, the
headquarters of the KGB and now home to the FSB (Federal Security Service).
There were times during my trip that I felt as if I had been
catapulted into an episode of Spooks, but that only adds to the thrilling
experience that is Moscow.
By Daralyn Danns
Getting there
Three nights staying at the Ritz-Carton hotel, with return
flights with Swiss International Airlines including airport transfers, two
half-day city guided tours and entry to the Kremlin can be booked through
Russian specialists On the Go Tours, (020 7371 1113, www.onthegotours.com).
Prices on application.
A visa is required for Russia
Tip: get it through your travel agent
