Destination Moscow, Russia

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.

Red Square
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. 

View of River Moskva from the Kremlin gardens

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 including airport transfers, can be booked through Trailfinders (trailfinders.com) Prices on application

A visa is required for Russia

Tip: get it through your travel agent

First published in All About Hair (All About Hair UK), the travel and lifestyle blog with a luxury twist