Leave the center for a couple of hours; take 25-minutes trip by metro and 10 minutes walk - and you will come inside the Russian fairy tale. Looking to the 200-year-old trees which remember the Tzars and noble families, feeding squirrels and ducks from your hands, riding a boat on the calm water of Kuz'minskiy Pond, you soon will be ready to meet Little Red Riding Hood or Zolushka - and even Ded Moroz, the Russian Santa Claus who has the winter residence here!
Park Kuz’minki is more popular with locals than with the tourists. Before the Red Revolution, it was the summer residence of Golitsin family where they came by horses. Nowadays the park has a total area of 11,89 square kilometers.
It is a well-designed, quiet, relaxed and very beautiful place where one can walk by the little trails, enjoy the lunch or just a cup of coffee in the restaurants and cafes facing the big pond and even buy some local souvenirs.The only park in Moscow that almost everyone heard about is Gorkiy park, mentioned in the song of Scorpions. But there are 121 parks in Moscow, and all of them are very different!
How to get to the Kuz'minki Park:
The fastest way to go anywhere in Moscow is the Metro, which is very easy organized (especially
comparing to New York or Paris); the map of Metro has an English translation. You should find the station “Kuz’minki” that is just in 6 stations (about 20 minutes) from the City Center by the purple line. When you exit the Metro, go to the long part of the underground path and then up. You will see the big supermarket named “Перекресток” (Perekrestok); go perpendicular to the big road named Volgogradskiy prospect, pass the supermarket and walk 3 squares, so you will find the entrance to the Park. Another option is to take a taxi directly from the Metro station, which should not cost more than 300 Russian Rubles.
Where to stay near Kuz'minki Park:
As in any other big city, there are plenty of hotels for any budget and requirements in Moscow. The price range is from 6 EUR per night for the bed in a dormitory till 500 EUR per night in a luxury hotel in the center of the City.
Weather and Climate in Moscow City:
The climate in Moscow is continental, and the weather is quite unpredictable; during the day, it can move by 10-15 degrees, so watch the current observations.
In summer months you can enjoy the blossoming of nature, but wintertime is very nice too, especially if you want to go skiing or sledding or to meet Russian Santa Claus named Ded Moroz, who has winter residence in the park. Spring and Autumn are not that pleasant – there might be a lot of mud and rains
Money matters:
In summer months you can enjoy the blossoming of nature, but wintertime is very nice too, especially if you want to go skiing or sledding or to meet Russian Santa Claus named Ded Moroz, who has winter residence in the park. Spring and Autumn are not that pleasant – there might be a lot of mud and rains
- You can buy the ticket for Metro inside the hall of any station; the one-way ticket for any direction costs about 40-45 euro cents, depending on the current rate.
- The entrance to the park is free. If you decide to visit some heritages, the tickets will cost you about 5 EUR. The cup of coffee or cold drink is about 3-4 EUR; the lunch for one costs about 20-30 EUR.
- You can pay in Russian Rubles only.
Pieces of Advice:
- If you take some nuts, the squirrels will be happy to be your photo-models.
- It is completely safe in the park, but swimming in the ponds is not recommended.