Zamoskvorechye

Laidback former-merchant’s village mixing the historic and the modern

Noteworthy for: The pre-20th century branch of the stunning Tretaykov Art Gallery can be found down one of Zamoskvorechye many little side-streets.
Meaning literally ‘over the river’ in Russian, this laidback district boasts historic wooden houses and a plethora of colourful churches tucked in amongst its modern high-rises. This part of the city wasn’t spared the mores of Soviet town planning and 21st century commerce however, and sadly almost all of the area’s small artisan workshops and small town feel have now been resigned to the history books.

Many nuggets of tranquility do still remain though, especially if you wander into the unmarked courtyards and find the small gardens, chapels and courtyard cafes that make this such a great area for walking.