Travel Notes

Elista Temple

The world’s largest Buddhist Temple has been built in Elista. Construction continued day and night for nine months after, one year ago, local Buddhists promised the Dalai Llama that they would build a temple in the heart of Elista, long considered the heart of European Buddhism.

The temple was financed entirely by donations and its opening in January coincided with the beginning of the of the holiday of Zul. Yet work was not fully completed even by the time of the temple’s opening. A residence for the Dalai Lama has yet to be built, as do a dormitory for monks and a hotel for pilgrims.

Rostov Hotel

Rostov-Veliky has seen the opening of its first three-star hotel, Moscow Trakt. The hotel has 93 beds and was financed by the Moscow city government. It is the first of five such hotels that Moscow plans to build in the cities of the Golden Ring.

In 2006, new hotels will open in Uglich and Pereslavl-Zalessky. In 2007, Yaroslavl and Rybinsk will follow suit. Intourist will manage the network of hotels.

Yaroslav Governor Anatoly Lisitsyn said that, within 10 years, the region could be receiving up to 30% of its revenues from tourism. And for this, he said, modern hotels are needed, as is an updating of museums and the tourist infrastructure, as well as a new international airport.

Rostov-Veliky is one of Russia’s oldest cities and lies on the Moscow-Arkhangelsk road, some 53 km from Yaroslavl and 200 km from Moscow.

Soft Train Classes Up

Russian Railways increased their fares for SV and coupé cabins by 22% on January 1. This makes these fares one of the most rapidly inflating travel service costs in the country – growing at more than twice the rate of inflation for several years running. Fares for such cabins are not regulated by the State and are set solely by Russian Railways. As a result of the increase, on some routes the cost of train passage exceeds airfares. Prices for standard and platzkart tickets increased only 12%.

An coupé ticket from Moscow to Vladivostok this summer (prices vary based on the time of year) on the Rossiya now costs R11,332 and an SV ticket R21,075.

Moscow Marriott

In Moscow, the first Courtyard Marriott hotel has been opened. The 218 room hotel is located a ten minute walk from the Kremlin, near the Conservatory and is part of a 700 hotel chain bearing the Marriott brand.

The hotel, which has rates in excess of $225 per night, has two restaurants, a gym, underground parking and all of the usual hotel services, including in-room high-speed Internet.

According to data from the Moscow city Tourism Committee, some 8-10 new hotels open up each year in Moscow. In 2006, 18 hotels are slated to open their doors. Some 40% of current Moscow hotels are classified as three-star  (Kosmos, Izmailovo, etc.), 22% as four- and five-star, and the remainder as lower class accommodations.

Top Ten

At the New Year, Izvestia newspaper offered an interesting list of the Ten Best Places to visit in the Moscow region. The listing serves as a checklist of daytrips to make during visits to the capital: New Jerusalem (monastery, nature, Pyramid of Hunger), Borovsk (monastery, the extremely clean Protva river), Arkhangelskoe (estate), Sergiev Posad (Orthodox holy site, Lavra), Abramtsevo (historic artistic center), Kratovo (incomparable nature, children’s railroad), Peredelkino (historic artistic center), Nikolina Gora (Veresayev Museum and other artistic attractions), Lesniye Daly/Polyany (Presidential dacha region, forests, excellent sporting facilities), Zvyozdny Gorodok (cosmonaut training site). Of these, according to Izvestia, Zvyozdny Gorodok is the most popular, having received 17,000 visitors in the second half of last year. In second place: Sergiev Posad.