The ancient Russian city has preserved a unique heritage of different eras. We share routes around Veliky Novgorod: the main attractions that you can see in 1 and 2 days on your own.
Any journey brings maximum pleasure if it is well planned. In the city, which many centuries ago was the first republic on the territory of Russia, there are churches of the pre-Mongol period, medieval temples, fortifications and monasteries. All this in Veliky Novgorod can be seen on your own in one or two days.
Look for interesting excursions on the Sputnik and Tripster websites. Individual and group, no crowds of tourists and in Russian.
What to see in Veliky Novgorod in 1 day
If you have only one day to get to know the city, you should not be upset. Even in such a short time, you can learn a lot of interesting things and make an impression about Veliky Novgorod. Choose from the below listed attractions the most interesting!
Map of Veliky Novgorod with landmarks
Novgorod Detinets (Kremlin)
On the left bank of the Volkhov, in the center of the city, there is the territory of one of the oldest monuments of defensive architecture in our country - the Novgorod Kremlin. This is the main attraction of Veliky Novgorod, which is a must-see. Just imagine: the wooden fortress was built by the son of Yaroslav the Wise - Prince Vladimir, and the first stone fortifications on the hill appeared in the 1430s!
The fortress has an oval shape. The length of its walls is about 1.5 km. 9 towers rise along the perimeter, from which an excellent view of the historical buildings and the Volkhov valley opens. There are several sights on the territory of the Kremlin.
Sophia Cathedral located in the center of the Kremlin. The Orthodox Cathedral Church is one of the oldest in the city. It was built in the middle of the 11th century. Inside the cathedral there are fragments of frescoes from the 12th century, three iconostases with icons from the 11th-19th centuries, the relics of saints and the bronze Magdeburg gates.
In the southeastern part of the Kremlin there is a small church of Andrei Stratilat with paintings from the 16th-17th centuries. Take a walk around Detinets, walk along the ancient wall and take a photo from the Battle Pass of the Kremlin. The famous monument to the 1000th anniversary of Russia is located in the center of the fortification, and jewelry treasures brought from different parts of the world are exhibited in the Faceted Chamber.
If you come to Veliky Novgorod with children, then in the Kremlin see the Children's Museum Center. It hosts master classes, games and family excursions to the Falconry yard.
Opening hours and tickets. The Kremlin is open any day from 6:00 to 00:00. Museum exhibitions - from 10:00 to 18:00, except Mondays. They are allowed to enter Detinets free of charge.
Entrance to exhibitions dedicated to the history of Novgorod, Russian icons and ancient Russian carvings costs 170 rubles. Tickets for classes and excursions at the Children's Museum Center - 100 rubles for adults and 50 rubles for children. You can enter Novgorodsky Detinets from Sofiyskaya Embankment or from Victory Square (Sofiyskaya).
Troitsky excavation site
In Veliky Novgorod, you can also see the excavations in operation. To the south of the Novgorod Kremlin, near the Trinity Church, there is an open area of more than 800 sq. m - Troitsky excavation site. Here archaeologists and historians have found many ancient birch bark letters, pottery, horse harness, weapons and jewelry.
Opening hours and tickets. The excavation site is located near the intersection of Telegin-Redyatina and Troitskaya streets and is open to tourists from 9:30 to 19:00. The price for an adult is 50 rubles, and for a child - 30 rubles.
In the summer there are half-hour excursions: tourists walk along the pavement of the early XIV century and to the observation deck, from where the entire territory of archaeological research is visible.
Yaroslav's courtyard
If you cross the pedestrian Kremlin bridge to the right bank of the Volkhov, you will find yourself near the ancient Vecheva square and Yaroslav's courtyard. In the Middle Ages, on the site where a green park with avenues of birches and lindens spreads, there was the Great Bargaining and a rich princely court. This is another important attraction of Veliky Novgorod - you can see it on your own in 1 day.
On the territory of Yaroslav's Dvor there is a picturesque Hanseatic fountain, an arcade of the Gostiny Dvor and several ancient temples. The oldest of them is Nicholas cathedral XII century, where the meetings of the People's Novgorod Republic were held. Fragments of the 12th century murals and the 19th century wall frescoes have been preserved inside. The cathedral shows a circular multimedia panorama that reproduces the center of medieval Novgorod.
Nearby, on Moskovskaya Street, flaunts Church of St. George for the Auction, erected in the middle of the XIV century. Inside it is an exposition that tells about the ancient frescoes of Novgorod's churches, destroyed during the Great Patriotic War.
The best view of the former marketplace opens from the observation deck of the Gate Tower of Gostiny Dvor, built in the 17th century. It hosts an exhibition of art metal of the 11th-19th centuries. An ethnographic exposition dedicated to Novgorod crafts was opened in the Church of the Myrrh-Bearing Women.
Opening hours and tickets. The churches of Yaroslav's Court are available for tourists from Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. A single ticket for viewing the Nikolsky Cathedral and the multimedia panorama costs 170 rubles. The price of tickets to other churches is 100 rubles for adults and 50 rubles for children.
Church of the Transfiguration
Do you want to look at Old Russian painting in Veliky Novgorod? Then visit the ancient Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior.
The temple, which was built in the second half of the 14th century, has frescoes by the Byzantine iconographer Theophanes the Greek. Although only 1/10 of the original painting has survived, the images created by the famous master are very impressive.
Opening hours and tickets. The church is located on the right bank of the Volkhov, on Ilyin Street, 28. The temple is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00. The ticket costs 120 rubles.
Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyin
Cathedral of the Sign
To look at the colorful scenes of the Last Judgment and other ancient liturgical murals, take a look at the majestic Znamensky Cathedral. The frescoes of this church were made at the beginning of the 18th century by talented icon painters of the embassy order.
Opening hours and tickets. The cathedral is located between Ilyinka Street and Znamensky Lane. For tourists, the doors of the temple are open from Thursday to Monday from 10:00 to 17:00. Admission for adults costs 100 rubles, and for children - 50 rubles.
Monuments of Veliky Novgorod and its environs (from the UNESCO list)
What to see for a tourist in Veliky Novgorod in 2 days
What else to see in Veliky Novgorod on your own? On the second day, we advise you to visit the sights outside the city center.
"Vitoslavlitsy"
4 km south of Novgorodsky Detinets, on the southern shore of Lake Myachino, there is a museum of wooden architecture. "Vitoslavlitsy" began to be created in the mid-1960s. Today, samples of old wooden buildings have been collected on an area of 33.4 hectares. In the open air you can see peasant estates, wooden churches, a chapel, a smithy, a granary and a stable. The museum hosts excursions, master classes on traditional Novgorod crafts, folk games and folklore festivals.
Opening hours and tickets. From October to March, it is open from 10:00 to 17:00, in April and September from 10:00 to 18:00, and from May to August from 10:00 to 20:00. The entrance costs 170 rubles.
Learn about folk crafts in Veliky Novgorod >>
On day 2, tourists are advised to look at the ancient Christian monastery in Veliky Novgorod - St. George's Monastery. According to legend, it was founded by Prince Yaroslav the Wise. The first Orthodox monastery played an important role in the history of the Novgorod lands. Today the monastery is active.On its territory there are St. George, Spassky and Holy Cross Cathedrals, a four-tiered bell tower 52 m high and several old churches.
Opening hours and tickets. For pilgrims and tourists, it is open daily from 8:00 to 20:00. The entrance is free.
How to get there. The monastery stands on the left bank of the Volkhov, on Yuryevskoe highway, 10 - not far from the Vitoslavlitsy museum. You can get there by bus # 7, which runs from the city railway station.
