870 years of Moscow

Moscow, 10.09.2017

As always, we arrive in Moscow in the evening. And immediately we are overwhelmed by the crazy traffic. We have a hostel in the city center and try to find a parking space on a stroke of luck. Strangely, many streets in the city center are closed and blocked by garbage trucks and sand-loaded trucks. Anyway, we fight our way to our hostel and find out that parking in Moscow costs unbelievable amount of money. 20 euros per day is not uncommon. In the hostel, we learn that there is a parking lot right next door, which is not free, but well hidden. Great. We go directly to the city and are greeted with a huge firework display. Moscow is celebrating its birthday! 870 years. The entire city center is closed and there are stages everywhere where live bands play.

The next day, with the best weather, we set out to explore the city. The city is crowded. People everywhere. To get to Red Square, we pass through four security checks. But the people are in a great mood and walk around the city with eyelashes and funny cardboard hats. To escape the sun, we stroll through GUM. The department store was built at the end of the 19th century and is still a very special building. The huge glass ceiling is absolutely impressive and we also like the fountain filled with melons.

In the afternoon, we try out Russian cuisine in a small café. Borscht and dumplings are really great. On one side, Moscow's city center is characterized by many monumental buildings. Golden church domes shine in the sun everywhere. On the other side, the city is very green. There are small parks everywhere and between most major streets there is a green strip and you are not forced to use the sidewalk. Typical for Russia are the various World War memorials that stand on every corner. Each of these things is full of pathos. Not a World War memorial, but no less impressive is the monument to Russian space travel. A metal rocket is attached to the end of a huge concrete fire trail and flies towards the Moscow sky.

Since the line is short, we decide to go to Lenin's Mausoleum. The guy has been lying there for several years now and attracts thousands of visitors. In the mausoleum itself, there is silence and you can walk around the glass coffin. The light is dim and the steps echo on the floor. What remains of Lenin and the tons of wax putty that keep the guy in shape are illuminated. After two minutes, we are back in the fresh air. With that, we end the tourist stroll in Moscow.