Volgograd is a city with a heroic past. This is due to its specificity in terms of excursions. But not only places of military glory attract travelers Volgograd. This city is located in the lower reaches of the Volga. And therefore there is amazing nature. You can also enjoy beautiful views from the board of a cruise ship making its way through the locks of the Volga-Don canal. If fate has thrown you into the city for several days, you can take a suburban excursion, having gone as part of a weekend tour to see blooming lotuses in Astrakhan or to ancient monasteries. But, of course, for the patriot, Volgograd is, first of all, Stalingrad, where, according to the conclusions of Soviet and then Russian historians, the battle took place, which became a turning point in the Second World War. The city received its present name only in the 60s of the twentieth century. And the lion's share of the sights of Volgograd is somehow connected with the war. But if you are not too interested in the topic of “military”, this does not mean at all that Volgograd is not of tourist interest. The proposed excursions to Volgograd are very diverse, and you can always choose something suitable for yourself.
How to get there
This city is located in the lower Volga, but north of Astrakhan. Volgograd is at the intersection of railways and highways, so getting to it is not difficult. The city has its own airport, which daily takes flights both from the capital of Russia and from other cities of the country. You can get here directly from Saratov, Yekaterinburg, Sochi. Excursion to Volgograd from Moscow can begin at any of the capital's airports. But the sights of the city can be reached not only on the liners of the Aeroflot and Pobeda companies. Trains from St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan, Anapa, Irkutsk, Nizhnevartovsk, Chelyabinsk also follow to Volgograd. In summer, they are added to the compounds connecting the central part of the country with the Black Sea and Caspian resorts. By your own car from Moscow you should move along the Don highway (M-4). If you are lucky and there are no traffic jams, you can reach your destination in thirteen hours.
How to navigate in the city
When planning excursions to Volgograd, it should be understood that this city is a millionaire. But do not be upset about the large distances - you do not have to overcome them daily. Tsaritsyn at the beginning of the twentieth century was a small town. In the era of industrialization, factory outskirts “grew” to it. Despite the fact that Stalingrad during the war was a large industrial center, it was the ancient, Central District that suffered from bombing and street fighting. So you should not expect from Volgograd sights of antiquity deep. After the war, the city resembled a lunar landscape. And was rebuilt. In terms of excursion, of interest is primarily the city center. It is there that the museum “Panorama of the Battle of Stalingrad” and Mamaev Kurgan with the famous (and well-known to every Russian) sculpture “Motherland” are located. You can move around the city in minibuses, buses, trolleybuses. There is such a mode of transport in Volgograd as metrotrams. This is a light rail that in some sections goes underground and acts like a subway. The city is spread out on both banks of the Volga. They are connected not only by bridges, but also by six routes of river steamboats.
Sightseeing tour of Volgograd
Judging by the reviews, it is best to start acquaintance with the hero city in chronological order. After all, Tsaritsyn is a rather ancient settlement. It was founded as a fortress for the defense of Russian borders from the steppe nomads back in 1589. You can get acquainted with the pre-revolutionary Tsaritsyn, military Stalingrad and modern Volgograd with a sightseeing bus and walking tour. It lasts about five hours. You can order it by contacting the center of tourism and excursions (Volgograd, Kommunisticheskaya street, 50). As part of this trip, you can see a monument to governor Grigory Osipovich-Zasekin, the founder of the city. In 1925, Tsaritsyn was given the name of another autocrat of the USSR. And under the name Stalingrad, the city went down in history. A sightseeing tour of the city includes a visit to the memorial ensemble on the Mamaev Kurgan, the panorama museum and the Pavlov’s House.
War memorial
Adult groups, parishioners, schoolchildren and students visit Volgograd. City tours can be of different subjects, but, one way or another, they relate to the times of World War II. Mamaev Kurgan was declared the Seventh Miracle of Russia. Therefore, there is an in-depth excursion to it. A small copy of the Mamaev Kurgan exists in Germany, but a giant sculpture called "Mother Mother Calls!" has no analogues. On this "Small Earth" a hundred and forty days there was a heroic resistance to the fascist invaders. And now this is the main place of worship for their feat. In addition to the giant sculpture on the Mamaev Kurgan, there are other sculptural groups that are a single whole. Visitors are invited to walk along the Avenue of the Pyramidal Poplars, see the monuments “Memory of Generations”, “Stand to Death!”, Touch the ruin walls, visit the hall of military glory and the main monument of the complex.
Panorama "Battle of Stalingrad"
Excursions to Volgograd often include visits to this museum. Experienced tourists are advised to go there to Mamaev Kurgan. Then a visit to the immediate battlefield will be perceived differently. A guided tour of the museum of the Battle of Stalingrad can be either as part of a group (250 rubles per person) or individual (four thousand rubles). The exhibition presents not only the panoramic canvas "The rout of fascist troops." The eight halls of the museum are full of various artifacts from the time of the Great Patriotic War. Four dioramas tell the story of the fighting. The collection also contains banners, weapons and firearms, portraits of heroes, old photographs. Excursions to the Lyudnikov island, to the memorial in Rossoshki, “On the combat lines of the 64th Army” will help to continue familiarization with the military past of Stalingrad.
Mini cruise
There are river excursions to Volgograd. The city can be visited as part of a large cruise on the main river of Russia. But if such a trip is impossible for you because of the high cost, then you can decide on a short trip along the Volga-Don canal. Such a mini-cruise costs two thousand rubles. A tourist boat departs from the pier on the 62nd Army embankment. It passes through all the coastal areas of the city. Tourists will not only see from a favorable angle the world's tallest monument to Lenin, but will also pass through the gateway from the Volga to the Don.
Saray-Batu - the capital of the Golden Horde
If you stayed in the city for a few days, book weekend excursions from Volgograd. History buffs recommend a trip to the capital of the Golden Horde. There is a monument of archeology in the territory of the Astrakhan region in the Kharabalinsky district. Scientists have found that the Selitrennoye settlement is the ruins of Saray al-Mahrus, the Old Palace. It was the capital founded by Khan Batu. We find the mention of the brilliant city in a translation by the French ambassador Guillaume Rubruck to Louis the Ninth (1254). Now archaeological excavations are underway in the settlement. Visitors are invited to explore some of them. After the shooting of the film “Horde”, all the scenery was deliberately left here. You can go back to the Middle Ages, not only thanks to them, but also with the help of a 3-D film that tells about that era.
Natural attractions
Weekend excursions from Volgograd suggest traveling to interesting places in this region. At the time of flowering lotuses, the travel agency suggests going to Astrakhan, to the river delta. But in the Volgograd region there are many natural attractions. The village of Olkhovka is able to surprise tourists with its chalk caves. Shcherbakovskaya beam is called "Volga Switzerland" for its steep hills. In summer, you can relax on Lake Elton or treat yourself with mud in the closed Baskunchak pond. Weekend tours also make a detour of various Orthodox shrines - to the city of Serafimovich, the Kremen-Ascension Monastery. An interesting promise is a trip to Elista, the capital of neighboring Kalmykia.
Tours in Volgograd: prices
The cost of such a tour depends on the content. If this is a bus-walking tour, then its price per person usually ranges from two hundred to three hundred rubles. Departure from the city will cost at least three times more expensive. To go to the chalk caves, you will need to pay one and a half thousand rubles per person. A child ticket usually costs half the price of an adult. It is much more profitable to join a group than to book an individual tour.