Where to go on vacation for two: 9 of the most romantic places for every taste
All couples are different, and for each there is a place to their liking: the crowded Sochi embankment, secluded mountain peaks, Ladoga and Seliger, St. Petersburg roofs and shining Elton, it’s up to you to choose.
St. Petersburg - for newlyweds
Spending a honeymoon in the cultural capital of Russia is a classic that never dies. Even if there is no possibility for a full vacation, it is worth carving out at least a weekend to spend it in St. Petersburg with your loved one. Drink a cup of fragrant tea with aromatic chocolate-pear pie at the Garson confectionery on Nevsky Prospekt, not far from the Moskovsky train station. And now you can join the indescribable and unique atmosphere of St. Petersburg. Numerous courtyards and arches - each of them is fraught with amazing surprises, each is a work of art. On Vosstaniya 8 you will meet the touching Anna Akhmatova, and on Zhukovsky Street near house number 6 there is a fabulous courtyard, where Uncle Chernomor looks at passers-by from the wall, and a learned cat descends from a tree.
Having immersed yourself in the spirit of St. Petersburg, you can visit more familiar places, which, thanks to the company of a loved one, will sparkle with new colors: the majestic Neva embankment, the sparkling Winter Palace, the famous Chizhik-Pyzhik, the magnificent Mikhailovsky Garden... You can walk around St. Petersburg endlessly, discovering more and more new attractions. We advise you to go to the portico of the New Hermitage, on which five-meter figures of Atlanteans are placed. According to legend, those who touch the big toe on the left foot of the second Atlas from the Campus Martius are guaranteed family happiness. Another significant and symbolic place for lovers is the permanent Kisses Bridge. For connoisseurs of a special atmosphere and unusual sensations, we offer you a date on one of the St. Petersburg rooftops.
Seliger - for students
If you want to combine a budget holiday option with a moderate dose of adventurism, then a holiday in tents in the picturesque nature of Lake Seliger is suitable for you.
What could be better than a tent under ancient pine trees, clear water, a clean sandy beach, a cheerfully crackling fire and bewitching, almost mystical sounds of the forest? The atmosphere is conducive to sincere conversations and warm hugs. Of course, in the warm season, Seliger can sometimes be quite noisy, especially near hotels and camp sites, but you can still find a quiet, secluded place. However, it’s better to look for them with a map: your chances of a quiet and relaxing holiday increase with the distance from the roads.
Since Seliger is a whole system consisting of internal lakes, reaches, bays, rivers and channels, the best holiday here is on the water, with a kayak or boat. You can go on a real water trip from Ostashkov, through Nizhnie Kotitsy, Selizharovka to the very upper reaches of the Volga near Selizharov. Or visit one of the islands where no car can reach. You can rent a boat at one of the local tourist centers, or even arrange a crossing with local residents. Helpful advice: the Seliger Region forum will help you develop a route, choose a place to stay and find a boat.
Lake Elton – for non-formals
The first impression of Lake Elton cannot be expressed in words. It seems like a mirage. The vast mirror of the water reflects clouds rushing across the blue sky. The water in the lake is bright blue, and the lake itself reaches a maximum of 80 cm, and even then only in the spring. Salty rivers flow into Elton, and it is also fed by mineral springs, but there is no drainage in the lake, so we can safely say that there is not water here, but a real brine.
It is not entirely clear what the sonorous and beautiful name is connected with: either it came from the Turkic “altyn”, which means gold, or from the name of the Englishman John Elton, who mined salt in the Volga region; Personally, we like the first option better, although the second looks a little more plausible.
In the midst of spring (late April - early May), red wild tulips bloom on the salty shores. The easiest way to get to the lake will be by train (get off at Elton station), but you can also use your own transport or take a minibus from Volgograd. As for accommodation, you can rent a room or a house in the village of Elton, or stay in a sanatorium, where they have been treated with brine and sulfide mud since Tsarist times.
Climbing Elbrus - for extreme sports enthusiasts
Perhaps one of the most romantic places is a mountain peak. A magnificent view for many, many kilometers around, silence, privacy, the feeling that only you two exist in the world, and a bright contrasting sky that can only be seen in the mountains. And on Elbrus, the highest point in Europe, all this can be felt to the fullest, and the severity of confessions will increase hundreds of times.
It is optimal to plan your ascent for the period from June to September. However, start preparing in advance: the Moscow State University tourist club or the Moscow Vestra will help you with this, teaching you the intricacies of mountain tourism. Most tourists also go in for jogging, combining business with pleasure: their figure gets toned and their endurance, which is very important, increases.
The ascent takes 7-10 days. Half of this time is spent just walking around the surrounding area, which ensures that the body adapts to the altitude and gets into the right rhythm. This is followed by several adaptation climbs on Elbrus, and then, finally, those treasured 5642 meters. We strongly advise beginners and tourists who are not confident in their abilities to seek help from professionals and go together only with them.
Valaam - for esotericists
On Lake Ladoga there is the unprecedented beauty of the Valaam archipelago, consisting of dozens of picturesque islands on which the Transfiguration Monastery stands. No one knows when this monastery appeared on Valaam, but it is assumed that either at the time of the baptism of Rus', or a little later, in the 14th century. In any case, since its foundation, Valaam has become a place where monks retire who wish to protect themselves from worldly vanity under the shadow of the monastery walls and the protection of Ladoga.
You can get to blessed Valaam by boat from Sortavala, Priozersk or even St. Petersburg. For the sake of spiritual purification, both Orthodox Christians and representatives of other religions and movements go to Valaam. In summer, Valaam is always full of pilgrims. If you want to get that same mystical experience and be in silence and solitude, then it would be better to break away from the general group and go explore the islands on your own. We invite you to take a walk along the rocky Ladoga shores and find your way to the very small Konevsky monastery, so touching, secluded, inspiring lovers to confess.
Sochi - for fashionistas
Thanks to improvements during the Olympics, Sochi has turned from a classic summer resort into a year-round vacation spot. Now in summer they boast swimsuits on sunny beaches, and in winter they boast new ski suits on snow-capped peaks. But seriously speaking, after the excitement around the Olympics has died down, you can take a closer look at the renovated city and fall in love with it again.
Do you know why Sochi never comes out in fashion? This is because everyone will find something to their liking here. For lovers of the classics - hot pebble beaches. If you wish, you can go to the local arboretum to look for relict metasequoia, listed in the Red Book (at the same time, you can also look for secluded corners for kissing). We advise gourmets to try dried persimmons brought from Abkhazia, local tea and khinkali (for example, in the White Nights cafe). In Sochi Park you will discover a real Disneyland. Couples in love have a tradition of visiting the observation tower located on Mount Akhun. For lovers of beautiful views and breathtaking landscapes, we advise you to climb the Eagle Rocks. With sunset, Sochi becomes even hotter: bars and nightclubs take up the resort baton, most of which are no worse than their capital “brothers”.
Lago-Naki plateau – for active people
If you are already quite tired of the beaches, we suggest going for new experiences to the west of the Caucasus, namely to the Lago-Naki plateau.
The bustling Black Sea resorts are very close. But on their way stands the Caucasus Range, reliably protecting the serenity and peace of vacationers on the plateau. Lago-Naki is included in the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, so to get here you need to pay about 150 rubles. (this is the fee per person for the whole day) and get a special pass. The formalities will take about 10 minutes, and as a reward you will find yourself in a different world, where alpine meadows reign, crystal clear streams gurgle, boxwood groves and harsh rocks stretch to the bright sky, caves mysteriously darken. Here you will find many places and situations for a romantic photo shoot.
For couples who are fearless and unpretentious in terms of living conditions, we advise you to take the walking route number 30, from Adygea to the sea coast in Dagomys. This route will be an invaluable experience for any couple. In addition, in order to save tourists from the possible hardships of the journey and the need to carry huge backpacks, guides arrange overnight stays at camp sites.
You can also rent a room in one of the hotels in Hadzhokh and explore its incredibly beautiful surroundings on horseback or on foot. In this case, do not forget to visit the majestic canyon on the Belaya River, here any Turgenev young lady would not be guilty of closing her eyes and falling into the arms of her beloved companion.
Pastila Museum in Kolomna - for those with a sweet tooth
To make your relationship a little sweeter, take your date and go to the marshmallow museum, which is one of the attractions of Kolomna. This apple delicacy has been prepared in Rus' for about six hundred years. Kolomenskaya pastila seems especially airy and very tender. The very first factory for the production of this delicacy was opened by the merchant Shershavin, and this happened back in 1735. Shershavin pastila was enjoyed even in the imperial palace. In 1852, a similar enterprise appeared at the merchant Chuprikov, but it did not survive the revolution, and ancient recipes were on the verge of oblivion. The situation was saved by enthusiasts who in 2009 opened not only a marshmallow museum, but also a new factory for its production, which uses traditional technologies.
The pastila museum is distinguished by its intimate pleasantness and coziness, as is the factory, which is located very nearby. The factory also hosts excursions: tourists are not only shown the process of producing this delicacy, but after the excursion they are also given a tasting with tea in the merchant’s living room. They produce a wide variety of marshmallows: chocolate, raspberry, even poppy seed with pine nuts. The temptation is great, and hardly anyone can resist buying a couple of stylized boxes to continue drinking tea at home, just the two of them.