Enjoy multiple panoramic views on the Volga River

While in Nizhny Novgorod you may find numerous hilltop promenade areas to enjoy Spectacular Volga river views.
Fedorovsky's embankment offers spectacular river views. Here you can see the merging of the Oka and The Volga rivers, football stadium, Alexander Nevsky cathedral. It is one of the best places to observe sunsets in the city.
Another pleasant area to walk is the Verhnevolzhsky embankment, connecting the Kremlin with the cableway. Enjoy the scenic view of the river and landscape on the opposite bank.

Explore old atmosperic streets of the city

Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street is the central historical and walking street in Nizhny Novgorod. Almost every house here has a historical significance. One of the most memorable buildings is the State Bank. It looks like a hybrid of a castle and a gingerbread house. This castle was built at the beginning of the last century in honor of the 300th anniversary of the reign of the Romanov dynasty. Don't miss the Gorky Drama Theater and the House of the Nobility Assembly - two iconic examples of the era of classicism.
With numerous street artists and musicians, small museums, and cozy cafes Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street is a charming place to walk.
Rozhdestvenskaya Street was a shopping street in the past. Here you can find a lot of preserved historical buildings such as former tenement houses, factories, and mansions of wealthy merchants. Nowadays, buildings in the style of Russian classicism house trendy bars and restaurants.

Learn about Nizhny Novgorod Fair

Have you ever heard the historical proverb saying that Moscow is the heart of Russia, Petersburg is its head, and Nizhniy Novgorod is its pocket?
In the 19th – early 20th century Nizhniy Novgorod was the center of commercial life in Russia. The annual fair attracted merchants from all over the world. Russian traders, Armenians, Persians, Bukharians, Khivans, and Tashkent people came to Nizhniy Novgorod to trade. Up to 200,000 people came to attend the fair while less than 20,000 lived in Nizhny Novgorod itself.

The fair house is a dark yellow attractive building. You may look at it from the outside or visit the multimedia exhibition "Russia - My History". They tell about the history of the country and the region with the help of video installations, 3D projections, interactive stands, and animated graphics.

Rukavishnikovs’ palace

The mansion on the high bank of the Volga river will surprise you with original rich and exquisite interiors. The house looks gorgeous both inside and outside.The Rukavishnikovs was one of the most influential and wealthiest families in Nizhny Novgorod in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. They loved beauty and luxury but also were known for great generosity.

The museum tour will give you a chance to admire the splendid interiors, learn the story of the local rich family, and also about the XIX century life in town. Beautiful views of river Volga that open up from the top rooms.

Experience the Cable car Ride

Take a cable car across the Volga River to enjoy wonderful views of the Volga River, the city, and its surroundings.

The Nizhny Novgorod cable car is an urban form of transport. It connects Nizhny Novgorod and the neighboring town of Bor beyond the Volga. Many residents every day ride the cable car to work in Nizhny, and tourists come to look at the Volga from the air. A one-way ride is only 100 rubles.
 

Walk around the Kremlin

The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is an ancient fortress dating back to the 16th century. Located above the two merging rivers it offers impressive views of the city and a nice area to walk.

Unlike many other kremlins in Russia, the one in Nizhny Novgorod has never been captured by enemies. Don’t miss the opportunity to climb the walls of the fortress and walk around. It might be interesting to visit Dmitrievskaya Tower to see the structure of the fortress from the inside

The kremlin has a couple of old churches and several interesting museum exhibitions but the area inside doesn’t look very old or well preserved. However, the attraction is still worth your visit, and the stories of your guide will make ancient Russian history alive.

Discover charming wooden houses that preserved the spirit of the past
 

While walking around the town you often discover the charming wooden estates of the past. Many visitors do not always have time to get here, but the places are picturesque and worth a look.
These houses do not look like classic tourist attractions but each of such houses preserved the beauty and nostalgic spirit of the past.

Delve into Nizhny Novgorod street art

Did you know that Nizhny Novgorod is one of Russia’s capitals of street art? Many talented and young authors, known far beyond the city limits work in various styles, ranging from classic graffiti to poster and land art.
Local street art is a diverse phenomenon, attracting contemporary art critics and historians. Some of the guides offer theme tours that focus on the street art of the city.
Visit the apartment of Nobel Peace Prize winner Andrey Sakharov.
Sakharov was a renowned Soviet nuclear physicist who later became a dissident and an activist for disarmament and peace. In 1980 Sakharov was exiled to Nizhny and spent seven years under Soviet police surveillance.
The museum is an interesting place to learn about Soviet history, human rights, and the life of a dissident in the USSR.

Get to know the life of Maxim Gorky

Nizhny Novgorod is the hometown of Maxim Gorky, that bore the name of the writer for 60 years. Nizhny was renamed to Gorky during the life of the writer, in 1932. The historical name was given back to the city many years later in Perestroyka times.
Nizhny has preserved many historical buildings associated with the life and work of the writer. Kashirin's house is a museum of the writer's childhood, the house of his grandfather. Gorky described his impressions of life here in the story "Childhood".
You can find the house that inspired the writer for the creation of the play The Lower Depths.
You may also visit the Museum-apartment of Maxim Gorky. Here Gorky lived with his wife Ekaterina Peshkova and two children from 1902 to 1904, until the actual divorce and moving to St. Petersburg.
 

Watch the soccer game in the Stadium

The city boasts of a large modern stadium, built for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Located on the spit of the Oka and Volga rivers it is spectacular from the outside.
The stadium is well designed and offers a great experience for all soccer fans.
 

Find retro cars in Gaz Museum

In the Soviet time, the city was an industrial center and the homeland of Soviet cars. It was often referred to as the ‘Russian Detroit’.  
GAZ is a Russian automotive manufacturer located in Nizhny Novgorod. The factory has a museum that will be a must for all retro car fans. Here you can find many models dating from the early 1940s, many lorries, passenger cars, and some special cars. Take a look at the luxury cars for the Soviet government, the famous "Chayka", and the special military parade escort car, "Pobeda" and numerous modes of Volga.
At the moment (November 2021) the museum is closed for renovation. Ask your guide if you wish to visit it during your tour.

Practical info. How to get to Nizhny Novgorod?

The Lastochka and Strizh trains run from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod. The journey will take you 3.5-4 hours depending on the time of the day. "Strizh" is more comfortable than "Lastochka", but its cost is a bit higher. Convenient trains leave Moscow at around 6.30 – 7 am and get to Nizhny Novgorod by 10 am. If you wish to maximize your time you may take a return Lastochka train that departs Nizhny Novgorod at 6 m or Strizh train that leaves at 8 pm.
You can get from St. Petersburg to Nizhny by the same Strizh or "Sapsan, the journey will take you around 8-9 hours. However, these trains go through Moscow so it might make sense to have a stop in Moscow for a few days.
You may also reach Nizhny Novgorod by air. It takes only an hour to fly to Nizhny from Moscow, but, given the traffic jams from and to the airport, it is faster to get there by train.