Yuryevsky Beach

Veliky Novgorod has two beaches, both on the Volkhov River: Kremlin Beach below the Kremlin walls and Yuryevsky Beach by Yuriev Monastery. Both are free and open throughout daylight hours. The swimming season is short, usually from late June to mid-August; outside it, the water is cold. The Guest Card does not apply to the beaches because entry is already free. Nearby, however, Yuryevsky Beach is 10 minutes from Vitoslavlitsy, where admission is 700 RUB and free with the card. A 2-day physical card costs 1,300 RUB and is collected at the Krasnaya Izba Tourist Information Center, Sennaya Square, 5. Kremlin Beach is on the left bank of the Volkhov directly below the Kremlin walls: about 20 minutes on foot from the railway station to the Kremlin, then another 5 minutes to the water. St. Sophia Cathedral, dating from 1045–1050, is a few hundred meters away. Yuryevsky Beach lies by Yuriev Monastery where the Volkhov flows out of Lake Ilmen, about 5 kilometers from the city; the city bus takes about 30 minutes and driving about 15 minutes. Nearby are Vitoslavlitsy, Yuriev Monastery with free entry, and the Peryn Skete about 20 minutes away on foot. Rus Novgorodskaya offers free audio guides for 23 routes with 200+ stops. Outside the city, the catalog does not list equipped beaches. Instead, access to water is shown in accommodation listings. Examples include Lisya Gora 10 kilometers from the city, the Ilmen country club, Lake Park guest complex, and Bereg campsite on Lake Ukleinskoye near Valday. Lake Ilmen begins about 12 kilometers from the city near Yuriev; swimming there is from an undeveloped shore, with shallow water and quickly rising waves. Lake Myachino lies between Yuriev and the city, beside the Church of the Annunciation on Myachino, open from May to September with admission of 250 RUB. In the city, the Volkhov has two equipped beaches; elsewhere the shore has no infrastructure. Within 30 minutes of Veliky Novgorod are the shore of Lake Ilmen at Peryn, Rurikovo Gorodishche and the Volkhov banks downstream. Farther away are Valday National Park and the Ilmen Glint near Staraya Russa. Conditions, access restrictions, hours, prices and addresses are taken from operators and maintained by the regional tourist office. The water is usually warm enough only from late June to mid-August. In May and September the beaches are better for walking than swimming. The Volkhov has a noticeable current, Lake Ilmen is shallow and can become wavy quickly, and water becomes cloudy after heavy rain. Beach time is best treated as an addition to Veliky Novgorod’s architecture and museums. The Kremlin, museums and monasteries operate year-round, and the Guest Card gives free entry to 15 city attractions.