How should you fill the autumn school holidays with excitement and useful skills, make new friends, and prepare for returning to school? Below is a list of interesting places and events prepared by the tourist information centres of the Silver Necklace cities in northwestern Russia.
NOVGOROD REGION
- Onfim’s Holidays in Veliky Novgorod
During the autumn school holidays, the Novgorod State Museum Reserve offers children a special entertainment programme, Onfim’s Holidays. - Autumn holidays with Marta the Camel and Sonka the Raccoon
The Zoobatetskii wildlife park located 30 km from Veliky Novgorod is an enchanting place where you can meet many interesting animals, including the camel Marta, the raccoons Sonka and Myshka, and the grunting ox (yak) Chernushka. Children will have great fun feeding the animals and can enjoy tea with treats in the park’s cafe. - At one with nature in the Borovichsky District
Your children will love the petting zoo at the Masarsky Podvorye guest house, which has ducklings, geese, hens, baby goats, turkeys, sheep and ponies. Kids can pet and feed them, as well as take a ride on a pony. You can spend several days in comfortable houses, enjoy the fresh air and karst lakes, savour delicious and healthy local dishes, rent a bike and go fishing, which will make your holidays unforgettable. Krasnaya Izba Tourism Development Centre, Veliky Novgorod, visitnovgorod.ru
Novgorodian Rus Tourist Office, novgorod.travel
PSKOV REGION
- Active childhood in Malskaya Dolina
Russia’s largest rope climbing park, Malskaya Dolina, will win the hearts of both children and their parents, who can test their skills, resourcefulness and competitiveness, boost their energy levels and simply enjoy one of the 14 courses that run at heights of 1.5 to 10 metres above ground. - Fun-filled holidays in an amusement park
The fairy-tale Luki Park offers nine family amusements, a shooting gallery and six entertaining arcade games, plus a Dyno Park where children can take a trip through four periods of the history of the Earth. Official tourist portal of the Pskov Region, visit.pskov.ru
KOMI REPUBLIC
- Autumn holidays in the Finno-Ugric Ethnocultural Park
The Finno-Ugric Ethnocultural Park offers educational autumn activities for children, who can take part in a scavenger hunt on the history of the Komi Region and use special equipment to listen to the sound of fruits and vegetables. After that, visitors can have a tasty lunch and attend a chum (reindeer skin tent) party. - Holidays with husky dogs
The tour Active Weekend with Husky Dogs is a way to take a break from school and the bustle of everyday life. Children and parents can visit a reindeer skin tent (chum), meet reindeer, and take a trip to the Skaly Kamenki (Kamenka Rocks) Geological Reserve to admire breath-taking views of the mountains, all in the company of husky dogs.
Tourism Office of the Komi Republic, tourism.rkomi.ru
NENETS AUTONOMOUS AREA
- Once upon a time on the Pechora River: Interactive project
Do you want to know how people lived in the lower reaches of the Pechora River centuries ago? You will find the answer during the interactive project “Once upon a time there lived an old man and his wife on the Pechora River”. It is held in October, by appointment only, for groups of children aged 5-11 years. Call +7 81853 42 060. Each month has a new theme. - Tramplin
The Tramplin trampoline park invites children and their parents to have a blast during the autumn holidays. The park has trampolines for children and adults, a rock-climbing wall, a sunroom and a fitness centre. An exciting jumping experience, positive emotions and gymnastics exercises in the village of Iskateli, Phone +7 911 599 0111. Nenets Autonomous Area Tourist Information Centre, www.visitnao.ru
KALININGRAD REGION
- The 3rd Islands Museum Festival in Kaliningrad
The theme this year is happiness. Children and parents will be able to visit 12 museums during the autumn school holidays between 24 October and 8 November. The museums of Zelenogradsk and Svetlogorsk have prepared new programmes. For children above the age of 5. All tickets cost 100 roubles. - Take your children to the Curonian Spit in autumn
The Curonian Spit is a fantastic creation of the wind and waves of the Baltic Sea.
Autumn is a good season to travel in the Kaliningrad Region. One of the best choices is the Curonian Spit, where you can take one of six routes to admire the nature reserve without damaging the environment. Regional Tourism Information Centre, Kaliningrad, visit-kaliningrad.ru
REPUBLIC OF KARELIA
- The world of Kalevala Father Frost
A trip to the estate of Talvi Ukko, the Karelian Father Frost, during the autumn holidays will take you into the world of Kalevala, the national epic of Karelia and Finland. You can learn about the life of ancient heroes and their incredible exploits. - Autumn in Ruskeala Mountain Park
The autumn holidays are a good time to visit the Ruskeala Mountain Park, one of the most impressive features of Ladoga Karelia (Laatokan Karjala) and a unique natural landmark. The gem of the park is the Marble Canyon on the site of a quarry where marble was mined for the construction of St Petersburg.
Republic of Karelia Tourist Information Centre, ticrk.ru
ST PETERSBURG
- Autumn holidays at an urban camp
Sevkabel Port, an art space and a business centre, runs two interesting programmes in the form of an urban camp between 25 and 29 October. The children who choose the camp of the Young Architects Society will create urban renovation designs and an art installation for public space. The camp of Oceanika Lab will have lessons in calligraphy, skateboarding, elocution and robotics design. Both camps offer outdoor activities and two meals a day. - Children’s Days in St Petersburg
The Children’s Days in St Petersburg festival will be held during the autumn holidays at over 40 museums, which have prepared play routes, interactive exhibitions, scavenger hunts, workshops, a Ready or Not, Here I Come travel game, and a special programme, Why Am I Here, for children aged above 13 who love museums.
St Petersburg Tourist Information Bureau, www.visit-petersburg.ru
VOLOGDA REGION
- Autumn holidays at unusual museums
The Old Cars Shelter invites guests to see its collection of over 80 vintage cars in mint condition, including a GAZ-21 Volga, Pobeda, Mercedes 123, BMW 520 and Ford Taunus. You can sit in all the cars and explore their equipment. - Submarine Museum in Vytegra
The Submarine B-440 is a submarine that was on combat duty in the Northern and Baltic fleets for 30 years. Children and parents can enter the boat’s machinery and accommodation spaces and go to the control room on the upper deck.
Vologda Region Tourist Information Centre, vologdatourinfo.ru
ARKHANGELSK REGION
- Autumn holidays in Kenozero National Park
You can go to Kenozero National Park for the autumn holidays, stay in a guest house with a comfortable village atmosphere, walk on forest trails, take part in educational tours and workshops on folk crafts, and taste local cuisine. - Velsk holidays
Go to Velsk, a merchant town in the Arkhangelsk Region where you can admire the Povazhye painted interior of wooden houses, make your own souvenir, meet a blacksmith, have a homemade village lunch, and learn why biologist Georgy Karpechenko is a source of pride for locals.
Arkhangelsk Region Tourist Information Centre, pomorland.travel
MURMANSK REGION
- Take your children on an unforgettable trip to a forest that is more than 300 years old
The Lapland Biosphere Reserve is one of the largest reserves in Europe and one of the oldest in Russia. It was established nearly 100 years ago to preserve its greatest treasure, the primordial nature of the Kola Peninsula.
Take a walk on an eco-trail along Lake Chuna or drop by the reserve’s museum. - Eco-trail to a scenic waterfall in Kolvitsa
You can see the Black Padun waterfall on the Kolvitsa River on the outskirts of the village of Kolvitsa (28 km from Kandalaksha). Water falls in a powerful jet from the 10-metre-high cascade of three waterfalls on the Tersky Coast. You can read a lot of interesting things on information stands along the Kolvitsa River eco-trail.
Murmansk Region Tourist Information Centre, murmansk.travel
LENINGRAD REGION
- Fresh air on the picturesque Oredezh River
Take a trip to the museum of Russian dacha traditions, Dachnaya Stolitsa, in Siversky, Gatchinsky District. Beautiful nature, fresh air, the scenic Oredezh River and the wonderful atmosphere of the museum will inspire you and your children to creative breakthroughs. Siversky is where Ilya Repin painted his masterpiece “Emperor Alexander III Receives Village Elders,” and Ivan Shishkin captured the village environs in many of his paintings and sketches. - Take your children to an old Russian village in Ethnopark Bogoslovka
The ethnopark of wooden architecture incudes restored ancient buildings where you can learn about the everyday life and traditions of northwestern Russia. For an additional fee, you can attend a workshop on traditional painting on wooden panels, have tea with treats, and enjoy a tasty and nourishing lunch.
Join the RussiaTravel.club, get loyalty points for visiting the Silver Necklace towns of northwestern Russia and exchange them for prizes. Loyalty points are assigned at tourist information centres and museums. The list of participating locations is available in the RussiaTravel.club messengers.
Photo by @kate_tanaki