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Russia : Moscow - April 2008

Country Code: Dial + for Russia

No one appreciates spring more than Muscovites, who finally get to put away their heavy winter parkas and fur-lined boots. However, sometimes this pleasure can be delayed, with snowfall continuing until the end of March. But with the advent of April, spring starts in earnest. Sonya Rinkus heads outside

Getting around

Domodedovo International Airport

Bus: Coaches from Domodedovo station leave every 15 minutes and take 35 minutes to reach the city centre. Tickets cost €1,15/RUB 40.
Train: Trains leave from Domededovo to Paveletskaya train station every 40 minutes, with the journey taking 40 minutes. Tickets cost €5/RUB 180.
Taxi: A journey to the city centre should cost about €43/RUB 1600. The trip takes around an hour.
Tourist information: The main tourist office is at 4 Ulitsa Ilyinka (tel. , www.moscow-city.ru).

ARBAT

Once the haunt of writers and artists, the Arbat now caters to tourists looking to take in Moscow as fast as possible.

Sleep soundly – No visitor should leave the city without experiencing the family-style Georgian dinner served up at Genatsvale na Arbate . Or try Praga for fine dining in an elegant pre-revolutionary building.

Must drink – Russian brewery Tinkoff (11 Protochnyy Pereulok) is a favorite destination for a frothy nol pyat (a half litre of beer) after a hard day’s work.

Dance the night away – Once the kids are asleep, there’s a dangerously debauched time to be had in Metelitsa (21 Novy Arbat Ulitsa), one of the gaudy casinos that line Novy Arbat.

THE KREMLIN

The Kremlin is not just the political center of Russia – you’ll also find some of country’s most famous restaurants and hotels here.

Sleep soundly – The Ritz Carlton sets new standards when it comes to opulence – and prices, for that matter.

Culture vultures – Tours of the Kremlin and its Armory, by far Moscow’s most popular tourist attractions, fill up woefully quickly. Make sure you arrive early in the morning if you want to get a place.

Must eat – With live music and cheap European food, cozy Mayak (19 Bolshaya Nikitskaya Ulitsa, tel. ) attracts a bohemian clientele. Look out for Russian celebrities at fashionable coffeehouse Coffeemania (13 Bolshaya Nikitskaya Ulitsa, tel. ).

Dance the night away – Not far from Russia’s actual Parliament is Duma (11 Mokhovaya Ulitsa), an underground nightclub with a relaxed door policy.

PATRIARCH’S PONDS

A green oasis in a concrete jungle, Patriarch’s Ponds is one of Moscow’s most picturesque neighbourhoods, inspiring Russian artists for centuries.

Culture vultures – Immortalised in the opening scenes of Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita, the ponds are the perfect place for a spring stroll. To learn more about the author, visit the Bulgakov House museum (10 Bolshaya Sadovaya Ulitsa).

Must eat – Café Margarita (28 Malaya Bronnaya Ulitsa, 5 9 6534) is named after the eponymous beloved in Bulgakov’s novel, and may be the most romantic restaurant in Moscow. Weather permitting, load up on warm bread from Volkonsky bakery (2/46 Bolshaya Sadovaya Ulitsa, 5 9 3620) and head down to the ponds for a picnic.

Must drink – Rub shoulders with Moscow’s beautiful people at Yello’s (6 2nd Brestskaya Ulitsa) long under-lit bar.

Dance the night away – There’s something for everyone at five-storey B2 (8 Bolshaya Sadovaya Ulitsa). Come here for sushi, jazz and live concerts.

KRASNAYA PRESNYA

Just past Patriarch’s Ponds, Krasnaya Presnya was transformed first by Stalin’s skyscrapers, and then by Brezhnev’s high-rises.

Sleep soundly – Housed in one of Stalin’s famous Gothic skyscrapers, the Hotel Ukraina was once the world’s tallest hotel.

Culture vultures – See the animals emerge from hibernation at the sprawling Moscow Zoo (1 Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Ulitsa), which has delighted visitors, both young and old, since Soviet times.

Must eat – Under the auspices of American chef Isaac Correa, Correa’s (32 Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Ulitsa, tel. ) has become one of the area’s most popular eateries. At café-boutique I Fiori (36/9 Novy Arbat, tel. ) you can buy postmodern furniture with your dinner.

Dance the night away – Perhaps appropriately for a bar modelled on an American speakeasy, there’s a distinctly dissolute atmosphere at The Real McCoy (1 Kudrinskaya Ploshchad).

Compiled by Sonya Rinkus