Where to stay in Moscow

See

Moscow's architecture is world-renowned. Moscow is the site of Saint Basil's Cathedral, with its elegant onion domes, as well as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. and the Seven Sisters. Look out for the monumental Stalinist architecture, most famously the Seven Sisters. Also check out a preserved collection of monumental buildings centred within the historic areas of the Kremlin and Red Square. Moscow is a very green city: Gorky Park along the Moskva river contains estrades, children's attraction, dancing, tennis courts and other sports facilities. Moscow has many notable art museums. The Tretyakov Gallery houses works in the classic Russian tradition and the works of Soviet artists.

Do

Moscow has many attractions, but many of them are not friendly to a non-Russian-speaker. The Moscow Times is an English-language newspaper help to navigate towards English-language friendly attractions and services; however, it may be hard to access due to its political stance. Make sure you visit a Russian bathhouse (banya) while in Moscow, as it's an important Russian tradition and some Russians, especially those over 40 years old, go at least once a week. Have a hot steam, followed by a good whipping with birch branches. While it's not the most pleasant experience, the benefits you'll receive afterward will enable you to understand why Russians are loyal to their banya.

Eat

Restaurants and cafes promising "European and Caucasus cuisine" generally cater to tourists and are usually bad; seek a restaurant that specializes in a single region instead (Georgian, Russian, Italian, French, etc.).

Drink

Nightlife in Moscow is bustling, intense and exciting. It starts quite late; it's common for the headliners to start at 02:00-02:00. Most noticeable are areas near Solyanka street and Krasniy Oktyabr' place. At summer time a lot of clubs opening open-air terraces called "verandas". Most of clubs in Moscow are very picky of who they let in, so make sure you have a positive attitude and dress up if you are going to a fancy club. Moscow has several café chains with great coffee including Coffeemania and Coffee Bean. Moscow also has a good selection of tea saloons. High-quality infusion teas such as Newby, are widely available in cafes, both in packets and loose.

Stay safe

Moscow enjoys a relatively low crime rate. Drunk people are the most likely sources of problems. In the past years, lots of policemen were corrupt, and it was best to avoid them. Nowadays Moscow has a Tourist Police force, whose officers are able to speak foreign languages and help tourists. Police officers are equipped with body-cameras. It is preferable to avoid some parts of the outer districts of Moscow, especially in the south. Some of those areas are notorious for gopniks (drunkards notorious for muggings and starting fights with strangers, and will do so seemingly unprovoked), who normally hang out in sparse residential areas and in industrial zones.