The most beautiful parks and gardens Moscow (Москва)

The Boulevard ring does not have parks as such, but rather wide landscaped green spaces that would definitely make the small Parisian parks pale in envy. The section at the Chistye Prudy metro station is particularly popular for Muscovite strolls, especially in spring and autumn when the trees are in bloom or undressing. The recommended route is to follow the "park" south towards the Moskva River until you reach the clean (or clear) pond that gives the district its name.

This garden opened in 1823 and runs along the western wall of the Kremlin. It is dotted with several points of interest. In its northern part stands an obelisk, built in 1913 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Romanov family. Sad memory since it lost the throne 4 years later. To the south, there is the flame of the unknown soldier in front of which some newlyweds are photographed, near the buildings of the presidential guard. Opposite, marble steles list the 15 heroic cities, which resisted the Nazi invasion in 1942 with the greatest determination.

This domain with its castle, the caprice of the empress which was never finished before its rehabilitation in 2007, and its museum, is one of the strangest and most seductive places of the capital. Don't hesitate to spend an afternoon there, in summer as well as in winter when the snow offers a magnificent landscape (and in the period of illuminations, it becomes simply exceptional). The history of this domain is quite interesting. One day, during her visit to Moscow, Catherine II was amazed by the beauty of this place and took possession of it. A year later, in 1776, V. Bajenov, one of the best architects of the time, began the construction of a palace and a park. All the buildings were to be built in the oriental style and the work lasted ten years. The day Catherine wanted to see her new estate... it displeased the empress so much (possibly because of the masonic signs on the facades) that she ordered everything to be demolished. Once the Bajenov palace was demolished, the construction of a new palace was ordered to M. Kazakov. It was almost finished when Catherine died in 1796 and it remained unfinished. Other buildings were erected in the park during the following centuries, without ever touching the huge structure in its center. It wasn't until the 19th century that work began to finally complete the huge imperial palace that Catherine wanted.

Today, it is a mixture of all these heritages that can be admired in the park.

If you've read Metro 2033, you'll remember it. This park is absolutely huge, it looks like the jungle of Ostankino. There are plants and trees of all kinds, including the most exotic ones. You might enjoy a walk through a small Japanese garden designed by landscape architects Ken Nakajima and Adachi Takeo, or, if you're conservative, through a birch wood. Don't forget to take some nuts for the squirrels which are very numerous there. Please note that it is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages.

One could not visit Moscow without visiting this temple dedicated to the rest and leisure of Soviet citizens-workers on almost 3 km along the recently rebuilt Moskova River. In summer you can play table tennis, sunbathe or dance salsa and in winter skate. In addition, the park is home to one of the most prestigious modern art galleries in the country: the Garage. Our favorite: Chaynaya Vysota, a stand on the Moskova quay offering tea blends to take away, our favorite being the bread apple one.

The "Pharmacists' Garden" is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Moscow, created in the 18th century for the cultivation of medicinal plants. It now belongs to the Moscow State University, which has preserved it in its original use. The garden is one of the most beautiful in the capital, with a profusion of delicate flowers. There are verandas for eating and drinking, and at weekends you can listen to music or see some handicraft stalls.

This beautiful boulevard in the Parisian style is an integral part of the Ring of Boulevards ordered by Catherine II, which replaced the White City walls. It begins at Pushkin Square and ends at Nikitsky Gate, next to Arbat. It was a fashionable promenade for the Moscow nobility, who built many mansions here. The street can be dedicated to Maxim Gorky: at No. 22 there is a theatre named after him, at No. 25 the neoclassical facade of the Maxim Gorky Institute of Literature, where the famous writer was born.