Quick Tips: Discovering Moscow’s Winter Wonderland
Moscow’s winters are long. Really long. Five months out of the year temperatures rarely rise above freezing. So it’s no surprise Muscovites have a few tricks up their sleeves for having loads of fun through winters that seem to stretch on forever. We’ve compiled a list of the most fun ways to spend your winter in Moscow. Make sure you bundle up, because for most of this list we’re staying outdoors.
Ice Skating
Moscow is famous for its many diverse ice skating rinks. Some of our favorites include Gorky Park’s “Street-Art” ice rink, which meanders listlessly through the trails of Gorky Park, and is one of the more popular rinks with the locals, VDNKH ice rink (pictured above), which is famous for being the largest ice-rink in Europe, and finally the must-see BMW ice rink on the 86 floor of the Oko Tower in Moscow City. The latter of which is simply amazing. Check it out.
Sledding and Snow Tubing
Grab yourself a sled and pink cotton onesie, and head to any hill in Moscow, where you’re sure to find locals (children and adults alike) speeding down the slopes like penguins. Or, if you would rather take a more organized route, Sokolniki Park offers Moscow’s best snow-tubing for very reasonable prices. It’s great fun!
Cross-Country Skiing
Quite popular with locals is the cross-country skiing many of Moscow’s parks (Sokolniki Park, Bitsa Park, and Fili Park, to name a few) offer all winter. If you don’t have skis don’t worry, the parks rent out equipment cheap.
Snowboarding, Skiing, and other Alpine Sports
Moscow doesn’t have mountains, but it does have hills large enough for an afternoon of unforgettable skiing or snowboarding. The largest of these hills is Kant, located a short walk from Nagornaya metro station, and relatively cheap to enter (30 – 60 rubles per lift). The slope has more than ten ski-lifts and trails, equipment rental, a warm canteen, changing rooms, a skating rink, parking areas, and a large ski and snowboard shop for all your winter sports needs.
Bowling
Moscow’s legendary bowling alleys are a great alternative for those days that are just too cold to go outside. The city’s best alley is by far Bibabo bowling alley in Smolenskaya Square, right across the street from Smolenskaya metro station. The alley offers gourmet food and deserts, a billiards hall, and a one-of-a-kind bowling experience you won’t find anywhere else in the city. Give it a whirl, and have lots of fun this winter. Пока.
This post was brought to you by Andrew, currently studying Russian at Liden & Denz
