Kazan Tatarstan Russia
Russia
Frequently Asked Questions
At the river station, south of the city centre, on the Volga. The kremlin is a few minutes away by coach or taxi; strong walkers can follow the embankment on foot.
The walk to the kremlin along the embankment is doable but not short. Once downtown, yes: the citadel, Bauman Street and the old Tatar quarter link up easily in a day on foot.
The kremlin first — Qol Sharif Mosque, Annunciation Cathedral, Söyembikä Tower — then Bauman Street down to Tukay Square. With time left, the old Tatar quarter by Lake Kaban is worth the detour.
Minarets and bell towers share the same sky here. Capital of Tatarstan, it has lived for centuries at the meeting point of two worlds, Russian and Tatar, Orthodox and Muslim. Founded more than a thousand years ago, it marked its millennium in 2005.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, it gathers behind white walls the Qol Sharif Mosque, completed in 2005, the 16th-century Annunciation Cathedral with its gilded domes, and between them the leaning Söyembikä Tower, a red-brick watchtower wrapped in legends.
Yes. Entry to the kremlin grounds is free, and the vast prayer hall can be viewed from the visitors' galleries. A headscarf is provided to women at the entrance.
A kilometre of pedestrian street with buskers, fountains, shops and cafés running to Tukay Square. Along the way: the bell tower of the Epiphany Church, which you can climb for the view, and the bronze Kazan cat that everyone pats in passing.
A district beside Lake Kaban, completely different from the centre: brightly painted wooden houses, the slender minarets of Marjani Mosque, and small tables where you can try Tatar cooking. This is where the call really pays off.
A motley assembly of domes, spires and minarets built by a local artist on the edge of the Volga: neither church nor mosque, but a statement about harmony. It is one of the most photographed sites nearby and often included on excursions.
The rouble is used everywhere, and the major sites accept cards, which is unusual in Russia. In summer, carry water: the embankments and the kremlin esplanades offer very little shade.
