Rostov-on-Don Russia
Russia
Frequently Asked Questions
At the river station, right at the foot of the city centre, on the Don. The long riverside promenade begins at the gangway: that is where the city's life is.
Yes. The promenade and the first shopping streets are within immediate walking distance; the cathedral and the central market are about fifteen minutes' walk from the bank, up a few sloping streets.
The Don promenade, then the climb to Bolshaya Sadovaya, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin and the old central market. The excursion to Starocherkasskaya needs half a day on its own — you have to choose.
Rostov's main central avenue, lined with eclectic buildings raised when the city was growing rich as a trading crossroads between central Russia and the Caucasus. A few sloping streets separate it from the riverbank.
The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin displays five domes in the 19th-century Russo-Byzantine style. Its bell tower stands above the nearby old central market — the two are best visited together.
The former Cossack capital, a few dozen kilometres from Rostov, with its military cathedral and low houses along the river branches. Polyphonic singing, ceremonial uniforms and horsemen's tales bring back a culture that still runs through the whole region.
Yes, it opens the road to the steppes, the historic homeland of the Cossacks. That is why most river lines offer the Starocherkasskaya excursion: Cossack culture makes more sense outside the city.
Southern cooking blending Russian traditions with Caucasian and Armenian influences: grilled shashlik, smoked river fish, crayfish in season, garden vegetables and wines from the nearby slopes, among the oldest wine country in Russia.
Late afternoon, on the left bank, when the sun drops towards the water. It is the best light of the call, and the hour when locals come out along the river.
The Russian rouble and Russian. Bring cash: foreign-issued cards cannot be relied on, and the central market runs on cash. English is not widely spoken outside tourist services.
