Sightseeing in Belgorod - what to see. Complete travel guide

Belgorod is a modern picturesque city with a long history. The first settlements on its territory appeared at the end of the 10th century, and the city was founded much later, in the XVI century. On the site of urban settlements, a military fortress was built, designed to protect the borders of the Moscow kingdom on the southern borders. Over time, the military fortress was supplemented by large-scale residential buildings. The city became the main point on the defense line of southern territories.

In the XVIII century Belgorod became the administrative center of the Belgorod province, which included the Eagle and Kharkov. In the XIX century, the city lost its status and became a major industrial center, chalk and wax was being reclaimed on its territory. It is worth mentioning that at this time Belgorod was one of the largest centers of trade in vodka and lard.

Now Belgorod is a large and well-organized city with a well-developed transport infrastructure and industry. The tallest building in the city is a television tower, whose height is about 150 meters. Bogdanka is the longest street in the city; its length is almost 9 kilometers, while the shortest is Demyan Bedny Street. Belgorod is located 40 kilometers from the Belarusian border, so there are always a lot of tourists, mostly transit. The city is not a tourist city; on the contrary it is industrial, although it has historical monuments and interesting museums. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In Belgorod, there are a lot of beautiful temples and churches, old educational institutions, technical colleges and schools. Belgorod is modern, in some ways even typical. Today only the appearance of some historical streets is reminiscent of its impressive age. In the city there is a good zoo, and the raccoon Druzhok is the favorite of its regular guests. An unusual city attraction is the sculpture of the famous Bulgakov's Margarita, because she flew here for the Sabbath. True, unlike her literary heroine, the statue is fully dressed and flies for some reason towards the Transfiguration Cathedral. Despite the fact that Belgorod has for many years retained the status of a major industrial center, every year it becomes an increasingly attractive place for recreation, all thanks to the rapid improvement of the city's infrastructure.

The beautiful religious monument is St. Nicolas Church. It was built in 1703 and is the oldest of the preserved temples in the city. The first church at its site was built much earlier but was completely destroyed in a fire in the second half of the 17th century. During the Revolution, the temple went through one of the most difficult periods. It was closed and served as a jail. In the early 1950s, the building had been serving as a bakery for 30 years. The temple got its original status back not so long ago, in 2005, after being reconstructed.

Another magnificent and beautiful attraction is Transfiguration Cathedral. Due to its gilded domes and luxurious facade, it is one of the most recognizable monuments in the city. The wonderful church the city guests can see today was built at the beginning of the 19th century. Since its foundation, the old icon of St. Nikolay Ratny has been its main value. After the latest reconstruction in 1994, the interior of the church was decorated in a new way. Today, it houses a lot of religious values that attract pilgrims from all over the world.

The most interesting cultural place in the city is the Belgorod State Art Museum. Since 2007, it has been located in an unusual modern building that is considered as a real architectural masterpiece. Its facade is decorated with fine painting. The interior of the museum is also worth being admired. The museum collection consists of almost 4 000 unique exhibits, including old examples of icon painting, sculptures, and canvasses.

Travelers with children should definitely visit the Zoo of Belgorod opened in 1988. Now, over 90 animal species dwell here. Most of them are listed in the Red Book. The petting zoo is especially popular with visitors with little children. Here, children can pet small rabbits, chicks and many other friendly animals. In the zoo, there are a lot of trees. In summer, you can relax in well-equipped terraces and admire beautiful fountains. You can spend the whole day here. In summer, different entertainment events are regularly held in the zoo.