Agrotourism in Russia
Getting up to the cock crow, simple lifestyle, nature and fresh air – all these are the charms of agritourism. Rural tourism or agritourism is becoming more and more popular in Karelia, Altai, Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions and some other regions of Russia. Tourists are offered traditional Russian dishes: honey, kvass, kashi (Russian porridge) and organic borscht. Agrotourists are happy to engage in farming activities, from picking berries and vegetables to feeding animals and getting to know the traditions of the Russian village. During their leisure time, they learn crafts and engage in many other farming activities: milking cows, weaving wicker baskets, riding horses or driving tractors in the field.
City residents who want to take a break from the hustle and bustle of city life, striving for fresh air and rural silence, are happy to spend their holidays in rural areas located in the Kaliningrad region. Farmers invite guests to take part in fishing or hunting.
In Bashkiria, farmers invite their guests to spend their holidays in a traditional Russian house with a beautiful garden, a banya (traditional Russian banya) and a hayloft. They also organize trips to the Shulgan-Tash nature reserve, horse riding tours and paddle boat cruises, picking medicinal herbs, mushrooms and berries. During their stay in Kutan, at the Bashkir tourist farm, tourists can taste honey from local apiaries, mead (a traditional Russian drink made from fermented honey and water). You can also take part in fishing and bear hunting, walk in the forest or learn about beekeeping.
Another option is to visit three ancient villages: Romanovo, Nesterovo and Kucher, which are located near Pereslavl-Zalessky (Yaroslavl region), in a picturesque forest area on the banks of the Roksha River. Visitors can take part in an overnight tour at the Nikitsky Monastery. In winter, a New Year’s party is held here with a real Christmas tree, a sauna and a snowball fight.
City residents can also go on an agricultural tour around the Volgograd region to spend their holidays at the Nizhnegnutov farm near the Tsimlyansk reservoir and the Tsimlyansky Sands natural park. The main attraction of the park is a herd of wild horses grazing in the grassy steppes.
In the Pskov region there is a village with a huge bathhouse that can accommodate 30 people. Foreign tourists visit this place on their way from St. Petersburg to Moscow. During traditional bath procedures, the hostess comes to the guests and whips them with special bath brooms. After the bath, she treats visitors with fresh milk and fresh cottage cheese or farm cheese. This village is also popular with tourists, as are the national museums.
Having visited the Russian hinterland, you can have a pleasant rest in a traditional Russian village!
