Downtown Izhevsk
Izhevsk was founded in 1760 as a settlement at an ironworks and became a city in 1918. Downtown has cathedrals, a museum and boulevards that are easy to explore on foot.
Destinations
Destinations
A trip around Udmurtia is easiest to build around Izhevsk: most travelers spend their first night here and set out on day trips from the city. But Izhevsk is only the beginning. Nearby you'll find an open-air museum of wooden buildings, Votkinsk with the composer's house museum, quiet villages and rivers with wooded banks. Below are six destinations and four questions to help you figure out which ones suit you best. We don't name hotels, carriers or prices.
A good trip around Udmurtia rests on two pillars: the city by the pond and one outing beyond it. Everything else is a pleasant bonus.
How we chose these destinations: they are places you can visit on your own, without a tour. Specific facts appear only where encyclopedic sources and the museums themselves confirm them.
Where to go
Six destinations, from the heart of the republic's capital to forest rivers.
The pond embankment
The city sits on the shore of its factory pond, and the embankment is one of the best places for a walk. People come here to catch the sunrise, watch the sunset or just get some fresh air.
An open-air museum near Izhevsk
The Ludorvay architectural and ethnographic museum brings together wooden buildings and offers a glimpse of rural life in the region. Check visitor rules on its official website.
Votkinsk
Pyotr Tchaikovsky was born here in 1840, and the town is home to his house museum. It makes an easy day trip from Izhevsk.
Small towns and villages
Udmurtia is also about unhurried district towns and villages with carved window frames. People go there for quiet, scenery and a look at everyday life in the region.
Nature and rivers
Forests, hills and rivers with gently sloping banks are lovely for summer walks and winter scenery. Choose a route that fits your fitness and the weather.
How to choose
Four questions worth asking yourself before the trip.
How much time do you have?
For a weekend, pick the city and one day trip. If you have more days, add Votkinsk and the countryside without cramming your schedule.
What interests you most?
History and museums, wooden architecture, music or nature: your answer decides which day trip should come first.
What time of year are you going?
In winter, more time goes to travel and warm-up breaks; in summer you can walk longer. The season changes both the pace of the trip and what goes in your bag.
How do you like to get around?
Without a car, it's easier to stay in Izhevsk and pick day trips served by buses. With a car, it's simpler to visit villages and rivers.
Read next
- Itineraries
Three itineraries built from types of places: a day in Izhevsk, a weekend with Votkinsk and three days in Udmurtia.
- Sights
The embankment, cathedrals and the National Museum in the city; Ludorvay and Votkinsk nearby.
- Getting around
Train, plane, car and bus: how to get there, how to travel around the region and what makes winter roads different.
Sources
- Encyclopedic sources on Izhevsk and Udmurtia
- Official websites of museums in Izhevsk and Udmurtia
- Editorial materials of this guide
This guide describes trips around Izhevsk and Udmurtia in general terms. Check museum schedules and visitor rules on their official websites, and look up the weather and road conditions shortly before you set off: all of this changes from season to season.