When examining exchange rates, mornings begin with a sharp gaze at the world of travel costs. Everything feels more expensive, especially euros and dollars, shaping plans not only for a dream trip to Europe or America but also for adventures in Asia and even Turkey. The idea that might lighten the load is surprisingly simple: explore Russia itself.
Imagine reaching Pereslavl-Zalessky with ease. No need for foreign currency. The journey hinges on a car, and the Yaroslavl highway has transformed in the past few years, letting you reach the destination in about an hour and forty minutes.
Then comes a Russian fairy tale built from seemingly incongruent pieces that together craft a captivating model of travel. The path first passes through Pereslavl to reach the Nikitsky Monastery. A stern monk, delivering a sermon about demons of appetite, drink, and lust, seems almost prescient. The monastery’s history stretches back over a thousand years, a literal millennial record of Russia unfolding before visitors. It isn’t a grand, gilded place; there are no stained glass windows, and the domes aren’t clad in gold. The floors mix late Soviet tiles with patches of linoleum. Yet there is something undeniably real about it, a reminder that history is messy, layered, and rich. The Nikitsky Monastery is multifaceted, with moods that range from solemn to sharp. Its shop offers pies with eggs and onions, buckwheat honey, kvass, and even mead, all tempting and affordable. The area’s many cats add a touch of charm.
From there, a short turn through Pereslavl-Zalessky leads to a comfortable hotel where guests can settle in. Years ago, a Belgian who loved Russia built two hotels there. Their name isn’t stated here for ethical reasons, but these places embody a distinctly European hospitality. The dining options are solid, and a spirit of local tinctures accompanies meals.
Not far from Pereslavl, a farm sprawls across twenty kilometers, created by a Moscow journalist who acquired a substantial tract of land. The farm showcases geese, ducks, cows, sheep, goats, and piglets that become the crowd’s favorite sight. Tourists come mainly to meet the piglets, and they rarely leave indifferent. An open-air restaurant shares the space, offering a range of tinctures from the classic cranberry to more adventurous flavors.
Within the city, life pulses on weekend evenings. There are 24-hour bars where Pan-Asian cuisine is surprisingly refined. It’s a striking image: buckwheat noodles and avocado rolls prepared in a millennial Russian town, bringing together contrasts that somehow work.
Pereslavl also has its own Red Square, a name echoed from much earlier times. In the square stands the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral, a compact exemplar of the Vladimir-Suzdal school, admired for its clarity of form. In that same space lies a fair where a giant swing invites children, handmade cloths please adults, and local salting and cigarettes are part of the scene. Harps are sold and taught, blending tradition with everyday life.
Nearby sits the largest well in Russia’s history, a nod to the ancient habit of ringing in a city by starting at its walls. The old Kamer-Kollezhsky Val is recalled along the Moscow Third Ring, and the path along the Trubezh River leads toward Lake Pleshcheyevo, the Church of the Forty Martyrs, and a sunset-viewing platform that invites lingering moments. The lake offers a beach where visitors relax in a mix of boats, sunlit grasses, fishing rods, and dried fish while music fills the air, quiet and respectful of personal space.
What does a trip like this leave behind? A dense tapestry of impressions, a sense of ease and grace, and a clear understanding that Russia offers everything a restless traveler could want—roads, transport, comfortable stays, eateries, entertainment, landscapes, kind and welcoming people, forests, lakes, and skies that blaze at sunset.
And yes, the euro and the dollar stay out of the equation. They belong to anxiety, not to this journey. In this itinerary, they aren’t needed.
This piece presents a personal perspective and is not necessarily aligned with any editorial stance.