This historic Russian city, 99 km south of Moscow, has medieval monasteries, a 16th-century white kremlin, and several art museums displaying local artifacts.
Serpukhov, 100 kilometers south of Moscow, is a calm riverside city where you can walk through the 14th-century Vysotsky Monastery, see Russian paintings at the Historical and Art Museum, or spot European bison at the nearby Prioksko-Terraced Nature Reserve. Along the streets, you'll find well-preserved 19th-century merchant buildings with detailed brick facades and iron decorations.
Medieval Monasteries
The Vysotsky Monastery (1374) and Vladychny Convent (1360) tell stories of medieval Russia. At Vysotsky, you can see where St. Sergius of Radonezh blessed the monastery's first stone and where Prince Vladimir the Brave baptized his firstborn. The Vladychny Convent holds the icon of the Mother of God "The Recovery of the Dead," which locals credit with saving the city from two cholera epidemics. Both monasteries welcome visitors daily from 7:00 to 19:00, with guided tours in Russian.
Parks and Green Spaces
Five parks spread across the city, each with its own character. At Prinarsky Park, you'll find a children's playground and sports courts. Pitomnik Park contains walking paths through dense forest. Komsomolskiy Park has exercise stations along its trails, while Zhemchuzhina Park centers around a small lake. At Oleg Stepanov's City Park, you can attend summer concerts and festivals. Local walking groups meet at "the boron," a forest within city limits with marked trails ranging from 2 to 5 kilometers.
Museums and Cultural Sites
The Serpukhov Historical and Art Museum contains over 40,000 items, including an extensive collection of Russian paintings from the 18th to 20th centuries and archaeological artifacts found in the region. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00-18:00. The Peacock Museum explains why this bird became the city's symbol through art and artifacts. For evening entertainment, watch a play at the Musical-drama theatre or catch an experimental production at the Chamber Theatre "The Looking Glass."
Transportation Hub
Trains run between Serpukhov and Moscow every 30-40 minutes from the 1865 railway station. From May to September, you can take boat trips from the Nara River port to nearby towns like Polenovo, known for its art museum, or Tarusa with its craft workshops. River cruises last between 2 and 4 hours.
Historic Buildings
Walk through the city center to see merchant houses from the 1800s, with their intricate brickwork and decorative iron elements. Former textile factories from the early 1900s stand with their distinctive tall windows and high ceilings. On Lenin Square's pedestrian street, cafes and shops occupy renovated historical buildings, many with their original facades intact.
