Krasnoyarsk

A major Siberian city on the Yenisei, with the granite pinnacles of the nearby Stolby reserve a hiking magnet, and a world-class hydroelectric dam and the Tsar Fish viewpoint upstream.

Krasnoyarsk straddles the middle reaches of the Yenisei River in Eastern Siberia. Capital of Krasnoyarsk Krai and Siberia's third-largest city, it was founded as a Cossack fort in 1628 and is a major stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Sightseeing falls into three areas. The old town on the left bank, along Mira Avenue and the embankment, holds the chapel on Karaulnaya Hill, the Communal Bridge, the Krai Museum, the Surikov Art Museum and Surikov's house, and the Cathedral of the Intercession, all easily linked on foot. Southwest of the city, the Stolby Nature Reserve and Roev Ruchey Zoo, along with Bobrovy Log resort and the Torgashinsky Ridge on the right bank, make up the nature and outdoor circuit; hiking Stolby usually takes a full day. The classic day trip upstream along the Yenisei takes in the Tsar Fish viewpoint, the village of Ovsyanka and the Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Dam (about 35 km away), easily done by hired car. The climate is continental: July averages about 19°C, while January often drops below –20°C. June–September is best for hiking, with peak autumn colours in mid-to-late September, and winter brings skiing; because of water released from the dam, the river through the city doesn't freeze in winter and is often foggy. Yemelyanovo International Airport is about 30 km from the centre, and Trans-Siberian trains run to Moscow and Irkutsk (about 18 hours to Irkutsk). Allow 2–3 days. Ticks are active in the Stolby area in May–July, so wear long sleeves and trousers and take precautions. Visa and Mastercard don't work in Russia, so bring cash and check payment options before you travel.

Top sights

• Stolby Nature Reserve – Hundreds of granite-syenite pillars rise from the conifer forest on the edge of the city, making Stolby Reserve Siberia's most famous desti…
• Karaulnaya Hill & Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Chapel – The little white chapel that appears on the 10-rouble banknote stands on Karaulnaya Hill in the north of the city, with views over the whol…
• Krasnoyarsk Dam – One of the world's largest hydroelectric stations, with a concrete gravity dam and a unique inclined ship lift, which also appears on the b…
• Tsar-Fish Viewpoint – A viewpoint on the high bank of the Yenisei River, named after Astafyev’s novel “The Tsar-Fish.” A giant sturgeon sculpture stands here, ov…
• Ovsyanka & Astafyev Museum – The hometown of Soviet writer Viktor Astafyev, preserving his grandmother’s wooden house and the writer’s late-life home. A stroll leads do…
• Roev Ruchey Zoo – One of Russia’s largest zoos, set in forest at the foot of the Stolby mountains, with Siberian tigers, polar bears, and an aquarium.
• Bobrovy Log Fun Park – A ski area and all-season fun park on the edge of the city. In winter, it’s for skiing. In summer, you can ride the chairlift up for citywi…
• Yenisei Embankment & Kommunalny Bridge – A long riverside promenade along the Yenisei River in the city center. The Kommunalny Bridge, which appeared on the 10-ruble banknote, span…
• Tatyshev Island – A large island park in the Yenisei River, with cycling and running paths around the island. In summer it’s a favorite for picnics and bike…
• Surikov Museum-Estate – The birthplace of Vasily Surikov, a master of Russian history painting. This 19th-century wooden Siberian estate displays his family life a…
• Surikov Krasnoyarsk State Art Museum – An important art museum in Siberia, with works by Surikov and the Wanderers, icon paintings, and contemporary Siberian art.
• Krasnoyarsk Regional Museum – A local history museum with an exterior modeled on an ancient Egyptian temple. It showcases Siberian nature, Indigenous cultures, and the C…
• Intercession Cathedral – One of the oldest surviving stone buildings in the city, an 18th-century Siberian Baroque church that now serves as the local Orthodox cath…
• Church of the Annunciation – A tall, multi-tiered bell tower church built in the 18th and 19th centuries, with gold domes and white walls. It is the most striking Ortho…
• Svyatitel Nikolai Steamship Museum – A 19th-century paddle steamer moored on the Yenisei riverbank. It once carried Tsarevich Nicholas and Lenin, and it now serves as a ship mu…
• Museum Centre Ploshchad Mira – A contemporary art and urban culture center converted from a former Lenin memorial museum. It hosts contemporary art exhibitions, lectures…
• Torgashinsky Ridge – A limestone ridge on the right bank at the edge of the city. The famous “Stairway to Heaven,” with over a thousand steps, climbs to the sum…

Where to eat

• Khozyain Taygi – A Siberian “restaurant museum” in Bobrovy Log amusement park, known for game meat, northern fish and wild forest greens.
• 0.75 Please Wine Kitchen – Krasnoyarsk’s first wine restaurant, reinterpreting New Northern cuisine with local ingredients. It is listed in the WT…
• Rasputin – A Siberian restaurant in the Vzletka district, known for its Yenisei burbot cakes and hare dumplings.
• Netipichnaya Pelmennaya – An affordable dumpling restaurant on Mira Avenue, where Siberian pelmeni and bird cherry pie are highly praised by visi…

Itineraries

• Novosibirsk to Krasnoyarsk Railway – Connect Siberia's two major cities by rail, visiting Akademgorodok, the Opera House, and the granite peaks of Stolby.
• Trans-Siberian Railway: Moscow to Beijing – Cross Russia by train in stages, traveling through Lake Baikal and the Mongolian steppes to Beijing.