Area guide
The Kremlin and Kitay-gorod
The Kremlin, Red Square and St Basil’s, GUM and Nikolskaya, Zaryadye and the old merchants’ lanes of Kitay-gorod.
The Kremlin and Red Square are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beyond Red Square, Kitay-gorod is the old trading quarter, with Nikolskaya Street, the churches of Varvarka and the new Zaryadye Park on the river.
Sights
The Kremlin, Red Square, St Basil’s, the State Historical Museum and Zaryadye Park.
Eating
Savva at the Metropol, the Grand Café Dr. Zhivago, and the canteen at GUM.
Staying
The Hotel Metropol and the Hotel National.
Come early for the Kremlin, and back after dark for Red Square lit up.
Our advice: walk out over the floating bridge in Zaryadye.
Why it's on our list
- Sights
- Eating
- Staying
What’s nearby
Distances from The Kremlin and Kitay-gorod are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 14 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- The Kremlin300 mWalk 4 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 6 min
- The Bolshoi750 mWalk 9 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 7 min
- Tretyakov Gallery1.4 kmWalk 17 minCycle 6 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Gorky Park3.2 kmWalk 40 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 15 min
Rail terminals
- Leningradsky terminal3.3 kmWalk 41 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 15 min
- Belorussky terminal3.6 kmWalk 44 minCycle 15 minCar or taxi 16 min
Location
The map comes from Google Maps, which sets its own cookies once it loads.
More in depth
The back storyRussian CuisineBorscht and shchi, pelmeni and pirozhki, blini with sour cream or caviar, syrniki for breakfast, olivier salad at New Year and medovik for afters: the dishes of Moscow, and where to taste them.
The back storyThe grand hotels of MoscowThe Metropol and the National face the Kremlin and the Bolshoi, The Carlton looks down Tverskaya, the Savoy hides on Rozhdestvenka and the Hotel Ukraina rises over the river. Here is where to stay, district by district.
The back storyRed Square and the KremlinThe Kremlin’s cathedrals and the Armoury, St Basil’s and Red Square, GUM and the State Historical Museum: the heart of Moscow, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.