Kazan and the Republic of Tatarstan

General information

Kazan (Kazan) - the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan( Tatarstan), a subject of the Russian Federation in the Volga District, in the center of the European part of the country, at the confluence of the Kama with the Volga (Kazan on the map of Russia). From Moscow to Kazan 800 km. The area of Tatarstan is almost 68 thousand square kilometers, which is slightly larger than the size of the Moscow region (44 thousand square kilometers) in terms of population in 8th place among the subjects of the Russian Federation (over 3.8 million inhabitants).

Kazan, like Tatarstan as a whole, is a popular excursion tourist destination. Visited by tourists all year round.

The history of Tatarstan dates back to the 8th century BC, when the state of the Volga Bulgars was formed in this area. By the way, the Kazan Tatars, who are mistakenly considered by most inhabitants to be direct descendants of the Mongols, are not really such. Their roots go much deeper into the Turkic tribes that lived in this territory. Kazan itself was founded in 1005, and only in the 13th century, when the territory of the future republic was captured by the Mongols and included in the Golden Horde, there was a religious and cultural assimilation of the descendants of the Bulgars with the Mongols. Two centuries later, the sovereign Kazan Khanate was formed. In 1552, Kazan was conquered by the troops of Ivan the terrible and introduced into the Moscow State. Since 1992, the subject of the federation has received the status of the Republic of Tatarstan.

In addition to Kazan itself, the following cities/resorts are also visited in Tatarstan:

• Yelabuga
• Chistopol
• Sviyazhsk
• Bulgars

Rest in Kazan

Since the Times of the USSR, Tatarstan and its capital have been popular sightseeing destinations. Geographically and historically, the region is located at the junction of eastern and Western civilizations. The diversity of its cultural heritage attracts not only foreign tourists, but also Russians. Kazan is consistently among the top five popular Russian tourist routes. For example, in 2015, the city was visited by 2.1 million guests, and this is with the population of the city itself of 1.2 million people.

The main areas of tourism are associated with historical and cultural sites, to a lesser extent with natural attractions. Sports tourism is popular (water sports, skiing, cycling routes), Resort and sanatorium recreation is developing rapidly.

Arriving in Kazan, guests from Russian regions seem to be in another country with its own traditions, culture, religious and linguistic characteristics. Islam is widespread in Tatarstan (although many local residents profess orthodoxy). Along with Russian, Tatar is considered the state language, Chuvash and Udmurt are common.

The Republican tourism industry is actively brought to modern requirements and standards, the impetus for which was various international events. And the city continues to develop, new international events are planned, which only for the better should affect the tourist image of the city and the region.

The tourist infrastructure in Kazan is well developed. There is a tourist area formed in the Old Town of Kazan along the pedestrian street Bauman. For tourists, there are many excursions around the city and the region, river trips on motor ships, there is a tourist bus on the Hop On Hop Off system. It offers more than 800 hotels of different classes in different areas of the city. Read more about the districts and hotels of Kazan here....

On walks, visitors can eat in restaurants and cafes. There are more than 550 catering outlets in total, and they are located throughout the capital. It is impossible to come to the main city of the region and not taste the national cuisine – echpochmak, Belish, bishbarmak, tokmach, Tatar pilaf, kumiss, traditional tea with milk and, of course, the famous chak-chak.

Getting to Kazan is easy. The capital of Tatarstan is among the largest transport hubs of the Russian Federation. On its territory there is an airport, two railway stations, a river port and public transport (including the Metro). Federal highways also pass through the city. See more, how to get to Kazan here.

Attractions and entertainment in Kazan

Almost all city attractions tourists can visit all year round. There are monuments of history, architecture, culture and religion – from medieval buildings to buildings of Soviet times and our days. They are located both in the historical center and in the vicinity of the city. The pedestrian zones of Kazan are mostly landscaped, so walking tours are popular along with bus tours. The main tourist area was formed around the pedestrian street Bauman. You can walk along it for hours, here at any time of the year it is interesting and there is something to see. The street especially comes alive on summer evenings and during holidays.

In addition to excursions to unique buildings of the past, the main city of Tatarstan offers a rich cultural and entertainment program. Kazan has more than 40 museums, art galleries, nine theaters, a zoo, a circus, a water park, nightclubs and bars. Parks and city beaches on the banks of the Volga are open to the public. Numerous national festivals and events dedicated to Muslim and national holidays are held.

For fans of extreme sports in Tatarstan, too, there is entertainment to your liking. You can go diving, climbing and parachuting or jump on a rope from the Millennium Bridge. And you can fly a paraglider or just play paintball.

As for shopping, in Kazan, as in other major cities of the Republic, huge shopping and entertainment centers (both international networks and local ones) have been built. Brisk trade is in small souvenir shops and markets. In general, arriving in Tatarstan, any tourist organizes leisure to his liking. See more about the sights of Kazan here.

Weather and tourist seasons in Kazan

The best time to visit Kazan is summer. It is from June to August that there is a high tourist season and the most comfortable time to visit the region. Some of the entertainment and attractions work only at this time, such as river cruises to the sights of the Republic on the banks of the Volga.

In winter it is cold here, but this does not mean that at this time you should not go here, because almost all the attractions and infrastructure work all year round. A great time to travel in winter is the holidays of November 4, New Year holidays from January 1 to January 9, February 23, March 8, May holidays.

Current weather in Kazan and forecast

Hotels and accommodation in Kazan

In recent years, a huge number of new tourist facilities have appeared in Kazan, and after the Universiade in 2013, many new hotels opened. Here you can easily find a bed in a hostel from 300 rubles, a room in an inexpensive hotel for two for 1,200, and if finances allow, then a five-star hotel for 10,000 rubles per day. The choice is really huge, the price is affordable.

You can also rent a room or an apartment, there are a lot of them for rent both in the tourist area of the city and in other areas. It is more convenient and cheaper to travel with children in the apartment, since the hotel rooms are mostly designed for double occupancy. The price in the tourist area near Bauman Street or the Kremlin is about 1600 rubles, further from the center you can find housing from 1200 rubles.

As for the choice of a place to stay, for tourist purposes it is best to settle in the tourist area of the city. This area is formed by the pedestrian street Bauman and the Kremlin (tourist area on the map). It is advisable that your hotel or accommodation is within walking distance from Bauman or the Kremlin, since most of the time tourists spend walking along Bauman Street, and most of the attractions are located here. see more about hotels and accommodation in Kazan here.

How to get there

Kazan is located in the central part of Russia in a place accessible for any type of transport (Kazan on the map of Russia). You can get here by plane, train, bus, car. Tourists also visit Kazan during river cruises along the Volga River from Astrakhan, Volgograd, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod and other Volga cities. There are even mixed (motor ship+bus excursions) cruises from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other major cities that do not lie on the banks of the Volga. see details about all the ways to get to Kazan.

Security in Kazan

Thanks to the International and all-Russian events held in recent years, Kazan has become one of the safest cities in Russia. Tourists here can safely walk along the central streets at any time of the day or night, without fear of anything. There are a lot of police on the streets of the city, especially during events, and especially in the tourist center of the city.

At the same time, Tatarstan has become one of the leading regions in equipping the road network with automatic locking systems, so it is not profitable for motorists to violate traffic rules here.