What to visit in Nizhny Novgorod for free-free attractions and entertainment for tourists

In Nizhny Novgorod there are quite a lot of interesting tourist places that can be visited completely free of charge. Among them are pedestrian streets, temples, architectural landmarks, etc. But the free attractions of Nizhny Novgorod are not limited to this, and if you are lucky with your stay on time, then you can also visit some state museums for free, for which free days are set throughout the year.

So, in the state Museums of Nizhny Novgorod there are open days with free admission:

• May 1-Spring and Labor Day;
• May 9 Victory Day;
• May 18-International Museum Day;
• June 1-International Children's day (for preschoolers and schoolchildren);
• June 12-Russia Day;
• November 4 - National Unity Day.

In the Nizhny Novgorod State Historical and architectural museum-reserve (NGIAMZ), the last Wednesday of the month is free for persons under 18 years old; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 10:00 to 12:00 (except holidays) is free for persons under 16 years old. The NGIAMZ includes: the Technical Museum, the Museum of the history of Arts and crafts, the Rukavishnikov estate, Pokrovka 8, the multimedia Park Russia – my history, and the Kremlin Museums.

Nevertheless, it is worth saying that the best way to get to know Nizhny Novgorod is excursions from local residents, which can be bought at travel agencies on the streets of the city or online on these sites with reviews:

• 📷 search for excursions in Nizhny Novgorod on Tripster.ru
• 📷 search for excursions in Nizhny Novgorod on Sputnik8.com
• 📷 excursions in Nizhny Novgorod from the tour operator TEZ Tour

And now a list of free places that are definitely worth visiting in Nizhny Novgorod for tourists:

Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin

The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is the most significant historical and architectural landmark of the city and its oldest part, the historical center of the city, around which the tourist area was formed. Most of the other attractions and museums of the city are within walking distance; the Pedestrian Street Bolshaya Pokrovka and the historical Rozhdestvenskaya Street originate here; Minin and Pozharsky Square are closely adjacent, where folk festivals and open-air concerts are held during public holidays. Here is the residence of the governor and mayor, the court and other administrative buildings.

For tourists and all comers, the territory of the Kremlin is open to the public, and free of charge. Also on the territory there are several museums, which are available for an additional fee. In the Dmitrievskaya Tower there is a tourist center where you can buy excursions around the Kremlin, its walls and museums. Learn more about how to visit the Kremlin and what you can see here.

Practical Information

🕐 Working hours: access to the Kremlin is open from 06:00 to 22:00 (in winter until 21:00)

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free, museums and excursions extra charge.

🚶 How to get there: Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin on the map

Bolshaya Pokrovskaya pedestrian street

Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, Pokrovka, Nizhny Novgorod Arbat or Broadway is the main pedestrian street of Nizhny Novgorod and the center of attraction for tourists. It connects four squares at once - Minin and Pozharsky, Teatralnaya, Gorky and Lyadov. Historically, it was considered a Noble Street, and ordinary people could not walk along it. There is a large number of historical monuments and theaters, art salon and museum, shops and boutiques, cafes and restaurants. This street forms the historical image of the city, and if there is anywhere to walk in Nizhny in the evenings, so here. Learn more about Bolshaya Pokrovska and what you can see here.

Practical Information

🕐 Working hours: around the clock.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free.

🚶 How to get there: the pedestrian part of Pokrovka stretches from the Kremlin and ends 100 meters before Maxim Gorky Square (Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street on the map).

Rozhdestvenskaya Street

Another historical street of Nizhny deserves the attention of tourists, but it is not a full-fledged pedestrian. Almost its entire length along the road and tram tracks stretches a spacious sidewalk, along which tourists can walk, getting acquainted with the architecture and sights. On Rozhdestvenskaya you can count at least 35 architectural monuments, many of which are marked with plaques. And, of course, along the street there are shops, cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops. A tourist tram runs along Rozhdestvenskaya Street. During the trip, the guide tells about the history of the city and the architecture of buildings on Rozhdestvenskaya Street. The fare+excursion – 150 rubles, the duration of the Route-50 minutes.

Practical Information

🕐 Working hours: around the clock. The tourist tram as of 2021 is suspended.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free.

🚶 How to get there: Rozhdestvenskaya Street starts from the Kremlin and runs parallel to the embankment (Rozhdestvenskaya Street on the map).

Minin and Pozharsky Square

On weekdays, it is difficult to recognize the Square in this place, rather it looks like a very wide road. And there is not much to see here, except for the monument to Kuzma Minin, an unusual monument to the reader of the newspaper "from hand to hand" and the city fountain. But this place is the starting point and landmark for many routes: here is the main entrance to the Kremlin through the Dmitrievskaya tower, from here begins the Pedestrian Street Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, and during state and city holidays part of the roadway is blocked and turns into a platform for concerts and folk festivals.

Practical Information

🕐 Working hours: around the clock.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free.

🚶 How to get there: located near the Kremlin (area on the map)

Chkalovskaya stairs

The Chkalov staircase starts from the embankment and goes up to the Chkalov monument, erected in 1940 on the anniversary of the death of the famous Soviet pilot who made the first non-stop flight from the USSR to the USA through the North Pole. This is one of the most recognizable sights of the city, it often hosts festive and sporting events. It is interesting for tourists with views that open both to the staircase itself and from it to the Volga, Oka and embankment rivers. They say that in order to climb from the foot to the very top, you will have to overcome 560 steps, but how many of them in fact, you will have to count yourself.

Practical Information

🕐 Working hours: around the clock.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free.

🚶 How to get there: located near the Kremlin (Chkalovskaya stairs on the map)

Ilyinskaya (Zapochainskaya) settlement

In addition to the "promoted" Pokrovskaya and Rozhdestvenskaya, there is another interesting historical street that undeservedly remains without the attention of tourists – Ilyinskaya Street. Meanwhile, it was here, in the area of the confluence of the Pochaina river (now it no longer exists) with the Volga that the city was founded. And no other area today can boast of such a large number of architectural attractions, because almost half of all the historical architectural monuments of the city can be seen here. Most of them were built in the 19th century in the then fashionable style of Russian classicism. These are residential buildings, industrial buildings, temples and churches, the bridge of love, the House-Museum of Gorky's childhood. Therefore, if you are looking for a new place away from the hiking trails of Nizhny Novgorod, you will definitely like it here, and you will discover a lot of interesting things. Learn more about Ilyinskaya Sloboda here.

Practical Information

🕐 Working hours: around the clock.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free.

🚶 How to get there: Ilyinskaya (Zapochainskaya) Sloboda is an extended district located in the historical part of the city (Street on the map. In addition to Ilyinskaya itself, it also includes Sergievskaya, Malaya Pokrovskaya, Suetinskaya, Gogol streets. A large amount of transport passes through it, and from the Kremlin or Bolshaya Pokrovskaya it is easy to reach on foot.

Nizhny Novgorod fair

This is a historic building built in the XIX century and one of the most beautiful architectural sights of Nizhny Novgorod. In the Middle Ages, the city, due to its favorable location in the middle of the waterway along the Volga, served as the "exchange yard of Europe with Asia". Trade flourished, merchants came from all over Russia, Europe and the East. Therefore, a modern stone building was needed, which they decided to build in the style of Russian architecture of the XVII century. Today, the fair houses shops, trade missions, international forums and congresses, trade and commercial exhibitions. For tourists it is interesting, first of all, as an architectural landmark. It looks especially beautiful in the evening with lighting. Also in this building is the museum "Russia-my history". In 2021, a large-scale reconstruction of the building and the surrounding area is being carried out.

Practical Information

🌐 Website: yarmarka.ru

🕐 Working hours: 08:00-18:00, seven days a week.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free.

🚶 How to get there: located on the other side of the river from the tourist center at 13 Sovnarkomovskaya Street (fair on the map. By buses and minibuses you can get to the stop "Lenin Square (Arrow)" or "Kerchenskaya street", or by Metro to the station "Moskovskaya" and walk 1 kilometer.

Museum of technology and defense industry in Victory Park

Although during the Great Patriotic War there were no battles on the territory of the then City of Gorky, 56 military units and formations, 72 detachments of the people's militia were formed here. In honor of the 40th anniversary of the victory, the Victory Park and the Open-Air Museum of technology and defense industry were laid. More than 40 samples of modern and old Kurp military equipment from the war are exhibited here. Learn more about the Museum of technology and defense industry in Victory Park here.

Practical Information

🌐 Website: park-pobeda-nnov.ru/

🕐 Working hours: 8:00 - 22:00.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free of charge, it is possible to order paid group excursions.

🚶 How to get there: Victory Park is located on the embankment of the rowing canal, Ulyanov STR., 36-B (Victory Park on the map). This is not the most convenient place to get to by public transport, but on foot it is not so far. Directly to the main entrance to the park there is a bus number A5 (goes very rarely), or you can get to the Sennoy Square and from there 15-20 minutes on foot. From the Kremlin to the park on foot 30 minutes.

Museum of the factory "Krasnoe Sormovo"

The Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard is one of the oldest shipbuilding enterprises in Russia. The 166-year history of the shipyard is dedicated to this museum operating at the enterprise. Despite the fact that most of these museums at the factories are boring places, this is an exception. The museum's collection includes documents, photographs, models of the plant's products, including not only ships, but also submarines, tanks, armored cars, and other military and civilian equipment. Learn more about the museum and photos here.

Practical Information

🕐 Working hours: from 08:00 to 16:00 Monday to Friday. Guided tours are available by appointment at 229-60-49 and 229-66-47.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free.

🚶 How to get there: the museum is located away from other attractions and the city center, in the industrial district, Svobody STR., 1 (Museum on the map). You can get there by bus №№ 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 25, 35, 51, 56, 90, 95 T9, T19, T24, T52, T57, T59, T71, T72, T78, T90, t171 to the stop "Barricade Street" and further along barricade Street on foot 10 minutes; or by bus №№ 3, 6, 8, 25, 35, 56, route taxis No. T19, T24, T57, T59 directly to the entrance of the plant and Museum.

Pechersk monastery

The Voznesensky Pechersky monastery was founded in the early 14th century on the outskirts of Nizhny Novgorod, and today it stands out among other temples. Despite the fact that it is located within the city, and almost in the very center, there is a sense of calm and tranquility. The territory of the monastery is extensive, the walls are painted, the temples are very beautiful. The territory is open to tourists, you can go inside the temples. There is a church shop selling tea and cakes, which are made right here. Here you can also visit the church and Archaeological Museum. Learn more about Pechersk monastery here.

Practical Information

🕐 Working hours: 07:00-18:00, seven days a week. The museum is open from 09:00 to 17:00 with a break from 12:00 to 12:30.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free, donations are welcome. Entrance to the museum adults-100 rubles, schoolchildren, students and pensioners-50 rubles, preschoolers-free of charge;

🚶 How to get there: located three kilometers from the Kremlin, Privolzhskaya Sloboda str., 108 (monastery on the map). You can get there on foot or by Bus 2, 4, 16, 28, 40, 45, 52, 62, 90, trolleybus 26, taxis T17, T2, T24, T40, T45, T46, T57, T60, T62, T78, T83, T85, T90, t97, T98 to the stop "Sennaya". Further from the stop you need to walk to the entrance 10-15 minutes (half a kilometer) downhill. A taxi ride from the Bolshaya Pokrovskaya area will cost from 100 rubles.

Church Of The Nativity Of The Blessed Virgin

The Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos originally began to be built in 1696, but was never completed due to a fire. It was re-erected in 1719 by the Stroganov merchants, so it is sometimes called Stroganov. From 1722 to 1725, the temple was closed by order of Peter The Great, and in Soviet times it was almost destroyed by Order of Stalin. But the temple was defended, and the city museum was opened here. Since 1993, it has again become a functioning temple.

The temple is interesting for tourists with its unusual architecture, reminiscent of a gingerbread or toy house. On the tower there is a German-made mechanical clock, which was once repaired by Ivan Kulibin. They still remain in working condition, and still remained mechanical, with manual winding. It is very convenient to visit this church during a tourist walk along Rozhdestvenskaya Street.

Practical Information

🕐 Working hours: during daytime.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free, donations are welcome.

🚶 How to get there: the most convenient way to get here is by walking along Rozhdestvenskaya Street (temple on the map)

Annunciation monastery

This is one of the most beautiful places in the historical part of Nizhny Novgorod, although to see it in all its glory, you need good weather and a good vantage point. The monastery is a complex of temple structures and is very well located on the banks of the Oka River on a small hill. It looks great both from the side of the river and from higher places, for example, from Zalomov Street, where the balloon monument is located. This place has a very rich history, which begins in the 13th century with the foundation of the city. Later the monastery was completely destroyed, restored, and in the 17th century partially rebuilt. Nothing remains of the original buildings here.

Practical Information

🕐 Working hours: during daytime.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free, donations are welcome.

🚶 How to get there: the monastery is located in the historical center on the banks of the Oka River, Melnichny Lane, 8 (monastery on the map. From the Kremlin on foot you can get here in 20-30 minutes along the tourist Rozhdestvenskaya Street. Buses are available from other parts of the city№№ 26, 41, 43, 45, route taxis no. T18, T19, T33, T37, T44, T5, T57.

Alexander Nevsky new fair Cathedral

Alexander Nevsky Novoyarmarochny Cathedral or the Cathedral of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky is the most beautiful functioning temple, architectural and historical monument. It was built in 1868-1881 and was not rebuilt during its existence. It stands out from other places of worship with a good location on the open bank at the confluence of the Volga and OB rivers, as well as a bright yellow facade. Next to the temple on the street is suspended the third largest bell in Russia. Cast in modern times at the Baltic plant in St. Petersburg. Given the remote location from the tourist center, it makes sense to visit the temple in conjunction with the Nizhny Novgorod fair.

Practical Information

🕐 Working hours: during daytime.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free, donations are welcome.

🚶 How to get there: located on the other side of the river from the tourist center at 3a Strelka Street (Cathedral on the map. The location is inconvenient, transport almost does not go here, so it is best to get there by taxi or private transport (there is a spacious free parking). By buses and minibuses you can get to the stop "Lenin Square (Strelka)" or "Kerchenskaya Street" and 10 minutes on foot, or by Metro to the station "Moskovskaya" and 2 kilometers on foot.

Museum "Locomotives Of Russia"

In this open-air museum you can see 15 steam locomotives produced in pre-revolutionary Russia, the USSR and abroad, and operated on Soviet railways in the early and mid-20th century. In some locomotives you can climb and take a picture on the driver's seat.

It can not be said that this place will appeal to every tourist, but men and boys visit the museum with interest. Visiting the museum will take 20-30 minutes. Learn more about the museum and photos here.

Practical Information

🕐 Working hours: 09:00-18:00, Saturday and Sunday-closed.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: admission is free. Excursion service is also free, but only by appointment by phone 248-55-02, 248-72-54.

🚶 How to get there: the museum is quite far from the center, Gorokhovetskaya STR., 12 (Steam locomotives of Russia on the map. You can get here by trolleybus number 47 (from the center) and 48, bus number 48. You can also take the train from Moskovsky railway station to Sortirovochnaya station.

Museum of communication

This museum is not for a wide range of tourists, but those "who is in the topic" will definitely appreciate this place. In fact, this is not even a museum, but just a thematic exhibition in the working Office of Rostelecom. The exposition is based on old telephones and radio stations, telegraphs, modern means of communication, cables, etc. You can view the entire exhibition in 5 minutes. Learn more about the Museum of communications here.

Practical Information

🕐 Working hours: Monday-Friday from 9:00 to 16:00, Lunch from 12:00 to 13:00.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free.

🚶 How to get there: the museum is located in the building of the communications center (now occupied by Rostelecom) on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street, but not in its pedestrian part, but at the end at Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street, 56 (Museum on the map). Look for the entrance strictly from Bolshaya Pokrovskaya, there is no sign. There are two entrances, you need the one further from the bus stop and closer to the pedestrian street. You can get there on foot along Bolshaya Pokrovskaya; by Metro to the station "Gorkovskaya"; by buses, trolleybuses and taxis to the stops" Gorky Square" or "Metro Station Gorkovskaya".

🕒 19 April, 2026