Most tourists associate Valdai with the lake and the national park, which are very popular places for eco-recreation at any time of the year. At the same time, it is a small and rather cute town with an ancient, centuries-old history. The first mention of it dates back to the 15th century. The city was a palace village until 1654, after 100 years it turned out to be transferred to the Iversky Monastery.
The main reason why numerous travelers come here is to visit the famous monastery, admire the unique architectural ensemble of its temples, or spend several unforgettable days on the shores of Lake Valdai, which is notable for its incredible beauty. In the town itself there are several museums and churches of the past centuries worth seeing.
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What to see and where to go in Valdai?
The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.
Valdai Iversky Monastery
The Iverskaya monastery was founded in the middle of the 17th century by the will of Patriarch Nikon himself - a reformer and a major church figure with the permission of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The construction of stone churches began immediately, bypassing the wooden stage. In 1654, the monastery was transferred to the possession of the island, lake and other vast lands. In the 18th century, a period of decline began, and at the beginning of the 20th century, the monastery was transformed into a labor artel. Its revival began in the 1990s. The architectural complex includes preserved temples, utility and residential buildings of the 17th - 19th centuries.
Bells museum
The museum was opened in 1995 in the building of the Church of the Great Martyr Catherine, erected in the 18th century. The structure is made in the form of a classic rotunda. The exposition tells about the history of bells, as well as acquaints visitors with various casting techniques. You can not only look at the exhibits, guests are allowed to call themselves, having previously listened to the reference recordings, which are also kept in the museum.
Museum bell center
Another museum dedicated to the history of bells. Its exposition is located in four rooms. In the first one, visitors will see the most ancient exhibits (from the 3rd century BC), as well as bell-shaped structures from the countries of Asia and Europe of later periods, documentary materials. The second contains signal bells that first appeared on Valdai. In the third and fourth rooms, you can see various decorative mechanisms and get acquainted with the modern history of bells.
County Town Museum
The exposition is located in a 19th century manor house that previously belonged to a local aristocrat K.O. Mikhailova. Before the Revolution, the house housed various administrative institutions. Part of the collection consisted of items confiscated from the Iberian monastery after its closure. The institution was opened in 1998, at the same time the exposition was significantly replenished with items donated to the museum by Valdai families.
Trinity Cathedral
Before the construction of the stone building, the Trinity Church was erected from wood several times. The exact date of the foundation of the first church has not been determined, approximately it happened in the 17th century. It received the status of a cathedral in 1772. In the 18th-19th centuries, the building was rebuilt due to the fact that it often burned. The last fire took place in 1993, after which the cathedral had to be rebuilt.
Vvedenskaya church
The stone church was erected in the second half of the 18th century, before that its place on the Market Square was occupied by a wooden church, which later perished in the fire. The structure is built in the form of two quadruples, erected one on top of the other. Before the fire in the middle of the 19th century, the building was decorated with a bell tower, but after the disaster it was never restored. At the moment, the church is in disrepair.
Chapel of Jacob Borovichsky
The building is located next to the church of St. Catherine. It was erected in 1826 in memory of Emperor Alexander I in just one year. The small building is made in the classical tradition: the main entrance is decorated in the form of a Greek portico with massive columns, the main building is a quadruple topped with a dome. In 2009, the chapel was overhauled.
Peter and Paul Church
The Church of Peter and Paul is a cemetery church. It was built in the middle of the 19th century with the money of the merchant V.A.Kolobov. The temple did not function in the period 1941-43; the rest of the time, divine services were held on its territory, despite the fact that the rest of the city's religious institutions were closed. Before the transfer to the Iberian monastery, the image of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, highly revered in the Orthodox tradition, was kept here.
National Park "Valdai"
The national park was formed in 1990 with the aim of preserving the natural diversity of the Valdai Upland. Over time, it has become a popular outdoor recreation area (in compliance with all strict rules and regulations for not causing harm to the environment). On the territory of the reserve there are lakes Valdai, Seliger and Velie, which are in demand among lovers of water tourism.
Valdai lake
A picturesque reservoir located in the territory of the national park of the same name. There are sandy beaches along the shores of the lake, and there are also three large islands. On one of them, Rudnevo, there is an ensemble of buildings of the Iberian monastery. The water in Valdai Lake is clean and transparent, in some places boulders and stones lie at the very edge, the outlines of trees are reflected in the mirror surface.
