If you would like to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a day, there are many interesting places that you could visit around Moscow. These are some ideas for interesting day trips. The Abramtsevo Museum Estate is only an hour’s journey from Moscow, and is ideal for walking, and for soaking up the nature, culture and art of the former ‘artist’s colony’. The original owner of the estate, Sergei Asakov, regularly entertained writers such as Gogol, Tolstoy and Turgenev. You can look around the manor house and walk around the extensive grounds.

The New Jerusalem Monastery is also a great destination for a day out. The monastery is just over an hour away from the city, and there is a lot to see. It was founded in 1656 by Patriarch Nikon, and features unique architecture. It has been undergoing restorations since 2009, but it is still worth the visit to see something a little out of the ordinary.

Another idea is Peredelkino, which is only half an hour from Moscow. It is a little village of pretty dachas, famous for being the countryside retreat of Boris Pasternak, the author of Dr Zhivago, as well as the summer residence of the late Patriarch Alexei II. Here you will be able to visit the museum home of Boris Pasternak, which is said to resemble the prow of a ship, and the museum house of the children’s author Chukovsky, which shows his creativeness and imagination.
Each of these day trips give you a breath of fresh air away from the busy Moscow streets.