A typical dream for a vacation is distant hot countries, but if you have children, such a trip immediately has a lot of disadvantages. Firstly, it is not easy for children to draw up all the necessary documents, and secondly, you never know whether a child will like it in exotic lands, and thirdly, too abrupt climate change can have a bad effect on his health. At least, therefore, such a close and familiar Moscow region should be considered as the final destination of the trip.
Travel benefits
In fact, choosing the Moscow region is worth not only because it does not have the aforementioned disadvantages, but also because it has a number of advantages. Let's consider only the most important among them:
- Pleasant climatic conditions. If we talk about a typical holiday season, that is, about summer, then during the day you can expect very warm, even hot weather - up to 35 degrees Celsius. At the same time, in the Moscow region, there is no typical southern high humidity, which interferes with breathing normally, and the nights are characterized by pleasant coolness, which allows you to sleep well even without an air conditioner.
- Year-round availability. Many resorts in the world are divided into summer and winter, however, the Moscow region, due to the specifics of the local climate, is available for holidaymakers throughout the year, just the type of recreation may change somewhat. In summer, beach holidays are well organized here: even though there is no sea here, there are numerous pools, rivers and lakes, and the sun's rays are quite enough for a good tan. Winter is characterized by subzero temperatures and a lot of snow, which will really appeal to fans of the typical New Year's holidays. In spring and autumn, you can simply admire the surrounding nature, which looks especially charming at these times of the year.
- Geographic proximity. Resting once a year is not enough, most people would like to have quality rest a little more often, for example, on individual weekends, but this is possible only if the resting place is close to the place of permanent residence. Otherwise, most of the time will be spent on the road. The Moscow region is a fairly densely populated region: more than 12 million people live in the capital alone, another 7 million in the Moscow region, and almost 20 million more live in the neighboring regions of the Central Federal District. Thus, 40 million people can get to the Moscow region quickly and without problems, and this is 25-30% of our fellow citizens. The short trip is especially pleasant for families with children, because it is not known how the kids will survive the journey.
- Developed tourist infrastructure. With tens of millions of people constantly looking at the region as a good holiday destination, it is not surprising that there is a wide variety of tourist infrastructure. At least there are so many hotels and inns here that everyone will surely find something close to ideal for themselves. Naturally, all kinds of entertainment for children are also presented here.
- For many adults, a trip to other countries is also attractive for its gastronomic aspect - you can try many unusual dishes. However, children are not so fond of experimenting with food, they are not ready for new impressions of spicy, salty and bitter dishes, so there is a definite plus in the fact that the food will resemble everyday food.
Of course, everyone who vacationed in the Moscow region can highlight some of their reasons why he would come here again, but those listed in the list above are recognized as fair.
How to choose a vacation spot?
Of course, even in the best resort you can get to a mediocre hotel in a "goofy area", just as you can unexpectedly find a decent level of service in the wilderness. Since the Moscow region is a rather large territory, and there are no specific generally recognized, at least on a national scale, resorts here, you need to be especially careful about choosing a location during a vacation or weekend. There are several criteria:
- Distance. Since we have agreed that there is no point in going too far, and therefore it is worth choosing the Moscow region, which means that the road should not take too much time. Due to the high density of the population, traffic jams on the roads near Moscow are not uncommon, and kids do not always tolerate travel well, so ideally the path should be no more than 100 km, regardless of where you left from. At the same time, it is not recommended to get too close to the Moscow Ring Road - it is still better to relax in nature, and not next to a huge gas-polluted metropolis. Choose boarding houses and sanatoriums located at least 5 kilometers from the city limits of the capital, and try to avoid large cities near Moscow too.
- Surrounding nature. The natural conditions near Moscow are not very diverse, but there are popular and, because of this, slightly dirtier places, and there are nature conservation areas where the environment pleases with its pristine beauty. Do not be too lazy to clarify this point even before leaving home, since not all people, unfortunately, have not learned how to relax culturally.
- Rest conditions. Adults, in fact, need not so much for a good rest - silence, peace and comfort, but the children's leisure should be taken care of separately. Try to choose hotels with children's playgrounds and rooms, because otherwise your children will get bored, and then parents will not be able to relax either. Besides, it would be nice to be sure that the doctor is nearby - just in case.
Family pensions and holiday homes
One of the most popular options for organizing a vacation near Moscow is family pensions and holiday homes, which are numerous in this region. Such a vacation will definitely appeal to fans of organized leisure activities, since a significant part of hotels of this type involves not only living conditions, but also a certain entertainment program - if not for the whole day, then at least for the evening. It is especially good if such a program is provided for children vacationing here, because they still would not find something to do and would torment their parents, and both one and the other spend their time so interestingly.
A significant part of boarding houses and sanatoriums is of a recreational and health-improving nature. This presupposes, at least, the services of full medical diagnostics of the health status of visitors. Only this is no longer perceived as a disgusting routine, as in the city, but is seen as a normal element of an organized vacation in the countryside. Often, complete with diagnostics, it is also possible to receive medical treatment, of course, not at the hospital level, but with some simple procedures, such as massage.
Establishments of this type are focused on different types of vacationers, including in terms of the financial issue - there are both inexpensive recreation centers with everything you need, and real first-class hotels with chic conditions for relaxation after hard work. They are usually located somewhere in the forest, not far from the main transport routes, therefore, despite the solitude of the local nature, it is not difficult to get to them.
Where can you rest in tents?
For those who truly love nature and believe that it is impossible to know it surrounded by all the benefits of civilization, hiking with tents is probably the favorite type of recreation. Despite the high density of the population of the Moscow region, there is no shortage of relatively secluded places. Perhaps, it makes no sense to go here with tents for a longer period, but for ordinary weekends in the warm season this is an ideal option.
For lovers of camping trips, an almost obligatory condition when choosing a place is the presence of a reservoir near the parking lot - especially since we are talking, most likely, about summer, and, of course, there is no shower in the tent. Fortunately, the number of reservoirs near Moscow can satisfy anyone who wants to relax.
If we talk about the rivers most popular among tourists, then three are successful: Oka, Moskva River and Klyazma. The first is good for its rather significant distance from the capital - the breath of the metropolis is no longer felt here, and there are not so many people around. The Moskva River is a completely opposite option, in the sense that it is literally close by for the residents of the city of the same name, and all that remains is to find a relatively secluded corner on its bank. Finally, Klyazma can be called a kind of averaged solution compared to the first two.
Several hundred lakes and ponds are located in a relatively small area of the Moscow Region, especially to the north and west of the Russian capital. There really is plenty to choose from, and generally recognized tourist magnets are such lakes as Dolgoe, Trostenskoe, Svyatoe, Krugloye, Dubovoe and Nerskoe.
Winter holidays
There may be a million reasons why you cannot take your family from snow-covered Moscow somewhere to the tropics. The main thing is this: I want a real New Year, with trees and snow. In any case, an excellent place to relax in winter is very close, because in the Moscow region there are all the necessary conditions for this.
There is not a single ski resort in the Moscow region in the literal sense of this term, but there are plenty of ski slopes here, and rivers and lakes that freeze in the cold season turn into ideal natural ice rinks for skaters.
The surrounding forests look no worse in winter than in summer, and you can walk through them not only on foot, but also on horseback - this service is offered in a significant number of hotels.
Needless to say, various recreation centers consider it their duty to provide a worthy pastime for those who want a holiday for the soul in the middle of winter? This period in the hotels near Moscow is considered a high tourist season, and the peak, of course, falls on the New Year holidays, when everything possible is done to turn a vacation for the whole family into a little fairy tale with the help of a well-thought-out program.
Best hotels and inns
It is impossible to compile any single list of the best establishments for family vacations with children in the Moscow region, for the reason that you can rest here in completely different ways, which means that the selection criteria can be radically different. In other words, there is something worthy of attention for everyone, and any family sees such a rating in its own way. Nevertheless, let's try to give a few examples of places where you will surely like it.
If we talk about the price, then in the region there are both fashionable holiday homes, often working on an "all inclusive" scheme, and budget hotels for those who are not ready to waste money. At the same time, the latter often offer low prices because they were built in Soviet times and cannot boast of modern standards of comfort. However, there are also inexpensive recreation centers with decent service.... Here are some examples:
- in the north of the Moscow region - houses in the Ivolga Valley hotel, the Verkhnevolzhsky boarding house, the Karacharovo sanatorium, the Yaroslavna tourist center, the Klyazma boarding house;
- to the east of the capital - the famous natural resort "Yakhonty" and the hotel "Sosnovy Bor";
- in the southern part of the Moscow region - the sanatoriums "Lake Beloe" and "Erino", the country club "Ivanhoe";
- in the western part of the region there are the Ruza dispensary, the Volna sanatorium, the Pokrovskoe rest house and the Iskra hotel for outdoor enthusiasts.
There are fewer expensive family-type establishments, but they offer a much wider range of services, including recreation with a swimming pool and children's animation, which allows you to give a sea of positive emotions to the youngest guests and reduce the daily burden on parents. In particular, the Les Art Resort hotel offers a whole range of entertainment aimed at children - there is even an autodrome and a laser shooting range, not to mention the more modest slot machines and a dry pool.
The Lesnoy Heliopark offers similar all-inclusive services, but it has a separate positive feature: children here will be pampered with fresh pastries and fruits, as well as drinks for every taste.
Hotels with their own, albeit small, zoo are also becoming popular places for recreation with children. One of the best in this regard is the menagerie of the Country Resort hotel, where there are real deer, lions, bears, camels and other animals.
Hotels with a water park, which in recent years have become quite a lot, will not leave kids indifferent - turn your attention to the Tsargrad hotel.
In winter, at first glance, there is much less entertainment, but the Drakino oxygen resort, which is considered exemplary in this sense, will very quickly make you think the opposite. Judge for yourself: a music skating rink with lighting, ski, snowboard and horse rental, winter paintball and barbecues - this is not a complete list of additions to the stunning frosty landscapes presented here. You can also celebrate the New Year well in Avantel Club Istra or the Zarya boarding house.
Medical and recreational sanatoriums are also presented in due quantity, some of them were even mentioned above. Here, perhaps, it is not worth advising - the decision to choose in favor of a particular recreation center must be made only based on the profile of the sanatorium and the characteristics of your own health.
Where to go on the weekend?
Almost any recreation center named in this article will gladly accept vacationers not only on a long vacation, but also on an ordinary weekend. Such rest is available even for families with a small child, even with an infant - there are special programs "Mother and Child", where the hotel does literally everything for the little ones: from special meals to baby care rooms. In addition, it is not uncommon for families with children to receive a discount on accommodation - such are the rules, for example, in the Vyatichi sanatorium or the Welna hotel.
If you like outdoor activities, but doubt that your little ones will enjoy it, give preference to hotels near certain tourist sites, where you can organize hikes and excursions, both in summer and in winter. The guys will definitely like the idea of walking to an eco-farm, and you don't even have to pay extra for a hotel with your own zoo - find out if it allows you to visit its menagerie for a fee, and check into a less expensive hotel next door.
It is especially appropriate to go for the weekend where there is a full-fledged amusement park - the child will definitely be delighted, he will have something to do with his irrepressible energy, and the parents will have a great rest during this time. As a vivid example of a complete set of possible entertainments, the same Drakino acts, but it will be interesting even for adults, while many hotels offer small amusement parks designed exclusively for children.
When choosing the final destination of your trip, be guided, first of all, by exactly how you want to relax, as well as by the maximum proximity of the vacation spot to your home. It is safe to say that the total number of holiday options near Moscow will allow you to choose something very close to the ideal.
Reviews
It is difficult to calculate the exact number of vacationers in the Moscow region, since most of them live here or nearby, but, judging by the specialized tourist forums, there are a lot of tourists here, and the vast majority are pretty everyone, including nature, ecology, prices and level of service in local hotels.
The overwhelming majority of commentators note a large selection of possible options for recreation, thanks to which the Moscow region never gets bored - it is simply impossible to fully cognize it.
Criticism of this tourist region is usually associated with the fact that someone lacks the sea and palm trees, someone else - real mountains several kilometers high, and still others want something exotic and unusual. This, of course, cannot be found here. However, almost no one denies that it is very convenient and good to have a rest in the Moscow region with children.
