I've always had Ufa on my bucket list, and it's crazy how many times I changed my route to get there. But no matter what, Ufa was always the ultimate destination.

A quick history lesson:

Apparently, Ufa's been around since 1586 (or 1574, depending on who you ask). That's when the Ufimsky Kremlyov was built on top of a medieval fortress. Mikhail Nagoy was the founder and the first governor of the city. From the late 16th century, Ufa was used as a place of exile.

Over time, the city-kremlin transformed into an administrative and economic hub. In 1708, it became part of the Kazan Governorate. In 1728, Ufa became the center of the Ufimskaya Province, with the governor reporting directly to the Senate. In 1744, it was transferred to the Orenburg Governorate. During the Pugachev uprising in 1773-1774, Ufa withstood a siege and a storm. From December 1781, it became the center of the Ufimskoye Namestnichestvo, and in 1796, it was transferred back to the Orenburg Governorate. In 1802, Ufa became a gubernatorial city with a governor's residence and institutions. In 1865, it became the center of the Ufimskaya Governorate. Since 1922, Ufa has been the capital of the Bashkir ASSR. During the Great Patriotic War, the city was evacuated, and industrial enterprises, scientific, and educational institutions were relocated here.

The drive from Saratov to Ufa is a whopping 930 km. On a warm early July morning, my husband, daughter, and our chihuahua set off on the journey, with about half of it being without mobile internet. We took a wrong turn once and had to turn back, losing some precious time.

Finally, we made it to Bakalinskaya Street.

I booked a one-bedroom apartment in one of the houses on the street for two nights using the Tvil booking website.

After settling in, we headed out to find a café for dinner. Luckily, we didn't have to go far, because right next door we spotted a place called 'Khinkali-Gali'. I'm a total sucker for Caucasian cuisine, so we decided to give it a try. We ordered dolma, shashlik, and khachapuri – the works. Honestly, it was edible, but that's about it. I mean, it wasn't like it was bad or anything, it just didn't blow me away. The next day was all about exploring the city – and, let's be real, trying to get our bearings. But first, we needed to get ourselves together. Since the apartment didn't have hot water, we had to heat it up on the stove and then take a makeshift shower from a pot. It took way longer than just taking a shower, so our mood was already ruined by the morning. I mean, who wants to start the day feeling like a soggy mess? Still, we weren't about to skip out on our city tour. I decided we'd use public transportation, since my husband needed a break from driving. Plus, I figured it'd be a great way to see the city like a local. Our first stop was the Ufa Funicular. We only had to ride the bus for a couple of stops from Bakalinskaya to Mendeleyev Street, but my husband and daughter were too tired, so we took a marshrutka (1) instead. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about using public transportation with a stroller, but it ended up being a breeze. The marshrutka was pretty empty, so we had plenty of room to spread out. It was actually kind of nice to people-watch and take in the sights while we rode.

Mendeleyev StreetMendeleyev StreetThen we hopped on a bus (2) and rode to the 'Trampoline' stop. I've already written about the Ufa Funicular in this review. Her lower station is located near the river crossing.

The guy and his daughter rented bikes and took off. My husband and I decided to take a leisurely walk instead.

But unfortunately, the bike enthusiasts didn't let me fully enjoy the scenery - they barely managed to ride for 30 minutes and started asking for lunch after just one hour. I had planned to visit the botanical garden, but that wasn't meant to be.

We got back on the bus (3) and headed to the House of Baskhir Cuisine.

After a bus transfer (4, 5), we finally made it to the riverbank.

The new and beautiful riverwalk in Ufa is a great place to spend time, but it's not exactly the most comfortable spot in the summer - there's no shade from the scorching sun.

Now, if only in a nicely maintained, free public restroom.

The goal of visiting the embankment was a river stroll.

река Белаяпамятник Салавату Юлаеву на холмеAs we stepped off the ship onto the dock, we started discussing where we'd go next.

Salavat Yulayev MonumentI was thinking of heading to the observation deck near the Salavat Yulayev monument, but my daughter suddenly had a craving for some Bashkir souvenirs. As it turned out, one of the places where you can find them is Bazaar #1 in the "Bashkiriya" shopping center, which is located on Mendeleev Street, right across from the "Trampoline" stop.

We could've gone there a few hours ago, so we had to hop back on the bus (6) and head out again.

We stocked up on some sweet treats and a pack of Baskhir tea.

Then we took a little stroll around the area.

We ordered some takeout from "Dodo" and then headed home for dinner on bus number 7.We were pretty exhausted, and to be honest, the city didn't really leave an impression on me. We didn't even give the "Iremel" Ferris wheel a second glance, which we passed by twice that day.

To my huge disappointment, Ufa didn't live up to my expectations.

I caught a glimpse of the city's potential as we whizzed by on the bus - it looked like there were some pretty cool spots to check out.

But honestly, I just didn't vibe with the capital of Bashkiria - I'm not exactly itching to go back anytime soon.

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