How do I get to Kolomna?

You can get to Kolomna by car (105 km along the Nizhny Novgorod highway), train (1 hour 50 minutes from Kazansky station), or bus (460 from metro Kotelniki).

What are the top attractions in Kolomna?

The ancient Kremlin, churches, and museums are a must-visit, as well as the local pastila shops and apple orchards.

What is the local cuisine like in Kolomna?

The local cuisine is a highlight, with traditional dishes like kalach with duck and juicy pork roulade being absolute must-tries.

Is Kolomna suitable for families?

Yes, Kolomna is a great destination for families, with plenty of kid-friendly attractions and activities.

Can I visit Kolomna without speaking Russian?

While it's helpful to speak some Russian, many locals speak English, and you can still have a great time exploring the town.

What is the best time to visit Kolomna?

The best time to visit Kolomna is during the spring and summer months, when the weather is warm and the town is in full bloom.

Can I get around Kolomna without a car?

Yes, you can get around Kolomna on foot or by public transportation.

Are there any shopping opportunities in Kolomna?

Yes, there are plenty of local shops and markets where you can find unique souvenirs and local treats.

What are some tips for visiting Kolomna?

Be sure to try some of the local cuisine, explore the ancient Kremlin and churches, and take a stroll through the scenic apple orchards.

Kolomna Travel Guide: Discover the Charm of Russia's Hidden Gem

I've been to Kolomna in the Moscow region twice, and I'm still captivated by its old-world charm. Join me on a journey through time and experience the merchant's era firsthand. You can try traditional kalach with duck, indulge in a tea party in an apple orchard with the fluffiest Kolomna pastila, savor juicy pork roulade, and treat yourself to honey cakes made to an old recipe. Don't miss the ancient Kremlin and churches.

Kolomna reviewGetting to KolomnaYou can get to Kolomna by:

Car - 105 km along the Nizhny Novgorod highwayTrain from Kazansky station to Kolomna station - approximately 1 hour 50 minutes on express train (500 rubles), and 2 hours 30 minutes on regular train (400 rubles)Bus 460 from metro Kotelniki

Kolomna attractionsI found it really convenient to get to Kolomna on the express train. The train station in Kolomna is tiny, but it's where our journey began.

How to get to KolomnaTop attractions in Kolomna in 1 day

One of the things that really stood out to me in Kolomna was the sheer number of attractions packed into such a small city. It feels like every other house is a museum, and they're all steeped in history. You can tell that the locals are passionate about their city and really care about preserving its traditions and heritage. The museums are mostly private and are super charming and cozy.

Kolomna Museum of Porcelain and Ceramics

Kolomna AttractionsIn Kolomna, you've got the Old Kremlin and churches, museums dedicated to gingerbread and pastila, museums for black bread and mead, blacksmithing and flax shops, a museum of soap and samovars... the list goes on. You could easily see everything in one day, but you'll want to pick and choose which museums to visit.

The Pastila Museum of Kolomna

We headed down the small old houses on Poyanskaya Street from the train station to grab breakfast at the Pastila Museum. There are actually two pastila museums - they're pretty similar, so pick one and go for it. Be sure to book ahead of time so you can take the guided tour with a masterclass.

Pastila Museum Factory

Museum of Kolomenskaya PastyWe visited the Kolomenskaya Pasty Museum Factory. We booked tickets about a week in advance, as there aren't many spots available. I wrote a detailed review of this museum, linked above. What awaited us was an immersive experience of life as a merchant Chuprikov. The theatrical tour, where we could participate in making pasty, flowed smoothly into a tea-drinking session with delicious pasty. Then, we had a masterclass on making candies. The tour costs 1000 rubles.Kolomenskaya Pasty Museum FactoryIf you didn't manage to book a tour, just head over to their garden. You can sit in the apple orchard, drink tea from a samovar with pasty and other sweets, or settle in at the confectionery. And what a peaceful atmosphere it is.

A lovely tea party in the garden with Kolomenskaya pastila Kolomna attractionsThere's a shop where you can buy sweets to take home. The pastila in the gift boxes is super pricey, but I'll tell you where to get it cheap later. I recommend buying the Tresvost pastila and the one with cedar nuts - it's the best!

Kolomenskaya pastila shop Kolomna photosRight opposite this museum is a square with the Shevlyagina pond. It's a memorial column with water dedicated to Maria Shevlyagina, the philanthropist who organized the city's charitable water supply.

Shevlyagina pondTurning off the square onto Arbatskaya Street, we made it to another museum of Kolomenskaya pastila before the day was over. They also host theatrical tours and tea parties here. Of course, it's impossible to see all the exhibits in one day, so we just stocked up on pastila instead.

Second Museum of Kolomna Pasty

Tea Party in KolomnaJust nearby is the Sweets shop - Different Sweets, where you can buy some tasty souvenirs to take home.Different Sweets shopThe House of the Samovar

Right across from us is The House of the Samovar, where they've got a collection of over 500 samovars, kitchenware, and irons. Tickets are 200-500 rubles. And, of course, you can also have a cup of tea from a samovar here.

The House of the Samovar in KolomnaPyatitskaya Gate and Unique Ice Cream

If you're traveling with kids, you can walk further along Arbat to the Toy Museum. But we turned onto Pushkin Street towards Pyatitskaya Gate.

Pyatitskaya Gate in KolomnaPyatitskaya Gate is an old entrance from Vladimir, where in 1380 Dmitry Donskoy himself arrived, and then the construction of the Kremlin began. Right in front of the gate, you can see an interesting wrought-iron sculpture of a Cow. Kolomna Piatnitskie Voryta and a CowOne of the highlights was sitting down at the ornate tables to try this unique ice cream. I've never had anything like it anywhere else in Kolomna. These all-natural sorbets and sherbets have an incredible amount of real fruit in them. I tried the one with black currants, and it was overflowing with them.

The Museum of Kalach

Right next to the gates is the Museum of Kalach. Inside the museum, there's a working oven where they bake kalach pastries with all sorts of fillings, and they even put on theatrical performances. Until the 19th century, kalach was a luxury only the wealthy could afford, while the poor would make do with just the crust - literally until they reached the crust.

The Museum of Kalach in KolomnaI'd recommend trying the kalach with goose - it's an interesting flavor, and it's only 290 rubles. The taste is a bit like canned food, but the dough itself was dry and a bit stale for my liking.

Kalach with Goose

The Museum of Kolomna Gingerbread

Next up, we headed to the nearby house that's home to the Museum of Kolomna Gingerbread - 10 Zaytsev. As you might have guessed, they offer theatrical performances and a masterclass. However, we chose not to visit this one and instead opted for a new museum dedicated to Kolomna gingerbread, which is conveniently located near the Kremlin.

Museum of 10 Hares

Columbine Museum

Columbine MuseumI was surprised that there wasn't a theatrical performance, but the tour was just as interesting.Columbine MuseumAnd then we were treated to a tea party from a samovar with biscuits. But not just any - at some point, multimedia images with songs appeared on the table.

Tea party from a samovar Check out this oven with Wi-Fi.

Oven with Wi-Fi They sell treats at the entrance.

Museum of Kolomna Mead

Just behind the Gingerbread Museum is the Museum of Kolomna Mead, affectionately known as Medovushi by the locals. It's another step back in time, and a feast of honey at a wooden table.

Museum of Kolomna MeadAt some point, the amount of food eaten becomes overwhelming, so we decided to just buy some treats to take home. You can buy all sorts of honey-based goodies here, and I opted for a honey wine. There are loads of different types to choose from.

Museum of Kolomna MeadKolomna Embankment

To take a break from all the eating, we headed to the embankment by the Bobrenkovsky Pontoons Bridge. It's a 5-minute walk from the Zaytsev Museum, with a great viewing platform.

Bobrenovsky BridgeScented Joy Museum

We strolled down Zaytsev Street and arrived at the Scented Joy Museum. This place is all about the history of soap-making. We didn't take the tour, but we did pop into the shop and were wowed by the super pricey and fragrant soap on display.

Scented Joy MuseumScented Joy Museum in Kolomna

Happy Kolomna CatEverywhere, they've recreated the unique aristocratic atmosphere of the merchant class. And, of course, happy cats are strolling around.Temples and Churches of Kolomna

Through the Piatnitskaya gates, we headed towards the embankment and observation deck. Along the way, we came across many churches - the Krestovozdvizhenskaya Church, the Tikhvinskaya Church, the Uspensky Cathedral, the Pokrovskaya Church, and the Voskresenskaya Church.

Krepostovozdvizhenskaya churchUspensky CathedralSmoothly, the path led us to the observation deck Blyudechko. Here, there's a nice bench for taking photos.Blyudechko observation deckPedestrian Street Lajechnikova

It's time to head closer to the Kremlin on the pedestrian street Lajechnikova. At the very beginning of the street, you'll find the Local History Museum. We didn't go in, but instead turned into the yard right across from it. There, you'll discover the Museum of Salt Cellar and Three Bogatyrs, a locomotive, 1809-era scales, and a horseshoeing anvil.

Squeezing through these gates Heroes and the Salt Storehouse LocomotiveAs we made our way out, we stumbled upon the Sweet Souvenirs store - here you can find affordable factory-made Kolomna pastila, marzipan, and other sweets from Kolomna. It's cheaper than what you'd find in the museums, but the taste is a bit different. A cheap pastila shop in Kolomna

Lazechnikov StreetNext, while strolling along the pedestrian street, you can already see the remnants of the Kremlin on one side - the tower and the Krestovozdvizhensky Cathedral.

Kremlin Cathedral Kremlin TowerOn the other hand, there are plenty of interactive museums with a rich history - the Honey Garden with honey kvass, the Kolomna phonograph museum, and the Lazhechnikov Literary Cafe. Honey Garden in KolomnaKolomna Kremlin

We head into the Kremlin near the cathedral and find ourselves on the territory of the old Kremlin. From the walls of Kolomna Kremlin, not much remains - essentially, two walls standing separately and 7 towers. But they still look impressive.

Kolomna KremlinYou also need to sign up in advance for the Kremlin tour. There's a tour along the wall and towers, and a walking tour with a climb up the wall.

Walking tours of the Kremlin with a climb up the wall and towers are a must. Sessions start in July at 12.00, 13.00, 14.00, and 15.00. The cost is 1000 rubles for adults and schoolchildren. Kids from 3 to 7 years old are 500 rubles, and kids under 3 years old are free.Tours of the wall and towers of the ancient fortress. These tours take place in small groups on Saturdays and Sundays. Sessions start at 17.00, with subsequent sessions every hour. The cost is 400 rubles per person for adults and kids 7 and up, and 200 rubles per person for kids 6 and under.

Kremlin Kolomna reviewKolomna reviewWalking through the Mikhailovskie gates gives you a stunning view of the Archangel Michael Church. From there, you can walk across the bridge to the monument of Dmitry Donskoy.

St. Michael's Church Dmitry Donskoy in KolomnaFrom here, you can head towards the Kolomenskaya River, where a Golden Fish monument is located on the riverbank.

Golden Fish in KolomnaThe second part of the Kremlin wall is closer to the bus station. There's a park with comfortable benches nearby. Kolomna Kremlin towerKolokolnya of St. John the Baptist Church

On the square near the bus station stands the bell tower of St. John the Baptist Church. You can climb up to the observation deck. It's open from 9:00 to 17:30, and on Sundays until 16:30. Admission costs 150 rubles.

Kolokolnya of St. John the Baptist ChurchWhat to bring back from Kolomna:

types of pastila from Kolomnasmoked fishsbittenpryanikKolomna kvasssoaphoneyjammedovukhaherbal teas

what to bring back from KolomnaThere are little shops near the bus station with affordable pastila and sweets.

shops with pastilaWhere to eat in Kolomna

I've got a favorite spot where we can have a proper dinner after a packed day - Rulki Vverh. Their roulki are super tasty. It's located on 3, Krasnogvardeyskaya Street.

Rulki Vverh KolomnaKolomna is a really beautiful city with a unique, calming atmosphere. The restored merchant houses are charming with their cozy feel and elegant style. I loved the warm tea parties with sweets. And the theatrical tours are a one-of-a-kind feature of Kolomna. Come and see for yourself, you'll love it too.

Definitely check out the Kolomna Pastila Museum

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