Ufa: Where the Bus Rides Were the Real Adventure

I've always dreamed of visiting the Ural region, and the capital of Bashkortostan was always on my itinerary. To be honest, the route changed a few times, but Ufa was always the destination.

A brief historical rundown:

Apparently, Ufa's history dates back to 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 distance from Saratov to Ufa is 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'. We're a big fan of Caucasian cuisine, so we decided to give it a try. We ordered dolma, shashlik, and khachapuri. It was edible, but that's about it. The next day was all about exploring the city. But first, the three of us 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. 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. 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.

Mendeleyev Street Mendeleyev Street Then 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 Белая памятник Салавату Юлаеву на холме As we stepped off the ship onto the dock, we started discussing where we'd go next.

монумент ДружбыThere was a thought to visit the observation deck by the Salavat Yulayev monument. But my daughter suddenly wanted to buy some Bashkir souvenirs. It turned out that one of the places where they're sold is Bazaar #1 in the "Bashkiriya" shopping center, located, once again, on Mendeleev Street, right opposite the "Trampoline" stop.

We could've gone there half a day ago. So, we had to get back on the bus (6) and head out again.

We stocked up on sweet treats and Baskhir tea.

Then we took a little stroll around the adjacent area,

We ordered takeout from "Dodo" and, getting on bus number 7, headed home for dinner. We were pretty exhausted, and 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 and contrary to my expectations, Ufa didn't leave any impression on me.

The city is big, and probably interesting, judging by the places we saw through the bus windows.

But I didn't feel very comfortable in the capital of Bashkiria, and I don't really want to go back.

Check out my reviews of other cities and more here and here.

Check out even more of my reviews here.

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