When you’re in a car zooming around the ring road, Moscow may sometimes seem like a sprawling, dirty, Russian Las Vegas. But as all Muscovites will tell you Moscow is one of the greenest and most beautiful cities in Europe. Especially in the height of summer. Here’s our choice of where to soak up some sun, have a good barbeque and watch the sun set with a cocktail. Enjoy!



Parks and Gardens

Arkhangelskoe Country Estate (Above)
5 Km Ilinskoe Shosse, M Tushinskaya, tel. 363 13 75, www.arkhangelskoe.ru.
This sprawling 18th Century countryside estate once belonged to the exceptionally rich Prince Yusupov and is one of the quietest stately parks wi thin a reasonable distance of the city. In the summer it’s a great place to take a walk by the Moscow river and do some fishing or have a picnic. The formal gardens, which offer excellent views towards the surrounding countryside, are dotted with neo-classical sculptures, hidden summer pavillions and ice-cream stands.

GETTING THERE: From metro Tushinskaya take mini-bus N549, 541 or 151. On a good day it takes about 20minutes. Open 09:00 - 20:00. Entrance Russians 40-80Rbl, foreigners 80-240Rbl.

Botanical Gardens Apterkarsky Ogorod
Pr. Mira 26, M Prospekt Mira, tel. 680 58 80. Over the years, the gardens have witnessed all the turns of history, falling into disrepair during the soviet years. Today the orangerie with its tropical palms is a drawcard as well as the carp pond, and the immense trees that dot the landscape. Several restaurants and cafes operate here making it a handy spot for relaxation whatever the weather. Open 10:00 - 21:00. Admission 50-100Rbl (from 18.00 - 150Rbl).

Gorky Park B-7, Ul. Krymsky Val, MPark Kultury, tel. 237 07 07. If you thought the days where grown women walked around toting stuffed toys (and men winning said toys for them) were over, visit the one and only gargantuan Gorky Park. Imitation space flights and gravity defying stunts, beer kiosks, miniature trains, this place is for kids big and small. Open daily 10:00 - 22:00. Attractions from 12:00. Admission adults 80Rbl, children 20Rbl.

Izmailovo Estate
Narodny pr. 17, M Partizanskaya, tel. 166 61 19, www.izmailovsky-park.ru. Once the stomping ground of a teenage Peter the Great, Izmailovo is the largest of Moscow’s parks and is even said to be the largest park in Europe. It’s got everything you could want inside - good shashlik (shish kebabs), a ferris wheel, lakes for boating on, an island (which you can take a boat trip to), all kinds of rollercoasters, live music and acres of forest and park land. Before you enter the park you can’t miss the kitsch Izmailovo market, where all kinds of dodgy traders sell every kind of Russian souvenir you may ever want, plus pirate versions of every film imaginable. Open Mon-Fri 12.00 - 20.00, weekends 11:00 - 21:00.

Kolomenskoye Museum Estate
Pr. Andropova 39, MKolomenskoye, tel. 615 27 68, www.mgomz.ru. Sprawling and green Kolomenskoye is a favourite with kids, mums and dads, old grandmothers and young hipsters alike. The gentle sloping hills covered with cherry trees, the abundance of seating and the wafting aroma of sizzling shaslik from afar put visitors in a cheerful mood. It’s also UNESCO listed. Just don’t bring any beers bought from shops outside of the park or you could end up getting friendly with the police and making a deposit to their own beer fund. Open 08:00 - 22:00 (April-October). Museums open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Admission free to the complex. Admission - foreigners Museum of front gates 300Rbl, belfry 100Rbl, palace 150Rbl. Guided tours in English from 400Rbl (per person).

Kuskovo Park & Museum
2 Yunosty Ul., M Ryazanskiy prospekt, tel. 375 31 31, www.kuskovo.ru. Kuskovo park is one of the oldest country estates in Moscow. It was given to General Sheremetev by Peter the Great in 1715, but was left to fall into neglect before being plundered by Napoleon’s troops in 1812. Nowadays the estate has been restored to its former glory. As well as the palace and many
smaller pavilions (entrance to which you have to pay extra for), there’s a large lake and woodlands popular with local cyclists and joggers.

GETTING THERE: From metro Ryazanskiy prospekt cross the main road and take bus no.113 or 208. Museum open Wed - Sun 10:00 - 18:00. Closed last Wed of the month. Admission: main palace and formal gardens 150 - 250Rbl, paviliions 50 - 250Rbl extra.

Tsaritsino
Ul. Dolskaya 10, M Tsaritsino, tel. 322 68 43, www.tsaritsyno-museum.ru. Commissioned by Catherine the Great as an out of town palace in 1775, Tsaritsino is the poor cousin of the Moscow estates and palaces. Early construction didn’t meet with the Empress’s approval and by 1795, after dismissing the main architect , the complex was already lying in ruins. Over the ensuing years, it has become a fashionable country estate and is a favourite place for locals to enjoy picnics amongst the ruins. Open 11.00 - 18.00, Sat, Sun 10.00 - 19.00. Closed Mon, Tue and last Fri of the month. Admission adults 150Rbl.

VDNKh pr. Mira, M VDNKhS, tel. 544 34 00, www.vvcentre.ru. This sprawling complex of Soviet pavillions, long walkways and elaborate fountains, which are gloriously fading into the modern Russian landscape, is a throwback to the Soviet era of glorification. The 90 or so pavillions now host a variety of commerical enterprises not that different to what is found in metro passageways. The Friendship Fountain with its dancing maidens looks like a cross between a Hindi goddess creation and C3PO’s lost robot brides. Come weekends it is crawling with people on two legs, two skates or two wheels. Rental of rollerblades (roliki) and bicycles are on either sides of the grand entrance. Open 08:00 - 22:00. Pavilions 10:00 - 19:00. Admission free.

Sparrow Hills M Vorobyevi Gory. Stand and survey over 1000 years of history. It might be hard to imagine the footprints of Napoleon when you are surrounded by kiosks and fast food vendors, not to mention the souvenir touts. Still, you can get an idea of the length and breadth of the capital from here and you can play at counting the gold onion globes.

Summer Terraces

Coffee Mania
Bolshaya Nikitskaya ul. 13 (Moscow Conservatory bld), M Arbatskaya, tel. 775 51 88, www.coffeemania.ru. Slick, pricey, popular with business people and mum’s with prams who appreciate the upmarket quality and the fact that this coffee house is run with a business like efficiency. In the summer the cafe spills out on to the street and on a quiet day when there are not many cars about it can be impossible to get a seat. Open 24 hours. (200Rbl).

Chaikhona No.1
Hermitage Sad, M Chekhovskaya, tel. 790 00 32, www.chaihona.com. Pleasing and fresh, this is a cosy little beach hut where you are surrounded by embroidered wall hangings. Perfect for lounging, either on the downstairs couches or the upstairs mezzanine. Plaited bread with suluguni cheese and spicy marinated chicken with peppers with fresh tangy herbs came out in no time at all. They also have a very nice branch in Gorky Park, which has a nice view of the Moscow river. Open Mon 13:00 - 01:00, Tue - Sun 12:00 - 01:00. (450Rbl).

Goodman
Ul. Tverskaya 23, M Pushkinskaya, tel. 775 98 88, www.goodman.ru. The good in Goodman says it all. This stylish steak house chain is informal, relaxed, and the food is to be savoured. Great care is put into your meal and how it is served. Their inviting, leafy terrace offers soft leather couches and a breath of fresh air just steps from Tverskaya Ulitsa. The lavatories are five star, just like the service. Their menu, although predominantly meat oriented, has a hefty chunk of salads and seafood. Open 12:00 - 01:00 (800Rbl).

O2 Lounge
Ritz Carlton, Ul. Tverskaya 3, M Okhotny Ryad, tel. 225 88 88, www.ritzcarlton.com. Welcome to the most notoriously glamorous terrace in Moscow. Just about every visiting celebrity you can think of has been up at this prohibitively expensive cocktail lounge and sushi bar. Once the summer kicks in the outside terrace here is guaranteed to be full to brimming with everyone jostling to get a closer look at the outstanding view of the Kremlin whilst burning money like there never was an economic crisis. Open 12:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 03:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00 (1200Rbl).

Scandinavia (Summer cafe)
Ul. Tverskaya 19 (enter from Mal. Palashevsky), M Tverskaya, tel. 937 56 30, www.scandinavia.ru. An icon amongst Moscow’s expat scene, Scandinavia has been providing smiley service for over ten years now. This restaurant offers a simple menu of Swedish goodies such as gravadlax, baltic herring and meatballs. The calm international atmosphere and beautiful, green, garden-like terrace makes it a very popular after work location. Open 12:00 - 24:00. (900Rbl).

Sky Lounge
Leninsky pr. 32a, 22 floor, M Leninsky prospekt, tel. 938 57 75, www.skylounge.ru. The original Moscow view to die for - is there anything you can’t see from up here? Situated 105 metres up on top of the sparrow hills you can pick out all seven of Stalin’s sisters from the terraces that surround the entire restaurant. It is possible to eat yourself out of house and home here with some outrageously luxurious and exotic dishes on the menu, but the portions are accordingly enormous. Open 13:00 - 24:00 (1200Rbl).

Tiflis
B-6, Ul. Ostozhenka 32, M Kropotinskaya, tel. 766 97 28, www.tiflis.ru. A gorgeous outdoor setting is the real star attraction here. Sitting under the canopy of vines on the verandah, sipping on Georgian wine and waiting for your meal to arrive is simply heavenly. The pop radio spoils the atmosphere a little but the sumptous cuisine makes up for that. Open 12:00 - 24:00. (1000Rbl).