Set on the banks of the river, the beautiful and tranquil 16th Century Pokrovsky Convent is not a museum and so the buildings contained inside its thick walls can only be viewed from the exterior. However the fact that you cannot visit the churches doesn't take anything away from the experience. Simply wandering around the carefully tended grounds and soaking up the blissful quiet whilst admiring the impressive Cathedral at the Convent's heart is enjoyful enough. The notorious former residents of this convent are many, as for centuries it was a favourite place for the Russian Tsars to dispose of their disgraced female kin. Famous women forced into the habit here include Ivan the Terrible's daughter-in-law and Peter the Great's first wife.

At the far end of the convent is a charming little cafe serving up simple Russian food. It also used to be possible to stay overnight in the numerous cottages here but in recent years the cottages have been given over to a local orphanage.