Elk Island — so named because of — you guessed it — the elks inhabiting the north-eastern forested part of the city, was once the hunting ground of Tsars such as Ivan the Terrible. The skinny, but densely packed, silver birches of the enormous nature reserve drown the surrounding city noise right out, and are home to a variety of other creatures, looking as beautiful in summer as they do in winter when they blend into the surrounding snow. Although a great deal of it remains closed to the public, and it is little difficult to locate from the furthest stop on the red metro line, it's easily visible after a boarding the number 75 bus for a few stops (from the supermarket side), and is worth every second of the trip.