One of the holiest places in all of Russia the stunning Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra and the surrounding town of Sergiev Posad has been a place of pilgrimage for Russian Orthodox believers for centuries. Just one and a half hours by train from Moscow it makes a perfect day trip. If you want to make a weekend of it and soak in more of the provincial lifestyle and fresh air, there are plenty of accommodation options.
The cradle of Russian Orthodox Christianity and one of the most beautiful towns in the Russian nation, the city of Sergiev Posad was founded by the venerable Sergey Radonezhsky in 1337. A reformer of monarchism in Russia, and a religious and political figure, St. Sergius of Radonezh, as he is also known, is highly honored by the Russian Orthodox Church and is considered the patron saint of Russia.
From childhood he seemed destined for holiness and as a young man Sergius set off to live his life as an ascetic monk in the forests outside Moscow. He was soon joined by others inspired by his pious lifestyle and eventually a monastery began to grow around the small wooden church that Sergius had built. This small church is now one of the holiest places in all of Russia - the stunning Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra – around which the town of Sergiev Posad grew and became a city in its own right.
Sergiev Posad’s greatest sight is its stunning monastery, although there are also one or two other worthwhile museums dotted around which show off the region’s strong artistic history and especially the legacy of toy making of folk crafts.