Destinations > Far East
Vladivostok
One of the most remote outposts of the empire, the final destination of the famous Trans Siberia, the largest seaport, and base of the country’s Pacific Fleet
let's explore it
The End or the Beginning
Contrary to all documentary claims that Vladivostok is the final destination of the Tran Siberian railway, the city’s residents are convinced that Vladivostok is the beginning of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Indeed, why, if the sun rises in the east, transport routes are counted from the west? No one has yet found a logical counter-argument, so all that remains is to agree with the residents of Vladivostok: the Trans-Siberian Railway starts from Vladivostok. So that no one would think to argue with this, a monument-steam locomotive – an old locomotive from the Second World War and a stylized kilometer pole with a mark of the distance to Moscow are erected near the Vladivostok railway station.
short city information
LOCAL TIME | UTC+10 |
|---|---|
CLIMATE | Humid Continental |
POPULATION | about 600 thousand people |
HOW TO GET | 8,5 hours by plane from Moscow
|
SPECIAL POINT OF ENTRY | Sea port |
HIGHLIGHT | Russky island, Vladivostok Fortress, S-56 submarine
|
types of tourism
Excursion
Fishing
Nature
Culinary
Russian San-Francisco
A Crucial Point on the Russian Map
The peculiar terraced landscape and the location between the Amur and Ussuri bays and the Golden Horn Bay allowed the famous traveler Nansen to compare it with Naples. In 1930 Nikita Khrushchev wanted to build a second San Francisco out of the city on the hills. Not to say that the idea of the Soviet leader was fully realized: in the end, Vladivostok is atmospheric, distinctive, and unlike anything else. Up today in the center of the city, near the water, you can see the boulevards built up with century-old buildings. In 2012, the APEC summit was held in Vladivostok – for this event, many new objects and attractions were built in the city, including the two- kilometer cable-stayed Golden Bridge over the bay.
Main sights
Enough Suggestive to Be Impressive
Admiral Fokin Street is called the Vladivostok’s Arbat. It takes 15 minutes to walk along up to the Vladivostok Fortress – the only 19th-century fortification in Russia. A wonderful view of the Amur Bay opens from the territory of the outpost, and exactly at noon, a signal shot from a cannon is fired from here.
On the shores of the Golden Horn Bay in Vladivostok stands the most dangerous Soviet submarine of the times of the Great Patriotic War, practically untouched by time. The S-56, which made a record by crossing over three oceans and sinking many Nazi ships, is now open to tourists. Climbing aboard the famous submarine, you can completely immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a dangerous and heroic era – some of the compartments have been preserved in their original form.
The “green” monument of Vladivostok is Admiral Square, planted over 100 years ago. Its main decoration is the Nikolaevsky Triumphal Gates. A beautiful building in the Russian-Byzantine style was built in 1891 for the arrival of Tsarevich Nicholas.
The capital of Primorye is rich in museums: the history of the Far East from ancient times till present days is introduced in the Arsenyev Museum. Masterpieces of Russian and foreign painting are exhibited in thePrimorsky Art Gallery. There is also a Botanical Garden in the suburbs of the city, where lotuses and rhododendrons grow among the fir trees.
Far Eastern cuisine
Seafood
Goodies
Located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean the city can offer the freshest gifts from the sea. All sea areas of the Japanese sea and the south coast of the Okhotskoye Sea are incredibly rich in seafood: here you can find scallops & mussels, oysters & anadara, corbicula & spisula, sea urchins & trepang, crabs & shrimps, squid & octopus, and algae – well-known seaweed (kelp). Not even speaking about sea fishes.
The unique natural conditions of the Pacific regions of the Far East have formed a set of taiga and marine species of flora and fauna with an unusually high concentration of biologically active substances. The use and combination of these ingredients in the daily diet is the concept of the Far Eastern regional cuisine.
The best fish market in the city is situated in Sportivnaya Market – the largest market in Vladivostok and the favorite one among locals. Don’t miss out to try all sea delicacies!
Bring a souvenir
Famous Sweets
The must check place there is the Prestige store – the brand store of the Vladivostok’s candy factory Primorskiy Konditer. A cozy two-story shop on Aleutskaya Street is always crowded with visitors, as both guests of the city and the townspeople themselves strive here for the freshest local delicacies. The confectionery factory has been operating since 1906. Chocolate is made on natural cocoa beans.
You cannot visit Vladivostok and miss an opportunity to try the Bird’s Milk sweets from Primorsky Confectioner. In Soviet times, it was those sweets along with red caviar and dried smelt that were in great demand as a gift from visitors from Vladivostok. The recipe has not changed since then, which is why the freshly made Bird’s Milk candies forever captivate the heart.
try something new
Itineraries of Far East
What Else
View More Destinations
want more?
More pictures inside the Gallery
