Summer Moscow: The feeling of a resort in one of the world’s best megacities

People like to say about Moscow that it works hard and never sleeps. But the Russian capital also knows how to have a good rest – in the summer months it turns into a real resort with beaches, open-air pools, SPA-zones, sports grounds and all kinds of entertainment of a summer resort city. Let’s tell you how to spend summer in Moscow with the effect of a vacation at a full-fledged resort.

Summer months in Moscow are moderately hot, the temperature is stable at 20-25°C, but in some weeks of July or August the sun can warm the city to the temperature of southern cities – 30°C and above. Numerous public gardens, boulevards and parks, as well as the proximity of the Moskva River and water amusements help Muscovites and city guests to bear the heat in the dense building of the metropolis.

New water recreation areas are being equipped in the city every year. Thus, this summer 23 comfortable beach areas operate within the Moscow city. Swimming pools and recreation zones are opened in 9 city parks and 12 festival sites. All Moscow swimming pools are monitored for safety by lifeguards, there are locker rooms, playgrounds, cafes and fast food outlets.

The Luzhniki Aquatics Palace (24 Luzhniki St., p4, Vorobyovy Gory metro station) traditionally opens two warm pools in summer – sports and beach, children’s and volleyball courts and a large recreation area with sun loungers. The water in the pools is kept at a comfortable temperature of 27°, so even in cool weather or light summer rain you can catch a real beach atmosphere here.

The Chaika (a seagull) outdoor pool, one of the most popular among Muscovites, is open all year round, but it is noticeably more comfortable in summer. The Soviet-style sports pool is located in the city center – near the Krymsky Bridge and Gorky Park (Turchaninov per., 3, p1). Three pools are open from morning till evening, one of them is deep, for diving and jumping from heights. All pools are designed for sport swimming and group water activities. For those who are not ready to be in the water for so long, there are saunas, an ice font, a gym and a workout platform, and a cascade shower on the territory.

You can also get a Moscow tan in The Bassein (a swimming pool) in Sokolniki Park (Mitkovsky proezd, 1c1), where an outdoor pool is located in the middle of the magnificent park. There are no sports here – only recreation and parties every weekend with participation of the capital’s DJs. There is also a playground nearby and a water slide for children.

A Mediterranean-style summer beach zone is located on the territory of the Northern River Station (45, c. B, Leningradskoye Shosse) – here you can relax in one of four heated swimming pools, attend a concert or a party on a day off and dine at a restaurant overlooking the Moskva River.

In summer, another organized beach zone opens on the bank of the Moskva River – Dream Beach Club on the territory of the amusement park “Dream Island” (1 Andropova Ave.). A sun lounger by the water with a view of picturesque shores or a cozy tent is what you need after a busy day in the indoor amusement park with children. The beach club has a large pool for adults and children, a wave pool, a children’s pool with slide and dry pool for water play, and a VIP pool. The water in all pools is treated and its quality is monitored daily in a special laboratory at the beach complex. “It is impossible to believe that this is all in Moscow,” the residents themselves admit. The beach infrastructure in Dream Beach Club was indeed designed to create the effect of a vacation at the sea for the citizens.

Some beach zones are equipped with pontoons, so that vacationers were in a natural pond, but at the same time could swim in clean filtered water. Thus, right on the Moskva River there is a beach zone with swimming pools of the park “Fili” (Bolshaya Filevskaya St., 22). Near the pools you can play beach volleyball or mini-football.

Beaches and water entertainment:

Every year special sanitary services of the city determine the places in the water area, safe for swimming. Traditionally a clean and recommended beach remains the water area near the island of Sosnovy Bor. Local sandy beaches among pine trees are one of the most popular summer recreation areas for many generations of Muscovites. At the water stations you can rent a SUP or kayak, go wakeboarding and wakesurfing. Ecotrails for leisurely walks are laid through a forest of century-old pine trees, and inside the park you can rent a picnic gazebo, which Moscow residents gladly do in summer.

Troparevsky Park in the southwest of the Russian capital (12 Akademika Vinogradova Street) is another popular beach and well-equipped recreation area, officially recognized as permitted for swimming. The beach is located in a well-maintained park zone, the shore is grass and sandy, and the water is equipped with wooden decks. In addition to water entertainment, there is a trampoline for children and rollerblade and bicycle rentals for adults. After swimming, you can have a snack at kiosks with drinks and fast food or in grill houses where hot dishes are prepared.

For an active rest, go to Strogino, which includes the Sosnovy Bor mentioned above. Along the shore of the Big Strogino Zaton, behind the Yantar stadium, there is a large beach zone where you can rent a SUP and kayak and try windsurfing (approximate address is Isakovskogo Street, 33). Swimming is allowed,and everything is organized for sunbathing and resting on the water. A large beach area with sailing sports grounds is located on the other side of the floodplain.  Even more activities are concentrated in Strogino Wake park (Isakovskogo street, 37 k2 p.1). This is the most equipped wake park in Moscow with reversible and ring winch, professional trampoline for tricks and skate ramps, electric foils and less extreme SUP-boards.

Water parks, SPA complexes and classic Russian baths

The Luzhniki Aquatics Palace (Luzhniki, 24, p. 4, Vorobyovy Gory metro station) has already been mentioned as a place with an outdoor pool, but its main building has sports pools under the roof, a huge children’s water park and a whole floor of a thermal complex. Regardless of the weather outside, you can slide down slides, imagine yourself at sea in an artificial wave pool, or drift leisurely on a cotton candy river for a slow swim. One of the warm pools opens onto the open balcony of the building, from where you can admire the views of the Vorobyovy Mountains and the spire of Moscow State University right in your swimsuit.

Aquapark “Karibiya” is located much farther from the city center than “Luzhniki” (Zeleny Prospect, 20b, metro station “Perovo”), but it provides everything for guests not to regret a trip to the edge of Moscow. A huge glass roof allows the pools to be illuminated by natural sunlight, including the largest wave pool in Moscow. This water park is more suited for calm than extreme recreation. There are only four slides here, but you can calmly laze in the water in the pool with hydromassage, in the grotto with fountains and in the slow river. There are Russian and Japanese baths, Finnish sauna and classic hammam in the bath complex (it is included in the visit to the water park).

In rainy weather, don’t miss the opportunity to visit a Russian bath – in Russia, the traditions of steam bathing are preserved in ancient bath complexes and in new modern Moscow baths. The choice in the capital is huge: there are countless bathhouses, and in each of them its own style and decor. For example, the legendary “Sanduns” or “Sandun baths” (Neglinnaya Street, 14) were built especially for the elite, where the noble public of the capital of the XIX century, including Alexander Pushkin, spent time. This is a three-story palace with eclectic decor: elements of Baroque, Rococo, Renaissance, Gothic and Classicism. The most luxurious in the “Sanduns” is the men’s department with a fireplace hall in the Empire style, Gothic and Turkish halls, as well as an antique swimming pool. Each room is decorated in its own style: “Lukomorye”, “Merchant” and “Sadko” will remind you of old Russian fairy tales, “Soviet” – of the Soviet era. The room “Kundarya” refers to Indian temple complexes, and the “Baikal” and “Kamchatka” rooms refer to natural beauties of Russia.

The former Soviet “Varshavskie Bani” has turned into a modern four-story bathhouse with laconic interiors. Here you can try different types of steam and Russian classical bathing. At the end, you can take a refreshing dip in an icy font or take a shower with cold water. There are separate rooms for companies: in the style of a Russian terem, a hunting lodge and a French chalet.

New public baths in Moscow are also built in true Russian traditions – the complex “Firebirds” in the restored historical buildings of the XIX century (Nizhnyaya Maslovka, 15). Everything here is classical in the best sense of the word: men’s and women’s discharges with access to the common hall, author’s aromatic couples, separate rooms for SPA procedures, individual room baths and, of course, a restaurant with excellent cuisine.

Where else to feel summer in Moscow:

In summer, Muscovites prefer to stay by the water, and visitors are also advised to walk along the beautiful embankments of the capital. The Moskvoretskaya embankment with views of the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral and other prominent buildings runs along Park Zaryadye. The pedestrian Krymskaya embankment stretches along the Museon Art Park and the Tretyakov Gallery. Muscovites love it for its wooden platforms, bicycle paths, and a cozy atmosphere of relaxation. The Prechistenskaya embankment may not be so cozy, but it is one of the most beautiful in Moscow. On the way, you will see the majestic Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Tsereteli’s monument to Peter the Great, the former manufactory “Red October”, the “New Tretyakovka” and the Museon Art Park. If you want more nature, go to the Vorobyevskaya embankment, located along the Vorobyovy Hills. Citizens relax on benches, ride bicycles and scooters. There are pleasure boats and a funicular to the observation deck and across the Moskva River. On a warm summer evening, you can book a table on the veranda and enjoy delicious food and the atmosphere of a big city!