Moscow is the capital city and the most populous federal district of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural and scientific center in Russia and in Eastern Europe. It has been ranked as the second most expensive city in the world and is one of the worlds largest urban economies and is also one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the world. Moscow is the northernmost and coldest megacity and metropolis on earth, the second most populous city in Europe after Istanbul with 11,5 million citizens and the 8th largest city in the world aswell as the largest amongst high income economies. But enough about hard facts.
My first visit to Moscow was imense, we came to Shermeteyevo airport, 1 of the 3 big airports connecting Moscow to the world. It took us about 1 hour getting in to the center where we had booked a 5 star hotel named Peter the 1st. The taxi prices in Moscow are either fixed by buying the ride at a airport counter or just taking one outside the arrival halls. Be prepered for stiff fares, but if you have time its also possible taking the bus for less.
Our hotel was in the middle of the most expensive real estate area in the world where the average price per square meter is 6000 to 9000 US for a home and 25.000 to 35.000 for luxury home.
The average wage in Moscow is 1800 US a month although most workers recieve substanially less than that. The problem in Russia is that the differences keeps getting bigge. The poorest living in small wooden shacks on the country side and you have oligarchs with big apartments worth hundreds of millions in central Moscow
According to Forbes 2013 Moscow has the largest number of billionaire residents in the world, and this is easy to see if you like cars, shopping, restaurants and fine parties. The cash is spend like its no tomorrow.
7 out of 10 cars driving in central Moscow are German made, expensive and more than a 3 liter engine. The shopping centers of GUM and TSUM have all high label fashion and here you can easily spend 10.000 US in a flash. They say Russians love to show off, either with fine leather, furs, jewellery, cars or luxury holidays to Dubai etc.
Moscow is a big city, in my opinion its not a city to walk around in because its so hard to cross the streets. You either have too walk big distanses or go down against the underground to get to cross .Do what i did, i walked around the Red Square to see the central sights, had a boattrip on the river that runs trough Moscow and if you want to get further out, take the metro. The circle line in Moscow is a work of art and is worth the visit. The metro in Moscow by the way is the worlds most hectic with 9 million travellers every day. 9 MILLION. Thats the same as New York and London combined.
The best attractions/sights in Moscow are as follows:
- Red Square
- St Basils Cathedral/Visilij Cathedral
- Lenin Mausoleum
- Kreml
- Boattrip on the river
- Moscow Metro
More information here:
