Valdai: Bell Sounds, City History and Creative Experiences

Valdai can be explored from different perspectives: the Bell Museum and the Bell Centre Museum offer different takes on bells, while the town museum, cathedral and historic summer garden reveal other aspects of the city. There are also creative activities and excursion destinations in Novgorod Oblast. When choosing a holiday apartment, it helps to decide what matters most to you: urban culture in Valdai, or excursions further afield as well.

Hear the bells and learn how they are made

The Bell Museum is housed in the historic Church of St. Catherine’s Palace. Empress Catherine II had the church built to a design by N. A. Lvov. Bells ring live during every visit: the range extends from 19th-century yamshchik road bells to ensembles of modern church bells. The exhibition also features multi-tiered bell towers and interactive structures that illustrate a bell’s construction and mechanics. Bell traditions from various countries are also among the topics covered.

At the Bell Museum, staff demonstrate bell-ringing techniques that visitors can try for themselves. However, visits are subject to set conditions: the museum can only be visited in groups and at scheduled times, which take place every hour. Check the current visiting hours before planning your visit.

The Bell Centre Museum displays bells from around the world, with bell types ranging from the 3rd century BC to the Middle Ages, as well as modern souvenir bells. According to its tourism description, it is the only museum in Russia bringing together bells from around the world. Children and teenagers can use a touchscreen gaming table featuring virtual games: they can harness a troika or cast a bell. The virtual bell can be sent by email to yourself or someone else. There is also an interactive, scale model of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

City history and keepsakes

The County Town Museum is located in a two-storey 19th-century mansion in the city centre. Its exhibition, which opened in 1998, covers the everyday lives of city residents, the development of local trades, and the lives of individual Valdai families and notable summer visitors. On display are individual, couple and group portraits from former Valdai homes, household items, small keepsakes, letters and postcards. Commemorative objects come, among others, from the local Rots, Bogdanova, Nikolsky, Rohrbeck and Bystrova families. Other collections of materials focus on summer visitors such as V. Solovyov, M. Menshikov, S. Nilus, N. Roerich, V. Kosagovsky, the Panaevs, the Diaghilevs and the Frolovskys.

The Holy Trinity Cathedral is an architectural landmark of Valdai and a centre of spiritual and cultural life in Valdaysky District. It is a cultural heritage site of regional significance. A facade in Valdai also features an image of the blacksmith Valda; the monument “Kuznetsam i kolokolnym masteram Valdaya” (To the Blacksmiths and Bell Masters of Valdai) was erected in 2017. Another historical trace can be found at Palace Square: in the second half of the 19th century, an enclosed summer garden was laid out there, where city residents would stroll during the warm season.

Creative activities and practical information

At the Kruzhal pottery studio, activities range from masterclasses, courses and creative programmes to working at the potter’s wheel, hand modelling and painting clay items. Participants make household objects and souvenirs. Check before planning your visit whether the activities are currently taking place.

The Valdarai Tourist Information Centre is open daily from 9 am to 7 pm. As opening hours may change, it is advisable to check them before your visit. Visitors can explore the streets of Valdai with a guide for an escorted introduction to the city.

Natural attractions in Novgorod Oblast

Valdai National Park covers 159,100 hectares and extends across Valdaysky, Demyansky and Okulovsky districts in Novgorod Oblast. Mount Ryzhokha is the highest point in the park. A 25-metre-high observation tower stands on it, offering views of the taiga, Lake Velyo and other bodies of water. A circular trail in the Bor area passes through typical taiga forests on hilly terrain and a variety of marshes in the hollows between the hills.

Another excursion destination is a trip organised by Valdai National Park to two consecrated springs. The route is 15 kilometres from Valdai and covers the origins of the springs, historical aspects and related folk traditions. The city attractions and these natural sites offer different experiences: when looking for a holiday apartment in Valdai, consider whether you want to focus mainly on the city’s cultural sites or also include excursions in Novgorod Oblast.

Discover more destinations: Ondvor, Malaya Vishera, Bolshoye Voronovo, Myasnoy Bor, Staraya Russa, Fedorkovo, Luka, Retle.

For the broader travel overview: Novgorod Oblast.