Rostov

Rostov-on-Don can be explored through several aspects of the city: its landscaped riverside promenade, the main street Bolshaya Sadovaya, architectural landmarks and public squares. When choosing a holiday apartment, it helps to decide in advance what you want to focus on: should your stay be shaped mainly by the Don, the city’s architecture or a particular walking route?

By the Don: from river port to promenade

Until the middle of the 20th century, a river port developed on the Don in Rostov. After the destruction of the Second World War, it was decided to create a riverside promenade in its place, with avenues, flower beds, monuments, fountains and berths for cruise ships and excursion boats. Today, these features define the promenade. The site’s history tells a story of change: a port area became a landscaped waterfront. Most of the bollards bear the inscription that they were made at a factory in Rostov between 1896 and 1898. These dates give the riverside another tangible connection to the city’s history.

Streets, mosaics and architectural history

Bolshaya Sadovaya is Rostov’s main street. It begins at the railway station and is less than four kilometres long. Along it stand grand apartment buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, designed in a range of architectural styles. Those interested in architectural history will find not just one building, but a series of different styles from a clearly defined period. The mosaic panels on the walls of pedestrian underpasses reveal another aspect of the city’s heritage: they are recognized as cultural heritage sites of regional significance.

Parks, squares and landmark buildings

The city’s oldest park was once called Gorodskoy Sad and is now Gorky Park. The Atlanty fountain was built in Teatralny Square in 1936, after construction of the M. Gorky Drama Theatre was completed. Another precisely dated example is a neoclassical building in the ensemble of the Rostov branch of the State Bank: it was built between 1915 and 1917. Together, the park, square, fountain and architecture offer several starting points for exploring the city, where public spaces and their history matter just as much as the street façades.

Walking route or a view

A walking route leads from the fan zone at Teatralnaya Square along Bolshaya Sadovaya to Maxim Gorky Park. It is three kilometres long, with a stated duration of three hours. When planning your day, it is therefore worth taking the time estimate into account alongside the distance. For a different perspective, take a ride on the 65-metre-high Odno nebo Ferris wheel in Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii Park. From there, the view described stretches across the area beyond the Don and over Rostov’s historic centre. The walk and the Ferris wheel offer different experiences: one is a route through the city, the other a view from above. Check whether the Ferris wheel is operating on the day of your visit before making plans.

Market and getting oriented

The Central Market offers, among other things, meat, poultry, fish, sausages and smoked meats, lard, homemade dairy products, and vegetables and fruit from the Don region. Availability of individual products may vary. The city’s tourism visitor centre can help you get oriented, choose interesting places and plan your stay. You’ll find it at 45 Bolshaya Sadovaya Street, in front of the entrance to Maxim Gorky Park. Check whether the centre is open before visiting.

Choose accommodation to suit your plans

Choose your base according to the activities that matter to you, rather than relying on a general idea of which location is best.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Veshenskaya, Kashary, Pokrovskiy, Millerovo, Novocherkassk, Zaozerye, Ovoshchnoy, Novoaleksandrovka.

Back to the regional travel overview: Rostov Oblast.