Vysokoye: Vysokoye Estate, Church and Park

Vysokoye is associated with the Vysokoye Estate and its ensemble of palace, church and landscape park. The estate was built in the 19th century to a design by Nikolai Benois in the Wazusa Valley. Here, the architecture and park together form the area’s main attraction. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, consider whether you mainly want to explore this estate ensemble or focus on other cultural and natural attractions in Smolensk Oblast.

Vysokoye Estate: Architecture and Park

The estate ensemble in Novodugino District includes a palace, a church and a landscape park. It is not just one building but the interplay of these elements that gives the estate its distinctive character. For travellers interested in both historic architecture and designed landscapes, Vysokoye offers a clearly defined focus for a visit.

The Church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God on the estate has been restored. The restoration was reported in October 2025; in March 2026, the church was described as fully revived. If you plan to visit the church, check in advance what visiting options are available.

The park also has a varied layout: it comprises a formal section and a landscape section, as well as a network of avenues. It is also home to more than 300 species of trees and shrubs. Four of the five former ponds have survived. The two sections of the park represent different styles of design; the avenues, trees and ponds give the landscape park a significance of its own alongside the palace and church. This allows you to appreciate the site from both an architectural and a landscape perspective.

Cultural and Natural Attractions in Smolensk Oblast

As a broader travel destination, Smolensk Oblast offers other distinct cultural and natural attractions. The Gnyozdovo archaeological complex preserves around 2,500 burial mounds and a settlement. Gnyozdovo is the largest complex of archaeological monuments in Russia and Europe dating from the formation of the Old Russian state. As an archaeological monument of national, federal significance, the complex is protected by the state. This is a different historical focus from the palace, church and park ensemble in Vysokoye.

Another place with a history of its own is the A. S. Griboyedov Khmelita State Historical, Cultural and Natural Museum-Reserve in Vyazemsky District, Smolensk Oblast. The Khmelita Estate has belonged to the Griboyedov family since 1680 and is the centre of the museum-reserve. It is located 260 km from Moscow, 200 km from Smolensk and 37 km from Vyazma. These distances indicate Khmelita’s location within the oblast and in relation to these cities.

For nature lovers, one option is Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park. Established on 15 April 1992 in Demidovsky and Dukhovshchinsky Districts, it protects unique natural complexes for recreational, educational, scientific and cultural purposes. The “K istokam” circular trail starts in the village of Stary Dvor. A track for apps such as Geotreker or MAPS.ME can help you walk the eco-trail independently. Two viewing platforms were built along the route at Lakes Svyatets and Sapsho in 2023–2024. A viewpoint on the high southern shore of Lake Sapsho offers a view of the lake and several islands.

The barefoot trail in Boroviki offers a different way to experience the landscape: it has 14 sections, each six metres long, with different natural surfaces. Visitors walk the sections barefoot. At the end, you can wash your feet and, if you wish, stroll through Aptekarsky Garden. The choice between these options therefore comes down to different ways of experiencing the outdoors: a circular trail with viewpoints or a path whose changing surfaces you can feel directly.

Smolensk Oblast also offers different ways to discover its culture. At the “Stargrad” ethnographic village, guided tours introduce visitors to the way of life of the ancient Slavs and showcase household items, weapons and clothing. Visits are possible only as part of a guided group. The extended programme includes, among other things, the “Babiy kut” workshop on traditional women’s crafts, where visitors can make souvenirs, and “Polevaya Kuznya”, where participants can mint coins and make chain mail. The extended tour programme also includes lunch featuring historic dishes from maritime and field cuisine, prepared in cauldrons over an open fire. Arrange these activities in advance.

When looking for a holiday apartment, this distinction is useful: if the Vysokoye Estate ensemble is the main focus of your stay, choose a location in Vysokoye. If you want to focus on archaeological sites, the museum-reserve, park trails or the guided programme at “Stargrad”, plan your trip around the respective destinations mentioned in Smolensk Oblast.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Dolginovo, Pilichki, Stepanovo, Sloboda, Monastyrshchina, Pochinok, Sliznevo, Lipuny.

For the broader travel overview: Smolensk Oblast.