Valday, Novgorod region

About half-way between Moscow and Saint-Petersburg. Easy access to Novgorod, Staraya Russa, Vyshny Volochek, Torzhok, and Staritsa. Population ~20th which is big enough to expect to find food and shelter.

Valday is far enough from both Moscow and St Petersburg for vestiges of former life to survive to this day. Old Believers are said to still live in remote villages in the Valday area.

VALDAY ATTRACTIONS

Valday is a tourist mecca. The visitors are mostly Russians. Foreigners prefer instead the more photogenic and properly marketed Golden Ring. Valday's main attraction are camping, hiking, boating, fishing and such.

Religious pilgrims flock to the Iversky Monastery and to Holy Springs. 

Of museums I've discovered just two: Bells Museum and the Museum of Old Provincial Living. The Suvorov Museum for those interested in late 18th century wars is said to be "within easy reach) from Valday but remember that 100 miles is considered next door here and Valday travel industry people, not having much beside "nature" to entice travellers, tend to present Novgorod's attractions as belonging to Valday.

Valday and the Valday National Park appears to have a Tourist Information Center. The listed address is Komsomolsky Prospekt 1a, office 5. There also is a sign in the park that we followed only to find an empty house. Try +7-81666-20213, valdaray@mail.ru. Their site feels dead www.valday-tour.ru. The guestbook has pages of Viagra and penis enlargement ads. Sad.

ACCOMMODATION

The family that hired me to do the Moscow to Valday trip in August 2011 was very particular about accommodation. They made me to make drive around the lake making an enquiry at every establishment, from an upgraded Soviet hotel to unattended camping grounds to a recreation complex reserved for government bureaucrats to the Iversky Monastery Guesthouse. Here is the info harvested during this exercise:

Berendeyevo Tsarstvo - "Baza Otdykha" type establishment in a pine forest. An equivalent of $60-70 per person per night. The village of Shuya, www.valday.nov.ru, nits@novline.ru, +7-911-621-7770.

Klevoye Mesto - Suppose it is a "Baza Otdykha" too. Specialization - fishing. Your neighbours may be drunk and noisy fishermen - "fishermen" for lack of a better word although somehow the term doesn't sound right when applied to those who catch carps in a pond. But in our case it was all very quiet and pleasant. And very inexpensive if you are a group as they charge per room. A room for a family of four was $70, which is real cheap. A room for me was $50, which is still entirely reasonable. If going north (from Moscow to St Petersburg) turn right to Doldiye Borody ("Long Beards") shortly after you go past Valday, watch for sign "������ �����". Tel. +7-911-600-2860 (manager), +7-921-023-1644 (cafe, and I'd say it is good and prices are not out of line).

Dom Otdykha Valday - Dom Otdykha is usually a step above Baza Otdykha. See Types of Rural Accommodation. Dom Otdykha Valday seems to have evolved into a retreat for the government people. You are still welcomed if you buy "putevka" (way bill?) in advance. +7-81666-46046, +7-81666-46044 (after 5pm), +7-911-604-1044 (mobile), domvalday@mail.ru, info@valdaydom.ru, www.valdaydom.ru, the village of Roshino.

Valdayskiye Zori ("Dawns") - The place dubs itself "Hotel and Recreational Complex". Right in Valday, to your right as you enter the city, on the lake, ulitsa Molotkovskaya ("Hammer Street"), valdai@amaks-hotels.ru, www.amaks-hotels.ru.. An equivalent of $140/night double, breakfast included, $75-80 single, or $230 for a luxury suit able to accommodate four. Western-managed feel. That's where my guests ended up staying after turning town a tranquil $20-40 per person per night guesthouse in the Iversky Monastery.

Iversky Monastery - 500 roubles (just under $20) per person in a guesthouse with shared conveniences, 1000 ($35) in a newer house with private facilities, you are welcomed to eat at the refractory (no set fee but donation expected). Quiet, authentic, very inexpensive, suitable for working travellers or those looking for inspiration...