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Sights of the region

Bor

Even though Bor is literally on the opposite shore of the Volga River, Nizhny Novgorod’s residents and visitors often just get there by cable car, look around and immediately return from whence they came. We have decided to put together a small guide around the town of Bor and the wider Bor district, a place to which it is well worth spending at least one day.

A FEW FACTS

A Settlement Surrounded by Coniferous Forests

A settlement at this location was first mentioned in the XVIII century as the Vezloma settlement at the mouth of the Vezloma river. According to one version, the name of the Bor town (the meaning is «forest») came from the coniferous forests to the north of Nizhny Novgorod.

Cottages on the Moss Hills

The Moss Hills village of summer cottages, established in the Borskaya Sloboda in the XIX century, was especially popular with the Nizhny Novgorod clerisy: Maxim Gorky often visited the cottage of architect Pavel Malinovsky, and in 1902 Fyodor Shalyapin also came to visit. In memory of this, a monument to Maxim Gorky and Fyodor Chalyapin was erected on the site where Malinovsky's cottage once stood.

In the Forest

Among the locals, it is customary to say «na Boru», and not «v Boru» or «v Bore» — keep this in mind when you communicate with the townspeople!

Cableway

An important attraction is the cableway connecting Nizhny Novgorod with Bor. The Bor cableway is a world record holder, with the longest unsupported span over water in the world (882 meters).

Live in Bor, work in Nizhny Novgorod

Around 25-30% of Bor’s population work in Nizhny Novgorod, and this, in particular, explains the queues for the cable car in the morning and evening rush hours. Incidentally, there is a small lifehack here just for peak hours: the turnstiles to the cabins have contactless payment terminals, so you can pay for travel and pass through without having to queue at the ticket office.

The Glass Works

The town of Bor is known, among other things, for its glass production –one of Russia’s oldest glass factories is located here. Glassware is also produced there (you've probably seen glasses with the Bor brand), as well as polished and automotive glass — about 80% of all new cars produced in Russia and the near abroad are equipped with glass manufactured in Bor.

WHAT TO DO IN THE CITY

Take a ride to the city on the cable car

Bor’s main attraction (and one of the main attractions of Nizhny Novgorod) is, of course, the cableway. The cable car is indeed the best way to get to Bor, but in summer there will be crowds of tourists who want to get a bird’s eye view of the city, so be ready to wait a little. Just 15 minutes flight time, and you're on the other side. The cableway is open every day, eight people can fit into one cabin, and the view is simply breathtaking.

Drop by the ice cream parlour

In the very center of the city, in good weather, you can go cool off at the Kolibri cafe with a huge selection of ice creams made using Italian technology. There are many varieties, along with pizzas and desserts. The Kolibri factory's most famous ice cream, which many people have probably tried, is the giant cone. If you want to learn more about how ice cream is made, then you should book yourself a factory tour, where you can see all the finer points of the production process. Be sure to ask an ice cream gift!

Visit the Bor Museum of Local History

Once you’ve finished the last of your ice cream, go to the Bor Museum of Local History, located in the former mansion of the merchant Starov, with its opulent interior. The displays and exhibitions here are built with a great touch of love and attention, and here you can find not only exposition typical for museums of this type, such as XVIII century utensils, the interior of a hut with a spinning wheel, antique toys, and a stuffed fox, but also rare items, such as the paperweight of Alexander Rosenberg, the owner of the Bor village pharmacy, or a piano made at the Diedrichs Freres piano factory, the oldest of its type in the Russian Empire. The museum regularly hosts various exhibitions.

Admire the views of Volga

Bor’s newest public space is the Bor Volgorechye, with its aluminium pedestrian bridge (one of only 15 in Russia) and observation deck, along which you can take a stroll and appreciate its interesting architectural solution. There is a skate park down below, where you can always see a lot of young people.

Visit the Moss Hills Park

To get some fresh air and enjoy nature in a comfortable space, we advise you to go to the Moss Hills Park, with its two observation decks, monument to Gorky and Shalyapin, who loved to relax here at the cottage of the architect Malinovsky. Here, you can find a completely new art object called «Hearing». It is a giant metal «ear» turned towards the forest. Thanks to its design, you can hear the sounds of nature more clearly: birdsong, the rustling of leaves... The easiest way to get to the park is by car or taxi, it's a fair distance, if you walk from the center of Bor on foot.

Out of town, to the Malinovsky Skete

We also advise you to visit the Malinovsky Skete outside the city, a complex of Old Believers' buildings constructed using money from the merchants Bugrov and Blinov. This is the only one of Nizhny Novgorod’s ancient Orthodox monasteries which has been preserved, and it operates to this day as a convent. The skete’s main building is the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the pseudo-Russian style. Here, you can be amazed with beautiful tiles decorating its interior. Not far from here there is the Old Believers cemetery with the Blinov family necropolis.

Get closer to nature in the Kerzhensky Nature Reserve

If you still have the strength (and time) left, you should visit the Kerzhensky Nature Reserve. It is located in two districts at once — Bor and Semyonov. We recommend you choose one of the eco-trails to take a walk along. For example, the Deer Land runs around an enclosure inhabited by forest reindeer, and the Sacred Forest is a three-and-a-half-kilometer long trail of forest paths.

WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO SEE

The cableway

Bor, 12K Lunacharskogo str.

The town’s main transport attraction, with Europe’s longest unsupported span over water.

The Kolibri Ice Cream Factory

Neklyudovo Village, 20B Druzhba Quarter

The factory that produces the famous giant cones, where you can learn all about the production of ice cream.

Cafe Kolibri

Bor, 104 Pushkina str.

A cafe with a huge assortment of ice cream by the scoop from the local factory.

Bor Volgorechye

Bor, 8 Naberezhnaya str.

The newest public space in Bor, with an aluminum pedestrian bridge and an observation deck.

Kolkhida

Neklyudov Village, 28 Neklyudovo str.

One of the region’s finest Caucasian cuisine restaurants; people come here to have dinner even from Nizhny Novgorod.

The fire tower

Bor, 113A Lenina str.

An amazing attraction: part of this XIX century fire tower is literally built into the wall of the shopping center.

The Bor Museum of Local History

Bor, 1 Internatsionalnaya str.

The museum with an opulent interior and a variety of exhibitions is located in the former mansion of the merchant Starov.

70th Anniversary of Victory Park

Bor, Borskaya Ferma str.

A public park with a fountain, military equipment, hundreds of signed trees, memorial plaques and a monument in honor of veterans.

Teplokhod Hall of Culture

Bor, 152 Lenina str.

A cultural center where performances, concerts and creative events have been held since 1959. On the pediment of the building there is a bas-relief with a dove against the background of a globe.

Nikolo-Znamenskaya Church

Bor, 8 Lunacharskogo str.

A stone church built in honor of the icon of the Mother of God «The Sign» at the end of the XVIII century.

The Children's Art School

Bor, 7 Sovetskaya str., bld. 2

A school with walls decorated with tiles, and unordinary installations nearby.

The Malinovsky Skete

Filippovskoye village

The only ancient Orthodox monastery in Nizhny Novgorod that has been preserved, and even operates to this day as a convent.

Yurasovskoye Lake

Bor, Yurasovskaya str.

A small lake at the very entrance to the city of Bor, with landscaped recreation areas, a small wake park, playgrounds, and cafes.

The Moss Hills

Bor

Gorky and Shalyapin's favorite vacation spot with landscaped observation decks and artworks.

The Malinovaya Sloboda Country Club

Filippovskoye Village, 34 Slobodka str., bld. 2

A park hotel with cottages (one of which was built by the merchant Nikolai Bugrov) surrounded by woods, and offering horse riding, quests, spa center, and other entertainment.

The Jailyau Eco-Village

Ostankino Village

A Kazakh cultural and ethnic centre, where you can live in a yurt, practise archery, learn how to cook pilau rice, and plunge into the rejuvenating «Batyr-chan».

The Kerzhensky Nature Reserve

Rustai Village, 17 Oktyabrskaya str.

The first and so far the only nature reserve in the Nizhny Novgorod region, with numerous eco-trails where you can see animals in their natural habitat.

How to get there

By car

Leave Nizhny Novgorod on the P159 highway and cross the Bor Bridge. If you drive, the distance to Bor is 23km.

Travel time

28 minutes

By suburban train

Trains from Nizhny Novgorod to Bor depart daily from Moskovsky Railway Station to the Mokhoviye Gory station.

Travel time

40 minutes

Departure time

07:58, 08:53, 14:35, 16:38, 17:35, 18:39

Cost

₽50

By bus

You can travel to Bor by bus from the Kanavinsky bus station, which offers daily minibus services to the town.

Travel time

35 minutes

Departure time

5-40

Cost

₽60