Where to stay in the Nizhny Novgorod region: a guide to out of town holidays
Summer is in full swing! Of course, it is very interesting to go for a walk and mark out your own routes around the city, but when it gets especially warm you’d much rather go outside the city and get closer to nature, peace and quiet, and water. We have put together a digest of the most popular country clubs, recreation centres and glamping sites in the Nizhny Novgorod region that are waiting to welcome guests both from the city and from other regions of Russia this summer.
The Extreme Land Recreation Centre
Kstovsky District, Tolstobino village
~ 1 hour’s drive from Nizhny Novgorod
Extreme Land is just the ticket for adherents of active sports recreation! The centre offers a wide range of activities: a climbing wall, an inflatable obstacle course, archery and crossbow ranges, a babuki battle, and a high-rise city. Chalets, bungalows, hotel rooms and cottages are all available as guest accommodation. There are playgrounds for children, including trampolines and swimming pools, so the place really is ideal for family activities. Plus, there is a stable on site, so you can even go for a horse ride in the forest.
Cape Glamping
Sokolsky District, Yurkino village, 27 Dachnaya St.
~ 2.5 hours’ drive from Nizhny Novgorod
Wooden houses with panoramic windows are hidden from prying eyes among the coastal pine trees. Equipped with all the benefits of civilization, this is an ideal option for lovers of comfortable outdoor recreation. Each house is equipped with a Smart Home system, underfloor heating, and even a rain shower, 4G connection, and high-speed Wi-Fi.
By the way, this glamping is also dog-friendly, so you don’t have to worry about who to leave your beloved pet with. The cabins are located next to a pristine sandy beach, where you can swim, go boating or paddle boarding.
The Malinovaya Sloboda Country Club
Borsky District, Filippovskoye village, 32 Slobodka St.
~ 1 hour’s drive from Nizhny Novgorod
The club is located in the Bugrov mansion, which was built in the 19th century on the banks of the Linda River. Guests have the opportunity to stay in the rooms of the estate itself, as well as in wooden cottages and guest houses complete with verandas and barbecue areas. Not far from the mansion is the popular restaurant Mr Bugrov, where everything, from the furniture to the crockery, creates the atmosphere of a festive aristocratic feast.
We recommend visiting the mint, where workshops on coinage are regularly held, and the stables, which feature a riding school staffed by experienced instructors who conduct training from scratch for both adults and children.
The Chaika Country Hotel
Dzerzhinsk District, Zhelnino Village, 32E Chkalova St.
~ 1.5 hours’ drive from Nizhny Novgorod
Visitors have dubbed the hotel the «Nizhny Novgorod Yalta» for its beautiful forest landscapes in walking distance of the Oka coast. The hotel features a swimming pool with panoramic views, a spa complex, a gym, a beauty salon, billiards, bowling and karaoke, as well as a rental point with all manner of sports equipment.
If you come to the hotel with children, they will not be bored either. The developing children’s club offers English lessons, creative workshops, and art therapy sessions.
The Alsma Spa Hotel
Bor District, Vasilkovo Village, 7 Lesnaya St.
~1 hour’s drive from Nizhny Novgorod
Spa complexes are a great way to relieve stress and restore strength. Alsma provides ready-made programmes, including «antistress», «detox» and «post-covid», which help you to get a better night’s sleep, lose weight, and rid yourself of fatigue. The hotel has a nutritionist who will calculate an individual menu for you, taking into account the characteristics of your body. Guest houses, cottages, standard and suite rooms are offered for accommodation.
In addition to wellness treatments, you can go fishing, swim in the pool, or visit the Finnish sauna, the herbal sauna, or even the on-trend cryosauna. In general, this is an ideal place to relax on your own, and to rest your body and soul.
The Ranch 636 Country Club
Dzerzhinsk, 8 Zhelninskoe Shosse
~ 1.5 hours’s drive from Nizhny Novgorod
This country club offers guests a range of different accommodation options: the eco-friendly Wooden Hotel, completely made of wood, the modern New York Hotel, or one- or three-room VIP cottages. In addition to the usual areas, such as a sports and sauna complex, you can visit the Dusty Gold nightclub in the grounds of the ranch. Events are held here every weekend: performances by popular DJs, karaoke evenings, or live music concerts.
The club has even come up with its own dating service: at the entrance, you can choose a green bracelet if you don’t mind getting acquainted, or a red one if you’d rather be by yourself.
The Jailau Eco-Village
Borsky District, Ostankino Village
~ 1 hour’s drive from Nizhny Novgorod
The Jailau cultural and ethnic centre, (Jailau means «pasture» in Kazakh), provides its guests with the opportunity to feel the atmosphere of Kazakhstan, and to relax in real nomad dwellings — yurts. In the village you can taste traditional Kazakh dishes like pilaf, beshbarmak, and sorpa, and even lend a hand in preparing them!
The territory features vegetable plantations, greenhouses, as well as its own farmstead where animals are raised. Visitors to the village can have a steam in the Kazakh bath, plunge into the Batyr-chan with medicinal herbs, play paintball, ride the Altybakan national swing, and even fly over the village in a two-seater plane.
The Lesnoy Klyuch Eco-park
Pavlovsky district, Vorsma
~ 1.5 hours’ drive from Nizhny Novgorod
Lesnoy Klyuch is surrounded by three reservoirs, so there is always something to see here. First there is the historical and natural Lake Toscanka, on the shores of which you can see rare species of birds and plants; secondly, there is the winding Surin stream, which skirts the eco-park and is 4 kilometres in length; and finally, of course, there is the famous ice-free Lake Klyuchik, where you can not only swim, but also go diving. The water in the reservoir is crystal clear and bright blue, so you can take truly stunning photos.
The eco-park fetaures log houses with their own verandas and gazebos. Here you can have a proper rest enjoying the beauty of unspoilt nature.
Panorama Village Glamping
Kstovsky District, Goloshubikha Village, 37 Tsentralnaya St.
~ 1 hour’s drive from Nizhny Novgorod
Relax in both the cold and warm seasons in modern one- and two-storey Scandinavian-style houses. There are cottages with verandas, balconies, swings and hammocks, as well as small courtyards for barbecuing. The glamping site is within walking distance of the Kudma and Volga rivers, where you can go hiking or fishing. You can ride a bicycle to the heron pond and the old cowshed, and by car you can reach the barges on the bay or take a trip the abandoned manor house.
The Izumrudnoe Recreation Centre
Gorodetsky district, Bolshoy Sukhodol Village
~ 1.5 hours’ drive from Nizhny Novgorod
A vacation surrounded by a pine forest on the shore of the Gorky reservoir is just what you need for wellness and mental recovery. Here you will be provided with a massage, a hammam, a swimming pool, and a Finnish sauna.
It is also a great option for a family break: play billiards or go bowling, have some target practice in the interactive shooting range, visit children’s towns and games arcades. And if you come here as a corporate team, you can use our football field, volleyball and basketball courts, and even a tennis court.
Gorky Chan Ethno-Space
Gorodetsky District, Falino-Pestovo Village
~ 1.5 hours’ drive from Nizhny Novgorod
The unique feature of this place is that unlimited bathing is provided for each guest house. Each of the cottages has an authentic design, so you can make your selection from a wigwam, a yurt, the house of the leader and the shaman, or the house of the sun and the moon. They are all completely isolated, so guests can spend their time in silence and complete privacy.
The ethno-space is located next to a protected nature reserve, so while walking through the forest you may often see wild deer and squirrels, and on the grounds of the ethno-space you can visit a mini-farm with rabbits, raccoons and huskies.
Belaya Rechka Yacht Club
Gorodetsky District, Ivanovo
~ 1 hour’s drive from Nizhny Novgorod
The oldest yacht club in the Nizhny Novgorod region, the Belaya Rechka turned 65 this year. Here you can go sailing, rent a yacht, boat or board, as well as go fishing or just go for a swim. A sailing school with regular training classes and competitions is open for children, enabling every child to hone their basic skills and take their first steps in sailing.
The Gorky Sea Surf Camp
Gorodetsky District, near the Burevestnik boarding house
~ 1.5 hours’ drive from Nizhny Novgorod
Initially, this project was a surf station, but today it is a large camp complete with an art hostel and gorgeous houses with panoramic sea views. In the art hostel, you can rent an individual room with decorated walls and communal kitchen, shower and toilet facilities.
The individual houses have their own kitchens and barbecue areas, as well as their own steam rooms, with heating provided by a stove or fireplace. Each guest has the opportunity to learn wind- and kite-surfing. Festivals are held here regularly, including lectures and discussions, parties and concerts, and master classes.
The Vasilsurskaya Sloboda Aqua Hotel
Vorotynsky District, Lysaya Gora Village, 6 kilometres to the left along the dam
~ 3 hours’ drive from Nizhny Novgorod
A two-deck passenger ship converted into a modern stationary hotel, and located at the confluence of the Sura and Volga. Guests have the opportunity to rent fishing gear, a boat, a speedboat or a catamaran and go on a trip through the «Volga Switzerland», as the locals call the forest area flooded by the Cheboksary reservoir.
Today, this territory is a protected maze and boast islands filled with mushrooms, berries and wild animals, so fans of eco-tourism will definitely have their interest piqued. You can also take a trip along the water from the aqua hotel to the legendary Sheremetyevo Castle or the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Diveevskaya Sloboda Hotel Complex
Diveevsky District, Diveevo Village, 1 Blagoveshchenskaya Square
~ 3 hours’ drive from Nizhny Novgorod
Diveevo is a destination for pilgrims from all over the country, and is renowned for its temples and holy springs. It is said that the place has a special, bright energy, and that whoever touches the local shrines will be cured of their ills.
The hotel complex is located a 15-minute walk from the Serafimo-Diveevsky Monastery of the Holy Trinity, and stylistically resembles a mediaeval fortress, with white stone towers and wrought iron gates. Local entertainment includes performances by folk ensembles, live music, dancing, master classes by traditional craftsmen, and excursions to the holy places of Diveevo.
The Aquatoria Recreation Centre
Gorodetsky district, Turbazy Village
~ 1.5 hours’ drive from Nizhny Novgorod
Set on the shore of the Gorky Sea, the Aquatoria is an excellent alternative to a typical vacation in a southern resort, and the place is also ideal for holding special events such as weddings and anniversaries. The clean air of the pine forest, the beautiful sunsets, the sound of the surf: you find yourself at a real seaside resort only 70 kilometres from Nizhny Novgorod. The centre features a well-maintained park area with benches and gazebos, a pier and a sandy beach with sun loungers, and at the end of the day you will find a Russian sauna, a Finnish sauna, and a hammam.
The Swallow House Recreation Centre
Vorotynets City District, Somovka Village, 70 Privolzhskaya St.
~ 3 hours’ drive from Nizhny Novgorod
The centre is located on a high hill overlooking the Volga River, and legend has it that it was the shorebirds who first chose it. Swallow House is perfect for a cozy family vacation, where the emphasis is on a homely friendly atmosphere. Professional animators are on standby to entertain the children, and the centre features a summer pool, a sauna with a gas stove, a wood-burning Russian sauna, gazebos with barbecue grills, tennis courts, a shooting range, as well as inflatable, bicycle and ski rental. You can also visit the village of Somovka, famed for its apple orchards, or take a walk along the banks of the Volga.
The Grey Horse Equestrian Club
Voskresensky District, Troitskoye village, 43 Kirova St.
Voskresensky district, Blagoveshchenskoye Village, 68 Sovetskaya St.
~ 2.5 hours’ drive from Nizhny Novgorod
The Grey Horse Equestrian Club has two bases in the Voskresensky district, in Blagoveshchensk and Troitsk. The club’s main activities are cross-country riding, horse trail riding, and hiking. Costumed Royal hunting, country picnics and even kayaking and rafting are also laid on. Above all, here you can simply and comfortably relax in the countryside, have steam in the sauna, and sample pastries baked in a traditional Russian stove.
