How long have you been in Tula? ATOR Bulletin has collected inspiring locations, visiting which will open this city from a new perspective and turn the weekend itinerary into an unforgettable adventure.
Modern Tula is not a story about a samovar, a gingerbread or the prose of Count Tolstoy, but first of all about vivid impressions, emotions and a desire to return, because two days will definitely not be enough.
The distance from Moscow to Tula is 170 km. You can get there by Lastochka or by train from Kursk or Vostochny railway station, by car or bus along the M2 highway. Travel time is from 2.5 to three hours (depending on the type of transport).
Tula is modern. Photo: Visit Tula
Among the million tourists (according to official statistics for 2021 – a little more) who come to Tula, many rush to the Iskra gastronomic quarter to try Tula gingerbread raf, someone is exploring the possibilities of modern urbanism on Kazanskaya Embankment, someone is going to the neighborhood district Venev in search of “the very true recipe” Venevka bun.
Yes, and for the secrets of craft brewing – welcome to Tula. Handmade souvenirs, grandiose merch from L.N.T., master classes – all this is also about Tula. Well, let's go.
MUSEUM TULA IS BRIGHT
It would seem that museum Tula is obviously Tula. But few people know that the city has become the third capital after Moscow and St. Petersburg in terms of the number of museums. There are 120 of them here.
In 2020 (on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Tula Kremlin), Metallistov Street was restored in Tula, where the Museum Quarter is located.
The Museum Quarter in the center of Tula is not boring but surprisingly interesting. Photo: Visit Tula
Now it includes branches of Kulikova Polya, Yasnaya Polyana, the State Historical Museum, the Museum of Local History and Art. And in 2023-24, it is planned to open a branch of the A.A. Bakhrushin.
Outside the space of the “Museum Quarter” – the opening of the famous Polytechnic Museum and the Museum of Old Russian Culture and Art. Andrei Rublev.
Where do you need to go?
TIAM or the Tula Historical and Architectural Museum.
Growing up on the basis of the Tula Museum necropolis”, young but ambitious TIAM is already rocking Tula residents and guests of the city with unusual exhibitions and projects.
We definitely recommend visiting the TIAM Museum. Photo: Visit Tula
Insisting on “total museumification”, the guys explore the city “out of love”, in the meantime mythologizing the space around. They hold exhibitions of contemporary art, give a platform to photographers, designers, architects, artists.
The permanent exhibition “Old Tula Pharmacy” was opened, which tells about the pharmaceutical industry of the past with great respect.
TIAM, exposition “Old Tula Pharmacy”. Photo: Visit Tula
It will be equally interesting for those who are used to classic excursions and those who love Breaking Bad. The bold manifesto of TIAM deserves special respect. You can fall in love with them already for him.
Tula Museum of Fine Arts.
Well, where else, except for Moscow and St. Petersburg, you can see the originals of Aivazovsky, Malevich Kuindzhi , Ge, Shishkin, Repin, Kustodiev, Serov and other legendary artists? It turns out – in Tula.
An art museum that is simply incredible for regional cities, the funds of which contain more than 23 thousand works of painting, sculpture, graphics, decorative and folk art. respectfully look at a non-capital museum, which has much more sincerity than all of the Big Four. A must see, even if you don't understand painting at all.
NATURAL TULA – AMAZING
In 2016, the first glamping site in Russia with the loud name Gulyai-City was opened in the Tula region. Six years later, glamping has grown into a suburban eco-residence with its own philosophy, respect for the environment and guests.
You will not find any taste, blind pursuit of fashion here. Exceptionally well-thought-out locations, laconic spaces, incredible views of the Oka River and excellent cuisine are just a few of the things that make Walk the City one of the most sought-after properties outside the city. It is better to book places in advance, because many dates are scheduled weeks ahead.
Glamping “Green Path” is already very popular among the guests of the region. Photo: Visit Tula
Another glamping site that follows the principles of “quality reset” – Green Path. A large area with tents, capsule modules, tree houses, eco-trails, gazebos, baths. The main value of glamping is “ethics”.
This concept applies to all processes: from construction – careful and organic interaction with the surrounding nature, and ending with the attitude towards guests – no importunity, only accompaniment and friendship.
Emotions from being in the Green Path, just like in childhood – from relaxing with your grandmother: the aromas of meadow herbs, morning dew, birdsong, the room smells of strawberry jam and sugar buns, no one is in a hurry and you want to sit and drink tea with currants leaf and listen to the creak of old floorboards on the summer veranda. The very feeling that you left in the past and even seemed to have forgotten. But in fact, I just hid it and was afraid to admit to myself that I miss it all a lot.
Places in country hotel Just Wood should be booked in advance. Photo: Visit Tula. Guests at the hotel stay in cozy wooden log cabins and cottages, walk through the protected forest, visit quarries where limestone was mined for the construction of the Tula Kremlin. You can walk with a guide, or you can with a player. For lovers of immersive excursions, there is an audio tour.
The charismatic chef Anton Krupenin is responsible for the gastronomic experience at the hotel. His restaurant SheLESt was awarded the National Restaurant Palm Award last year. Deservedly. The cuisine is based on local products from Tula farmers and cheese makers. The technology of languishing dishes in a Russian wood-burning oven is often used.
It is worth noting separately “Lapochkino's Nest”(not to be confused with “Swallow's Nest”). A family story that began with a desire to build an unusual house, and ended with beautiful tree houses, which are noted, if not by all tourism bloggers in the country, then by the majority.
Here is the case when it is better to see once than to hear 100 times. To come at least once is a must. But for some reason there is a certainty that you will want to return again and again.
TULA INDUSTRIAL – DELICIOUS, CREATIVE AND FUN
It is known that Tula is the Workshop of Russia. The city, rich in industrial facilities, knows how to present this component to tourists in an interesting way. As a confirmation – a fact: the Tula region became the winner of the accelerator of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives in the nomination “PROMcreative” for the most creative approach to working with industrial tourism facilities.
Tula is modern and beautiful city. Photo: Visit Tula
Tourists in Tula can visit the Machine Tool Museum, created in the workshops of the legendary Oktava plant. And if it seems to you that it is boring – you are deeply mistaken. The Machine Tool Museum, one of the best museums in the country that works with multimedia technologies and user behavior.
The Machine Tool Museum is very interesting and young people and adults: multimedia exhibitions help to perceive everything brighter. Photo: Visit Tula
A more classic version of an industrial excursion is to see the monumental metallurgical production at Tulachermet. It would not be superfluous to visit the gastro-performance of the Tula Dairy Plant. At Tula Mashinostroitelny, be sure to see the collection of the legendary Ant scooters, which in their great years were the best friend of the Soviet hipster and hard worker.
After the excursions, we recommend dropping into bar “Local” on Metallistov street. Filled with local memes, references to urban legends, a kind of homage to Thule, which tourists do not know, but which they always wanted to ask about.
Concise interior, witty names in the tincture map, simple snacks in an interesting presentation – in general, everything what we so love atmospheric wine glasses in St. Petersburg, by some miracle turned out to be in Tula, and this is an absolute plus on the gastronomic map of the city. I would like to believe that this is serious and for a long time.
On Fridays here you will definitely meet your “friends”, who are clearly aiming to go into the night and pick you up to look for bright youth with them. It is up to you to decide whether to take advantage of the invitation.
THOULA HOTEL – HOSPITAL
The right hotel is an important component of a successful trip. There are many hotels in Tula, of various categories – from classic to luxury boutique hotels.
On the main street of Metallistov in Tula (yes, where the museum quarter is) there is a boutique hotel Azimut
strong>, Levsha Hotel, Zlatinskiye Lavki Hotel.
Hotel-estate of the Mosolovs in Dubna – one of the best options for unusual accommodation. Recommended. Photo: Visit Tula
You can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the nineteenth century in the historical Mosolovs' mansion in Dubna, Tula region.
There is another option for connoisseurs of the imperial past – Hotel “Noble Assembly” in the very center of Tula.
< p>Or the 11 Hotel & Garden” – for lovers of the Victorian style.
Hotel Hotel & Garden in Tula will appeal to lovers of the calm atmosphere of antiquity. Photo: Visit Tula
The original country hotel Bolotov. Dacha». The project, invented by Ivan Mitin, founder of the Ziferblat anti-cafe, and developer Alexander Goncharov, was opened in 2016 and chose “simplicity, silence and a lot of rest” as the main philosophy.
There are no noisy parties here, it is customary here to wander slowly with a map of the surrounding places, look at the spines of books in the cabinets, read in front of the fireplace, play the old piano on the veranda. Add to this amazing taste, but simple food made from local products, conversations with interesting people, lectures, board games, and everything that the wonderful scientist, philosopher, agronomist Andrei Timofeevich Bolotov lived in the 19th century, becomes possible at the present time. Perhaps the best way to change the capital any coming weekend. Or maybe even on weekdays. As you like.
We could talk about Tula endlessly, but let's move from theory to practice. Especially in Tula, we are all already waiting. And, believe me, they have already set up the samovar, cut Belyovskaya marshmallows, opened a volume of Lev Nikolayevich on their favorite lines and prepared a fragrant gingerbread.
Before traveling to Tula, take a look at the official Tula tourist portal.
There you will find information about all the tourist opportunities of the city and the region. There are so many of them that it is not possible to fit them all into one text.
Alexandra Polyanskaya