Russia’s Most Loved Small Towns: Where Travelers Are Heading Now

Forget the big cities. A new ranking from the travel service Tutu reveals that Russia’s smaller destinations are stealing the spotlight. After analyzing ticket sales over the past three years, analysts found that Vladimir, Pereslavl-Zalessky, and Sortavala top the list of most-visited small towns. They’re joined by Arzamas, Kineshma, Rostov Veliky, Sergiyev Posad, Kolomna, Suzdal, and Staraya Russa.

Getting there depends on where you’re going. Trains carry 93% of visitors to Arzamas, 89% to Kolomna, and roughly 87% to both Rostov Veliky and Sergiyev Posad. Vladimir sees a split: 69% arrive by rail, 31% by bus. Pereslavl-Zalessky is bus country—95% come that way—while Suzdal relies entirely on cars and coaches.

Peak travel times remain July and August, when warm weather draws crowds, plus the late December holiday rush. But something is shifting. “Interest in small tourist towns is growing and becoming more stable,” says Natalia Anisimova, Tutu’s director of partner communications. “Before, people mostly squeezed these trips into high season. Now they’re booking spring and fall getaways, treating local routes as a convenient weekend escape.”

Whether you’re after medieval architecture, lake views, or quiet streets, these towns are proving that smaller can be better.