Gorokhovets – The Hidden Gem of Central Russia
Having already visited all the famous towns on the famous Russian tourist route known as the Golden Ring, we wanted to visit a lesser-known place that has not yet lost its provincial charm. Although many of its neighbors in the region are part of the Golden Ring route of ancient Russian cities, the city of Gorokhovets is most often left out of this list. It is not a particularly famous city and it has never played a central role in Russian history, nor has any real ties to any major figures in Russian history or culture. Gorokhovets, however, is an old trading town whose appearance has hardly changed since the 19th century. Gorokhovets could be described as a hybrid of the established tourist destinations of Plyos, with its hilly surroundings on the Volga, and Suzdal, with its multitude of churches and ancient buildings and its provincial atmosphere.
The city is located relatively close to the large city of Nizhny Novgorod on the federal highway M7. Until the recent launch of the Lastochka high-speed train between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod which stops in Gorokhovets, there was no direct rail connection between Gorokhovets and the capital. These years of poor transport links nevertheless helped Gorokhovets to remain untouched by industrialization.
