Literature bike tour

Golden Autumn in Russia

6 days/5 nights, cycling distance 250 km

For people who like Russian literature and unhurried riding around the Central regions of Russia in the most romantic time of year this new tour looks a promising choice. This region was home and a Pierian spring to the great Russian writers Leo Tolstoy (War and Peace, Anna Karenina), Ivan Turgenev (Fathers and Sons, Sportsman's Sketches), Anton Chekhov (Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, The Seagull), Nikolai Leskov (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, The Tale of Cross-eyed Lefty from Tula and the Steel Flea), and others.

The route runs through sparsely populated and scenic countryside area along minor roads. Wild and picturesque scenery, fields and hills interchanging with protected forests, create a unique atmosphere of European Russia. As far as the nature is concerned the route is interesting thanks to the fact that it runs along the natural southern forest borders of European Russia, which served as a natural defensive position against Mongol-Tatar invasions in 12-15 century. Old Russian townlets Krapivna, Odoev, Belev, Kozelsk will acquaint you with both monuments of architecture and life in the remote interior of Russia.

In the second part of our tour we will visit famous monastery of Optina Pustyn, space museum in Kaluga. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, a great scientist and founding father of the world astronautics, lived in Kaluga for most of his life and rode his bicycle there. Polotnyany Zavod - the memorial museum of Goncharov family (Alexander Pushkin's wife). At the end we visit Tarusa (the favorite place of many Russian artistic people, such as Marina Tsvetaeva, Konstantin Paustovsky etc.) and Polenovo - the estate of Vasily Polenov, famous Russian landscape painter.

The tour starts and ends in Moscow. Most roads along the route do not have heavy traffic. We stay in hotels (double/twin or single accommodation with private bathroom).

Main sights: