Urban Hiking in Moscow: From Tretyakov Gallery to the chocolate factory

A walk in the area of Tretyakov Gallery, south of Kremlin on the other side of the river Moscow. You will go through different architecture and a lot of nice and cozy shops. A quiet area with many small historical houses and a lot of places to discover. 

I adore starting my walks with a good espresso. As soon as I leave the Tretyakovskaya metro station I continue to the left in the direction of the Tretyakov Gallery and in a few minutes I arrive at the ABC Coffee Roasters, I always prefer small chains or single stores rather than stop in the large multinational coffee companies. I order my espresso and plan the route. Today it is not complicated, a walk through the central streets of Moscow in one of the oldest and most preserved neighborhoods. Here there are no large public buildings or skyscrapers of the City, they are generally small historic homes. In recent decades, some condominiums have taken place in the empty spaces, without however upsetting the urban planning of this area.

The Tartars neighborhood

After enjoying the coffee, I continue towards the river until I get to the Oman Embassy building. From here turn left along Staromonetnyy Pereulok street. A recently restored Orthodox Church (Khram Svyatitelya Grigoriya Neokesariyskogo V Debritsakh) strikes my attention, the gate is closed, I cannot enter. Its colors illuminate the whole area with brick red, aqua green, intense blue, and silver-gray domes. I walk till the local police station. The buildings are generally offices, there is little life here, just a few scattered shops that I don’t find very interesting. Arrived at the intersection with Bolshaya Polyanka I continue southwards, turning left. The street is lined with typical supermarkets and flower shops, with beauty centers that are never lacking in Moscow. On my left, there is a small geometric garden with the monument to Islom Karimov, the first president of Uzbekistan, a curious statue. The neighborhood was originally Tartar, the first migrants from Central Asia settled in this area of ​​Moscow. Even today there is a cultural center, a small mosque, and many activities are linked to the states that are called the Stans.

The famous Alenka chocolate factory

I continue south along the main street, walking among Tsarist-era buildings with the classic blue-green color, today they house the headquarters of public offices and large national companies. Arriving at Valovaya Street I have reached the southernmost point today. I continue for a few meters, I don’t like walking in the busy and noisy arteries of the city; at the first intersection on the left, I turn into Pyatnitskaya Street. The street is one-way with large sidewalks and cycle paths. This neighborhood is very liveable, there are numerous restaurants, bars, and cafes. Avoiding the main roads, you can enjoy the silence of the internal courtyards, perhaps sitting on some bench in the numerous internal green areas. As anticipated, the neighborhood is historic and it is not uncommon to cross some wooden houses with the classic Russian architecture of the eighteenth century. However, I am attracted to an unusual cocoa scent. I see some trucks parked, but I can’t understand what it is, there will certainly be some factories inside this building. I am in alley 2-Y Novokuznetskiy which I discover to be one of the headquarters of the Rot Front company, a very famous chocolate factory, you cannot miss its company shop with the Russian chocolate brands since the time of the USSR. Alenka’s chocolate tablets are super famous and can’t miss in Russian homes!

The honey house

I continue on Novokuznetskaya Street passing banks and embassies of various countries. I follow the tram tracks which will take me to the Novokuznetskaya green line metro station. I am attracted to a blue and white building, a small house with the words “Honey house“. I walk in and am surprised by a large elegant shop with wooden furniture. There is everything you can look for honey lovers, from production to consumption. The counters, similar to those for artisanal ice cream, offer the possibility to choose between dozens of different types of honey. Then you can find cosmetics, coffee, tea, infusions, and various preparations. The quality is high and the prices are average, without exaggerating. Happy and strengthened by the walk and the discoveries, I end my walk with another espresso

As always, I look for some particular places and enter a small café, the Corner Coffee Roasters (Instagram). I am in a clean and quiet environment with exposed brick and pleasant jazz background music. I sit by the window and order a coffee. I take this opportunity to write the notes of the walk and put in order the things I saw. To conclude my circular route, I set off on the pedestrian street Klimentovskiy. Here you can find all the biggest fast-food chains and restaurants. On the left corner, you will find the Orthodox church of San Clemente. The temple is a unique monument completely painted in red. One of the few that survived the Moscow fire of 1812, wars and revolutions, retaining the original 18th-century interior to this day. During the Soviet time almost all religious ceremonies were forbidden, in this church only on March 20th, 2005 the celebrations resumed.

Here ends my walk in the center of Moscow, an easy and pleasant walk through buildings built in the last 3 centuries.