Yekaterinburg itinerary — 3 days

Enjoy the youth counterculture of the 1960s and reflect on the risks teenagers took to listen to Western pop music. One of the stranger monuments in the city, this monument pays tribute to a band that was so influential that it managed to break through the Iron Curtain and win the hearts of Soviet teenagers. Opened in 2018, this spacious gallery in the very heart of the city, on Lenin Street, is an important addition to the local art scene. It covers several thousand square meters and showcases works by artists from the Ural region as well as international artists. Glaviniy Prospect boasts paintings and wooden and bronze sculptures created by renowned Ural artists such as Yuri Krylov, Pavel Khodaev, and Vladimir Zhukov.

A giant QWERTY keyboard set into the Iset river embankment by the former House of Printing — one of Russia's best-known pieces of urban sculpture. Created by Anatoly Vyatkin and unveiled in 2005, it has 86 concrete keys, each weighing around a hundredweight. Making a wish by 'pressing' the right letter is said to work, which is why the most popular keys have been polished by thousands of touches.

The leading art museum of the Ural region, situated along the Iset River embankment in central Yekaterinburg. Its crowning jewel is the world-famous Kasli Cast-Iron Pavilion, which won the Grand Prix at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. Beyond this masterpiece of Ural iron casting, the museum holds an exceptional collection of Russian avant-garde paintings, classical Russian art, and regional icons.

One of the obelisks marking the conventional Europe–Asia border near Yekaterinburg, a classic outing for locals: one foot in Europe, one in Asia and a souvenir photo, with wedding parties crowding the spot on weekends. The obelisk stands in the forest beside a paved viewing plaza, an easy drive or bus ride along the Moscow highway.

The Novo-Tikhvinskiy Zhenskiy Monastyr', a splendid religious building, offers a serene environment to appreciate the melodic sounds of orthodox bells. This enchanting location also features an outdoor café, perfect for indulging in a warm beverage while embracing the surrounding beauty. The monastery's tranquil atmosphere and picturesque setting create an ideal spot for relaxation and contemplation.

Founded in 1936, this is the primary botanical research sanctuary in the Urals, spanning roughly 40 hectares in southern Yekaterinburg. The grounds preserve a quiet pine forest, scenic walking trails, and a diverse outdoor arboretum. Its greenhouse complex houses an extraordinary collection of tropical and subtropical plants from across the globe, featuring towering palms, flowering camellias, rare orchids, and exotic cacti.

Thank the physicist Alexander Stepanovich Popov, whose work contributed to the invention of radio. Recognized as the creator of the first radio receiver in 1895, Russia claims that it was Popov who invented radio, not Marconi.

A bronze Gennady Bukin — the dad from the Russian sitcom 'Happy Together', played by Yekaterinburg-born actor Viktor Loginov. The statue was put up on Vayner pedestrian street in 2016 and instantly became a city mascot: passers-by rub the figure for luck and pose next to it in his trademark stance. Other bronze characters line the same street, so the visit easily turns into a scavenger hunt.

The Black Tulip war memorial in Yekaterinburg honors Soviet soldiers who died in military conflicts.

Located on central Prospekt Lenina, Khmeli Suneli is one of Yekaterinburg's most beloved Georgian restaurants, celebrated for its warm Caucasian hospitality. The atmospheric interior features traditional textiles, rustic clay qvevri wine vessels, and lush greenery. Guests feast on freshly made khinkali dumplings, wood-fired cheese khachapuri, charcoal-grilled meats, and rich stews, paired with estate Georgian wines and herbal lemonades.

The park of the estate of Rastorguev and Kharitonov, Ural Old Believer merchants, assembled from the late 18th century. The classical mansion with its rotunda rises above ponds with islets and footbridges — one of Yekaterinburg's oldest gardens and a listed landscape monument. Legend holds that secret passages run beneath the estate. Today the garden is a favourite stroll: shady alleys, squirrels and views of the palace across the water.