| Vyborg Выборг | ||
 | ||
Coat of arms and flag   | ||
| State | Russia | |
|---|---|---|
| Altitude | 3 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 160.85 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 75.355 (census 2020) | |
| Prefix tel | 7 81378 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 188800-188811 | |
| Time zone | UTC 3 | |
Position
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| Institutional website | ||
Vyborg (Выыборг, Viipuri in Finnish, Viborg in Swedish, Wyborg in German) is a city of the Northwestern Russia, inLeningrad Oblast, near the border with the Finland. It was Finland's second largest city until World War II, when it was handed over to the Soviets as a war reparation.
To know
The city is located at the mouth of the Saimaa Channel, in a bay of the Gulf of Finland. Until the Second World War it was an important trading city. Especially in the 19th century it had a very international atmosphere. Although the language Finnish grew from 50% to 90% of the population, multiculturalism was important to the identity of the city and the minorities of Swedes, Germans, Russians, Roma, Tatars and Jews remained.
At the end of the Second World War the former population was evacuated and the city was subsequently populated by citizens of the Soviet Union.
Geographical notes
Vyborg is located in the territory of Russian Karelia ofLeningrad oblast, 30 km from the border with Finland and 138 km from the capital St.Pietroburgo. The city, at the inner end of the bay of the same name, has a sea outlet on the Gulf of Finland, which allows it to sustain active maritime trade, despite the fact that the waters of the gulf are frozen from December to April.
Background
Vyborg began as a market for Karelians, belonging to the kingdom of Novgorod. Until the seventeenth century Vuoksen, which drained much of the Finnish lake region, had a western mouth here, while the eastern mouth was (and remains) in Ladoga lake. Thus Vuoksen connected Vyborg with Saimaa on one side and Ladoga on the other, while Vyborg herself was by the sea.
Vyborg was conquered by the Sweden in the "crusades" and in 1293 a stone fortress was built, in place of the previous one in wood. The city obtained its charter in 1403 and became one of the most important cities in the eastern part of Sweden (which would become the Finland).
Sold to Russia in 1720 it grew in importance as a trade route for the Karelians, now towards the new Russian capital St.Pietroburgo. This position remained when it became part of the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland in 1812.
Again part of Finland, Vyborg was one of the most important cities of the grand duchy. The Saimaa Canal, opened in 1856, once again provided access to the Finnish lake region. Vyborg remained one of the most important cities in independent Finland until World War II, when it was ceded to the Soviet Union, recaptured by both sides, and eventually became permanently Russian. There is a lot of nostalgia for the city in Finland, which can be seen in the museums, with many Finnish visitors.
Despite the heavy damage suffered during the Winter War (1939-1940), when it was occupied by Russian troops, and the Second World War, during which it was invaded several times by the armies of Germany and Finland, Vyborg has managed to recover and is today one of the most important cities of the Karelian Isthmus. In addition to its port activity, its importance as a railway hub with Finland and the presence of numerous industries in the engineering, electrotechnical, food and shipbuilding fields stand out; as well as an important paper production center. There is also a power plant, which allows energy to be exchanged between the Russian and Finnish electricity grids.
In addition, the city boasts numerous historical sites, including the castle, the Dormition Cathedral, a monument to Peter I of Russia, one of Lenin's mansions (where the Bolshevik revolution probably took place) and the ancient city wall, culminating in the tower of "Fat Catherine".
Near the urban area there are the largest English garden in north-eastern Europe, the Mon Repos, commissioned by Baron Ludwig Heinrich von Nikolay and built with the help of the Italian architect Giuseppe Antonio Martinelli between the 18th and the nineteenth century, and the municipal library, built to a design by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto.
How to orient yourself
Vyborg: full screen map.Vyborg is located on both sides of the Vyborg Bay. Vyborg Castle is located on a small one Zamkovy island at the mouth of the bay, from the south it is directly adjacent to an unnamed peninsula on which the Old Town. It is separated from the neighborhoods with successive buildings by a chain of three squares, installed on the site of the ancient city walls: Rynochnaya, Pionerskaya and Sobornaya. In the post-Soviet era, Pionerskaya Square was renamed Teatralnaya Square, although there have been no "pioneers" or "theaters" for a long time.
Vyborg's toponymy is a bizarre and sometimes funny mixture of old Russian, Finnish and Soviet names. So, in the city center, for example, the streets of the Watchtower, Water Zastava, Krasnoarmeyskaya and Krasnoflotskaya are adjacent and along the shore of the Salakka-Lahti bay there is an embankment named after the 40th anniversary of the Komsomol . There is some public demand to replace Soviet names with historical (at least Finnish) names, but it has not yet found support from local authorities.
Southeast of the market square, Lenin Avenue it starts from the park-esplanade of the same name - the main artery in the development of the late nineteenth century - first half of the twentieth century. In its center is the main square of the city, the Red Square: there is an unusually impressive monument dedicated to Lenin. The southeastern end of Lenin Avenue borders on Battery Mountain, the highest point of the city, where a peaceful park is set among the ruins of a 19th century fort.
To the north of the island of Zamkovy is the big one island of Tverdyš. There are not many historical buildings here, the main ones being the Annensky fortifications. However, it is worth arriving in Tverdyš not for the fortifications, but for the Mon Repos Park, one of the best landscape parks in Russia with magnificent Karelian nature and views of Vyborg Bay.
How to get
Seeing Vyborg is possible as a day trip from St.Pietroburgo or Lappeenranta, or as a stopover on the railway line Helsinki-St.Pietroburgo. From Finland a visa is required, except for some organized cruises.
By plane
St.Pietroburgo it has good air links.
By car
Vyborg is located on the highway between St.Pietroburgo and the border Finnish and you can visit the city if you are by car.
In the summer there are cruises every day from Lappeenranta in Finland along the Saimaa Canal to Vyborg operated by Saimaa Travel. Who arrives and leaves the Russia by ship from the same port and stops less than 72 hours does not need a visa.
You can do the same trip with one small boat. Since the city is located in the Vyborg Bay in the Gulf of Finland, it is easily accessible by small yachts even from the sea. With these boats a visa and some documents are required; check the requirements in advance and strictly follow the procedures. Coming from Finland (or fromSchengen area in general) it is necessary to pass through customs also on exit, before entering Russia. Customs on the inner fairway is at Santio near the border, the closest offshore customs is on Haapasaari Island off the coast of Kotka.
On the train
Trains from St.Pietroburgo use the Finlandskiy station; then there is also the night train Moscow-Helsinki Tolstoy of Moscow e Tver ' passing through St. Petersburg Ladozhsky. On the website of the Russian railways RZD you will find the updated timetables.
- THE major international trains between the Russia and Helsinki stop in 1 Vyborg railway station, although they are relatively expensive.
- The high-speed train Cheerful travels between St. Petersburg and Helsinki a few times a day, stopping in Vyborg. The journey from St. Petersburg takes 55 min.
- The night train Lev Tolstoy from Tver 'via Moscow and St. Petersburg Ladozhsky travels once every night (except Saturdays) in each direction.
- THE express trains (with padded seats and dining car) they run 5 to 10 times a day and take about 1 hour and a quarter. Tickets cost 182 RUB each way and can be purchased in advance or at counters 27-30 at the station (not in the main hall) on the day of departure. Beware of long lines if you are trying to purchase tickets just before the train departs.
- Elektrichkas (with wooden benches and few services) have more or less the same number of trips as the express trains, but take 2 hours and a quarter. Tickets are slightly cheaper for a longer ride and can only be purchased in the main hall of Finlandskiy station on the day of travel.
By bus
- Bus excursions - They depart from Gostinyy Dvor of St.Pietroburgo on weekend mornings and cost around 700 RUB, returning to St. Petersburg in the evening, for a total of around 10-11 hours.
- International bus lines - They connect Vyborg to Helsinki, Turku, Lappeenranta is Jyväskylä in Finland. Learn more from Matkahuolto, Savonlinja, Ecolines, Busvbg is Northpalmira.
How to get around
Vyborg is a compact and walkable city. Maps of the city of Vyborg can be bought in bookstores in St. Petersburg, at newsstands in Vyborg train station, and are sometimes sold at the Vyborg market ("rynok").
By public transport
Are available local buses. Those in a hurry can take the local bus n. 12 from the train station to the castle. The fare is 33 rubles (2020).
By taxi
There are many taxi services in Vyborg - "Gepard", "Seven", "Visit", "Blues", "Night Star" and others. Theoretically, the taxi can be stopped along the road, or found at predefined points by taxi drivers, but for reliability it is better to book a taxi by phone, using the numbers that are often found on billboards in the central part of the city. The cost of a taxi ride to the city (except for the former villages) is standard and is 120 rubles (2018). From 2019, Yandex.Taxi and Uber are also available in Vyborg.
What see
A walking tour of the city's main attractions can be done in about three to four hours, with the 2 Vyborg castle which is the highlight of the tour.
From the train station, take the Leningradskiy Prospect and turn right along the embankment of the Salakka-Lakhti entrance. See the 3 Market Square on the left at the end of the pier, where you can see the covered market (Rynok) and the 4 Round tower of the sixteenth century. Go past the round tower to the 5 Lutheran Cathedral of Peter and Paul in the park. Cross the street to see the 6 Transfiguration Cathedral painted blue, then walk on Vyborgskaya Ulitsa past the 7 Tower of the Council House along the remains of the old city walls, then head towards the street (this is the least picturesque part of the walk through the Stone town) to see the Clock tower hidden among the condominiums. Before the castle bridge, admire the statue of Torgils Knutsson, the Knight Swedish who founded the city in the thirteenth century. Look over the gulf to the statue of Peter the Great in the park opposite.
Cross the bridge to Vyborg castle, built in 1293 by the Swedes, conquered by Peter the Great in the 18th century, served as a prison Finnish in the 19th century and passed several times into the hands of the Soviets and Finns during the Second World War. The castle has several exhibits, each with their own entry fee, and you can climb to the top of the tower for a nice view of the city (at a cost of 80 RUB, payable at the museum cashier).
Cross the bridge again and walk up Krepostnaya Ulitsa along the city, turn left into Suvorovskiy Prospect, see the Alvar Aalto Library and the Statue of a moose in the park, then proceed towards 8 Red Square and the 9 Lenin statue before going up Vokzalnaya Ulitsa to return to the train station.
Events and parties
- Window to Europe film festival.
First half of August. Entirely dedicated to Russian films. It is to this festival that Vyborg owes its own Avenue of the Stars, located on Krepostnaya street in the area of Teatralnaya square.
First half of August. Entirely dedicated to Russian films. It is to this festival that Vyborg owes its own Avenue of the Stars, located on Krepostnaya street in the area of Teatralnaya square.What to do
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- 1 House-Museum of V. I. Lenin, Rubezhnaya Street, 15 (In the southern part of the city, from the bus station 1, 6, 12, 13, 14 to the stop “Ul. Rubezhnaya "), ☎ 7 81378 201-10.
60 rubles without excursion, 100 rubles with excursion. Tue-Sun 10: 30-18: 00. In this small wooden house, which belonged to the Finnish working-class family of Haikonen-Latukka, between the end of September and the beginning of October 1917 V.I. Lenin was preparing for the last revolutionary push. From Vyborg, the head of the world proletariat went to Petrograd, came to Smolny, and then everything began to turn. The house itself, which has survived thanks to its illustrious guest, is a monument of Finnish wooden architecture from the late 19th century. 
- 2 War Museum of the Karelian Isthmus, Krepostnaya Street, 26. 300 rub. Tue-Sat 11: 00-18: 00. A private museum that was born from a collection of rusty metal collected in the surrounding forests by search engine enthusiast Bair Irincheev. After receiving official recognition and moving into the building of the former barracks in the center of Vyborg, the museum has acquired a historical component, but at the same time has not lost its informal spirit: here you can still hold the finds or try on an old military uniform. Also interesting is the military city itself with pre-revolutionary buildings with propaganda posters hanging on the walls.
- 3 Hermitage-Vyborg, St. Ladanov, 1. Exhibition center: 150 rubles, Vyborg archeology: 50 rubles. 10:00-18:00. In the 1930s it housed one of the largest fine arts museums in the Finland. After the Soviet-Finnish war, the museum was dissolved and the State Hermitage branch here now does not have its own collection and is interrupted by exhibitions, some of which, however, might be interesting. Outside you will see an equally interesting composition worthy of being an independent modern work of art: on the initiative of the Hermitage, classical sculptures were installed in front of the building - copies of works by Antonio Chibei, looking at the industrial area and the port of Vyborg, which is surreal in itself, but combined with the architecture of Finnish-tasteless functionalism.
- Boat station (rgine near the Market Square). 200/300 RUB / h. 10:00-22:00. In summer it is pleasant to go by boat in search of unusual views of the old town and Vyborg Castle. Rowing boats and pedal boats can be hired. Another ferry station is said to be open in the summer at Mon Repos Park, but apparently less regularly.
60 rubles without excursion, 100 rubles with excursion. 
Shopping
Visit the covered market ("Rynok") and the market square outside, where you can find Karelian knitwear and woolen clothes, as well as tablecloths and lace including fruit, vegetables, shoes and other miscellaneous items. There is a public toilet available on the market, but it is really very simple.
- 1 Rynok (Центральный рынок).
How to have fun
Shows
- Vyborg-Palace cinema, Krepostnaya Street, 25, ☎ 7 81378 205-60. This is the only full-fledged cinema in the city. It is located in the building of the New Town Hall, which has been rebuilt several times. The capacity of the room is over 300 seats. There is also a restaurant.
Night clubs
- "Roof" (Крыша), Krasnoflotskaya Street, 5. Average expenditure 300/500 RUB. Mon-Thu 12: 00-1: 00, Fri-Sun 12: 00-3: 00. Bars, pubs and hookah bars. Visitors love burgers, kebabs, and fruit drinks.
Where to eat
Dining places in Vyborg leave a mixed impression: an expensive restaurant can be poor in selection and stand out for slow waiters, while a cheaper cafe will be welcoming and positive.
Moderate prices
- 1 Tea spoon (Чайная Ложка), Hospitalnaya st., 1 (Karusel supermarket, north of the center, behind the line of the ramparts), ☎ 7 812 449-68-67. 10:00-21:00. St Petersburg chain restaurant, assorted pancakes and other unpretentious food.
- 2 Hesburger, St. Dimitrova, 14 (Corner of Dimitrov and Rostovskaya streets, near the station). Sun-Thu 10: 00-22: 00, Fri-Sat 10: 00-23: 00. Branch of the Finnish network. Generally similar to McDonald's, but with fewer choices and higher prices. The hall is spacious. One thing is bad: the sinks in the bathrooms are uncomfortable.
- 3 Max's Burger, St. North Val, 21 (Close to the market, in the city center). 10:00-23:00. Another type of McDonald's. There are positive reviews about this institution, but they are few. Quite often, reviews are of the following character: "it would be better to close this creepy establishment", "simply close!", "Terrible, horrible, disgusting food!", "Silent horror", "no control over the staff". Many also say that all food is saturated with the smell of garlic, as you can verify.
- 4 Pancake (Блинная), Lenin Ave., 5 (Esplanade Park), ☎ 7 81378 2-63-29. 8:00-20:00. Simple, inexpensive diner-style pancake.
- 5 Cafe Smile (Кафе Улыбка), Leningradskoe shosse, 1. 9:00-20:00. Food is like in the dining room, lots of pastries. Mixed reviews.
Average prices
- 6 Slavyanskaya Trapeza (Славянская Трапеза), Ulitsa Yuzhnyy Val, 4/2 (Just over the bridge from Vyborg Castle, in the basement of the building), ☎ 7 813 789-32-99. Chicken ~ 200 RUB. 10:00-21:00. It serves Russian food at moderate prices, including excellent chicken Kiev.
- 7 U Borkharda (У Борхарда), Ulitsa Podgornaya, 10, ☎ 7 931 336-63-63. A fairly extensive menu, including an excellent one solyanka. Moderate to high prices at this rustic restaurant with kitschy decor.
- NiKa restaurant, Ul. Podgornaya 9 (At the Atlantik Hotel). Prices are moderate to high.
- Kruglaya Bashnya. A Russian restaurant inside the Round Tower. Not as expensive as you might expect for its prime location, but the service is slow.
High prices
- 8 Bear Restaurant (Ресторан Медведь), Krepostnaya st. 6. Range from 500 RUB. 11:00-24:00. A hunter-style restaurant, one of those places where you can find deer, elk and bear meat on the menu. Mixed reviews.
- 9 Espilia restaurant (Ресторан Эспиля), Lenin Avenue 3-a (In the middle of the Esplanade Park), ☎ 7 911 703-52-80. Sun-Thu 12: 00-24: 00, Fri-Sat 12: 00-3: 00. The iconic place of Finnish Vyborg - a restaurant in a cozy wooden pavilion, has been known since the mid 19th century. In 1934 the building was rebuilt in the spirit of functionalism, but it did not last long in this form and was destroyed during the Second World War. In 2016, the pavilion was rebuilt (with an eye to previous versions), opening an expensive restaurant with impeccable interiors and controversial cuisine.
Where stay
Hotels in Vyborg, especially budget ones, are often used by car travelers traveling in Finland. In the summer, in the high season, it is better to book such hotels. At the same time, check the prices of the hotel itself with the prices on the booking sites - it can be cheaper through the hotel, and some of the hotels listed below are not represented at all in international systems such as booking.com.
Moderate prices
- 1 Northern Crown Hotel (Гостиница Северная корона), Sbornaya Street, 2 (Eastern side of Battery Mountain 20 minutes walk from downtown), ☎ 7 81378 2-26-50. Double from 1,700 RUB. A pleasant budget hotel, designed primarily for transit travelers. Warm floors in the rooms, water cooler in the corridor, Wi-Fi. The hotel has an inexpensive "Domino" cafe.
- 2 Atlantik Hotel (Гостиница Атлантик), ul. Podgornaya 9 (Close to the castle on a main road), ☎ 7 81378 2-47-76, 7 921 881-41-06. Single without convenience / with convenience: 1,600 / 2,400 RUB. Quiet and clean mid-range hotel with friendly, young talking staff English. Breakfast included.
- 3 Vyborghostel, Vyborgskaya st. 4 (In the center), ☎ 7 921 950-02-01, @[email protected]. Bed: 500/600 RUB / person, double room: 1,500 RUB, apartments: from 2,000 RUB. Located in the pawn shop building, built in 1931 by Uno Ulberg, with the traditional functionalist striped glazing of the facade. Double rooms are more like a hospital room, but the apartments have a modern and attractive feel.
- 4 Shelf Hotel (Гостиница Шельф), Primorskoe Shosse, 2B (In the eastern part of Vyborg, 3 km from the center), ☎ 7 81378 2-70-27. Double room with comfort: 1.400 / 1.600 RUB. A shipyard hotel with old fashioned rooms as a bedside table. A little cheaper than in the center.
Average prices
- 5 Bat Hotel, ul. Nikolaeva 3 (Between Lenina park and the Salakka-Lakhti entrance), ☎ 7 81378 3-45-37. Known as "Letuchaya Mysh" in Russian it is a mid-range hotel in the same class as the Atlantik.
- 6 Druzhba Hotel (Гостиница Дружба), ul. Zheleznodorozhnaya 5, ☎ 7 81378 2-57-44. Double: 2,500 RUB. Imposing pyramidal structure on the entrance. The six-story cruise ship-shaped hotel on the shores of Salakka-Lahti Bay was built in 1982 by the Finnish company "Perusyukhtyuma"for foreign tourists. Three confident stars fixed for lack of repairs and noisy elevators.
- 7 Apart-hotel Ulberg (Апарт-отель Ульберг), Leningradsky Prospect, 10 (Corner of Lenin Avenue), ☎ 7 920 950-02-01, @[email protected]. 2.000 / 3.000 RUB. Newly renovated apartments in an early 20th century residential building. Good feedback. The Physalis restaurant is located on the ground floor of the building.
- 8 Vyborg hotels (Гостиница Выборг), Leningradskoe shosse, 19 (In the center), ☎ 7 81378 2-56-75, @[email protected]. Single / double: 1,900 / 2,500 RUB. The seven-storey hotel building was built in 1929 to a design by the architect Uno Ulberg (1879-1944), later the hotel was called "Knut Posse". Later it was transformed into an ordinary Soviet hotel, where Vyborg remained: for the past 30 years, cosmetic repairs have been done at best, but everything works and the price is quite consistent with the quality. There are a lot of Finnish tourists.
- 9 Viking Hotel (Отель Викинг), Zheleznodorozhnaya Street, 10 (Next to the station), ☎ 7 952 237-99-09. Double room: 2.300 / 2.800 RUB. The rooms have been recently refurbished.
High prices
- 10 Victoria Hotel (Гостиница Виктория), Neb. 40th anniversary of the Komsomol, 1 (Close to the market), ☎ 7 952 237-99-09, @[email protected]. Double: 4.500 / 5.000 RUB. "4 star" level for the price, but apparently not for the content. The standard rooms are quite small, there are minor complaints about the infrastructure.
Safety
Vyborg is a quiet and peaceful city, although drunk Finns can cause some inconvenience in the evening. It's best not to go to Battery Mountain at night.
How to keep in touch
Around
After Vyborg, you will most likely head to St.Pietroburgo or Helsinki. You might also want to go to the sea, as Vyborg itself, although a seaside city, is located as if on the shore of a lake 30 kilometers from the expanses of the Finland. In this sense, Zelenogorsk it is much better located: a tourist village with a large sandy beach and a beautiful Finnish church. All Vyborg electric trains stop in Zelenogorsk, which is on the border between the Leningrad region is "Great Petersburg", from here it is easy to reach St. Petersburg by any means of land transport. If you have some free time, you can also visit Repino located in the district of Zelenogorsk (with the park-museum of the artist Repin "Penates") e Komarovo (with an interesting memorial cemetery) - these villages also have picturesque sandy beaches.
There are many lakes near Vyborg. The surrounding towns and villages are also interesting in their own way: for example, a Primorsk there is a wonderful church from the Finnish era and Kamennogorsk it is located on the banks of the Vuoksa, the main river of the Karelian isthmus.
Useful information
- 10 Tourist information center, st. Vokzalnaya, 13, ☎ 7 81378 3-44-30, @[email protected]. Mon-Sat 9: 00-17: 00, Sun 10: 00-16: 00.
