Where to go in Kazan near the Nogai Hotel
Igor Botalov — Kazan city guide
A selection of places that will help you see the city more deeply: from iconic landmarks to atmospheric corners. Nogai is located in the very center of Kazan, so most of the attractions are within walking distance. I will tell you about the main 10 places where you can walk in 10-15 minutes from your room.”
Kazan Kremlin. The territory of the fortress covers 15 hectares. Two cultures harmoniously combine here — Kul Sharif, the main mosque of our city, and Annunciation Cathedral, which was built by 16th century architects Postnik and Barma (they also created St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow). The Kremlin is interesting primarily for its history and architecture. Guests of the city like to explore cathedrals, towers and palaces, and visit museums.
For example, in the Museum of the History of the Statehood of the Tatar People and the Republic of Tatarstan, you can look at the hat and throne of the Kazan Khan, ancient documents and coins of the Golden Horde era, coats of arms, banners, as well as items of clothing and jewelry closely related to the history of Tatar culture. And in the Museum of Weapons you will be shown how guns used to be cast.
The campus of Kazan Federal University. One of the oldest universities in the country, the third after Moscow and St. Petersburg. It was built in 1804. Nikolai Lobachevsky, Leo Tolstoy, and Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin) studied here. Since 2023, a UNESCO site has been identified on the university's territory — Kazan Observatory. At the observatory, you can listen to lectures about space, watch popular science films or go to the planetarium.
Another pearl of our city — Peter and Paul Cathedral, built in the early 18th century in the Baroque style. The facades are decorated with elegant stucco with images of grape garlands, flowers and fruits, and white stone carvings everywhere. Inside the cathedral there is a 25—meter iconostasis, built by Kazan craftsmen back in the 18th century.
Bauman Street, or Kazan Arbat, as the locals call it. Now the bell tower of the Epiphany Cathedral, built at the beginning of the 20th century, stands on the site of the Broken Gate. Palace of Farmers, Ministry of Agricultural Food. The building itself resembles either the Austrian National Library or an Italian palazzo and looks like a historical object, but the building is modern, built for the Universiade in 2013. It looks especially beautiful in the evening when the green backlight is turned on.
Tatarskaya sloboda. The Tatar population has been living here since the 16th century. This is a very colorful area with beautiful houses, shops, mosques. Among them, the al-Marjani Mosque and the Apanayevsky Mosque stand out. Tugan Avylym, an ethnic village in Kazan. This is a new town with Tatar houses, a mosque, a sauna, restaurants, cafes, and a mill. You can come here for the whole day.
The Ekiyat Puppet Theater. "Ekiyat" in Tatar means "fairy tale". The theater really looks like a magical castle — with weathervanes, stained glass windows, and fairy tale characters on the roof. The family center "Kazan", popularly known as "Chalice". This is the most unusual registry office in Russia. There are several themed halls inside, and an observation deck on the roof.
This is one of the favorite places tourists for photo shoots,
— told me Igor Botalov.