#Things to do in Moscow

11. The Kremlin

Enormous and imposing, you could easily spend the entirety of your time in Moscow wandering around this active fortress; it contains no fewer than five squares and twenty towers, as well as a huge number of buildings. Be sure to check out the Armoury, which houses an incredible collection of over 4,000 pieces of treasure, including the Russian Diamond Fund, the Imperial Crown of Russia, 12th century necklaces and the ivory throne of Ivan the Terrible. The world’s largest bell and cannon are both housed in the Kremlin too – the Tsar cannon dates back to 1586 and is 5.34 meters long, and originally stood in the Red Square for more than one hundred years before being moved to the Kremlin. Not far from it, you’ll find the Tsar Bell, which weighs in at almost 202 tons. Oddly enough, neither bell nor cannon were ever used for their intended purposes.

12. Sparrow Hills

Previously known as Lenin Hills, the name change came about on the eve of the millennium. Located on the right bank of the Moskva River, it’s one of the loftiest vantage points in the city, with an observation deck that stands 85 meters above the river, and about 200 meters above sea level; from here, you get great views of the Moscow skyline, as well as the Luzhniki Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies for the 1980 Olympics were held. Had Alexander I had his way, the hills could have looked very different today: he had his eye on its elevated position for the building of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, but it was eventually constructed near the Kremlin.