Where to relax in winter and what to plan for summer: the Yaroslavskoye Vzmorye resort offers year-round accommodations.
“Our territory has a lot in common with Jurmala, we have similar ecological and natural characteristics,” he says. Dmitry Rodionov, the resort's general director. And indeed: tall pine trees, snow-white sand, clear water, a familiar scent mingling the aromas of tree resin, fresh foliage, and water... You're tempted to say "sea," although you catch yourself thinking—it's the Volga! But that's not a mistake: the Yaroslavl coastline is located on the Rybinsk Reservoir, and it's often called the Rybinsk Sea. Incidentally, Dmitry Rodionov proudly says, the Rybinsk Sea's coastline is longer than Russia's Black Sea coastline before Crimea joined the Russian Federation.
The project began in 2007. Today, Yaroslavskoye Vzmorye is one of the major resorts, a hallmark of the Yaroslavl region, and the pride of Russian domestic tourism. The resort is one of the projects of the Agranta group of companies, founded by Sergey Bachin. The Koprino Bay Park Hotel, the heart of the resort, covers an area of 15,000 hectares, while the entire beach area covers 100 square kilometers. Abandoned areas were reclaimed and cleaned, while, crucially, preserving the ecosystem. Not a single tree was harmed during the construction of the park hotel cottages. As a result, just 280 kilometers from Moscow, there is now a resort with beautiful natural surroundings, excellent accommodation options, and a wide variety of leisure activities, offering a pleasant and interesting vacation both in summer and winter.
Museum program
When planning a trip to the Yaroslavl coast, the ideal option is to combine sightseeing with relaxation. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities for this. Uglich always delights tourists with its museums: the Museum of Russian Myths and Superstitions, the Russian Vodka Library, the Museum of Urban Life, the Workhorse Museum—there are so many options! The modern Hydropower Museum will delight both children and adults: it features a high-quality exhibition telling the story of the Uglich Hydroelectric Power Plant and all hydroelectric power plants in Russia and around the world, while interactive models enhance the experience, allowing you to touch many things. The Uglich Kremlin is also worth a visit—an amazing landmark. The fortress walls have disappeared, but you can admire the Church of Tsarevich Dmitry on the Blood, the Princely Chambers (the oldest building in the city), and the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior—preferably with a guided tour; it will be a rewarding and meaningful way to discover this part of Russian history.
From Uglich, it's worth stopping in Myshkin (by the way, it's interesting to plan your route with the ferry crossing in mind). The town of Myshkin took on the development of its brand several years ago and has succeeded. At the Mouse Museum, you'll learn about the origins of the town's name and see its pet mice—hundreds of mice, who have come to the museum from all over the country and even from abroad, live here.
And then you can head to Koprino Bay. Guests can enjoy 42 luxurious cottages, 17 hotel rooms, 5 cabins in the hotel and entertainment complex, and 4 townhouses. In addition to the large cottages, the park hotel also offers smaller houses—they're ideal for small groups, such as couples or spouses with children. The hotel plans to expand its accommodations.
Incidentally, cultural leisure will also be well-rounded here. Next to the Koprino Bay Park Hotel is the village of Tygydym, an ethnic complex where you can learn about the flooding and relocation of villages and towns during the construction of reservoirs and experience ancient village rituals. Nearby, a branch of the Rybinsk Sea Museum with a rich exhibit will open here for the New Year. The museum will be housed in an old log cabin—moved here from the village of Pogorelka. This hut once stood in the now-flooded village of Mologa and housed the village school.
Think about the eternal
Incidentally, the topic of flooded lands is relevant for the Yaroslavl coastal region. For example, Koprino has also been underwater for a long time. All that remains of this settlement is the church on the shore; it was the highest point, so it survived. But the church itself has fallen into disrepair. The Yaroslavl coastal region's leadership has decided to restore this church, which was built back in 1680. They are approaching the matter thoroughly: a project has been developed to restore the Koprino Church, and the restoration is being carried out meticulously.
It's good that the foundation has been preserved. The church, which is gradually growing (and is already visible from the river to tourists on passing boats), will have the same wall thickness as before—1.20 meters! The church will be built in four years.
By the way, there are plans to restore the village of Koprino on the map.
Closer to nature
The Koprino Bay Park Hotel is self-managed, a very unusual facility, notes Dmitry Rodionov. External management models from Heliopark, Mercury, and other similar resorts don't fit local conditions and goals. Indeed, from a tourism perspective, the resort is very diverse and unconventional. The goal is to provide the perfect vacation for every tourist, with their wishes and intentions.
What unusual attractions can guests enjoy? A Forest Museum has been conceived in the Yaroslavl coastal region. "My boss once told me he'd seen a Moss Museum in Japan. The ticket price was 300 euros, but there's ten times more moss in our forests! I was just thinking about something similar, and our ideas clicked. So we decided to create our own museum," says Dmitry Rodionov. "But our Forest Museum will always be free. We'll strive to make sure people don't have to pay for anything other than accommodation and food."
Eight kilometers of paths have been created in the forest, where it was previously impossible to reach without waist-high boots. It's not easy to get people to wander through the forest, but when it's done, they return with sparkling eyes. You can encounter foxes and hares here—the forest continues to live its own life. There are also dirt paths for cyclists. The Forest Museum is open to the public, and both park hotel residents and summer residents—everyone—can stroll through it. The forest has already become very popular.
Winter offers its own pleasures: groomed paths for snowmobiles and a laid-out ski trail for cross-country skiers.
Comfortable rest
Of course, guests of the Koprino Bay Park Hotel are also provided with high-quality services. The restaurants offer top-quality cuisine, with many dishes featuring local ingredients, such as the famous porcini mushroom soup. And you can relax in the wellness center. How pleasant it is to gaze out the pool's panoramic windows onto the white, frosty landscape!
Here you can spend time in the gym, and then head to the pool area—visitors can enjoy 25-meter lanes. And what's more, you can swim outdoors. The water here is only 2 degrees cooler than indoors. It's a real pleasure to float in clouds of steam and gaze out at the winter Volga! And then it's time to warm up: choose from a Finnish sauna, a Russian steam room, a Turkish hammam, or a contrast shower with different settings.
Another highlight of the park hotel is the Russian bathhouse complex "Taiga Fairytale." The logs were transported from Siberia and built from cedar logs so huge you couldn't wrap your arms around them. The bathhouse is traditionally steamed, even a bit fairytale-like: the most unusual part of the bathhouse is a cauldron hanging on chains, where you can soak in an infusion of medicinal herbs.
Growth points
Nowadays, the main tourists to the Yaroslavl seaside are no longer just Moscow residents. People come here from Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Tver—from all over central Russia. The resort also attracts cruise ship tourists. During the season, about 500 ships pass by, bringing in 150,000 tourists! Not counting yachts and motorboats. Therefore, the resort's management has placed great emphasis on attracting water tourists. Yaroslavl seaside now boasts a modern yacht club with mooring facilities and a floating fueling station. This is effectively the second official and civilized fueling station on the Volga, after the one at the Presidential Recreation Center.
Tourists need a place to stop and relax. Just more of a real vacation—a beach, sunbathing, water sports, swimming, and games. That's how a high-quality beach with white sand appeared here. Now, notes Dmitry Rodionov, there are over 100 moorings here per season (the pier can accommodate up to four motor ships), which is twice as many as in Rybinsk. In 2018, the beach already welcomed around 2,000 people on good days, despite the lack of a road to Rybinsk. If the road is repaired next year, there will be even more vacationers.
The resort is also included in the Federal Targeted Program for Domestic Tourism Development for 2019–2025, as part of the "Yaroslavl Riviera" cluster. Roads will be built under this Rostourism target program. There are plans to build an interchange and a road from the park hotel to the runway and shooting range, connecting these tourist attractions.
Yaroslavskoe Vzmorie welcomes similarly proactive businesses and enthusiastic investors. This is how Tygydym came to be here, although it should be noted that this is a unique story—the resort's management helped provide the land and space for the museum complex. Another investor is currently building a golf course nearby. Another partner is creating an innovative airfield for small aircraft—the runway will be heated. "Our dream is for more than just us to love this place and invest in it," says the director of Yaroslavskoe Vzmorie. "And this dream is gradually being realized."
Source: trn-news.ru