5 things you need to know about traveling to Kazan

by Khaya South Africa
Jun 19, 2017
3 min read

The Kazan Arena, with its capacity to seat over 45,000 spectators, will be hosting the first semi-final match of the 2017 Confederations cup. For those of you looking to travel to this, the most Eastern of the host towns, we would like to offer some tips which will help you to make the most of your time there...

5 things you need to know about traveling to Kazan

Kazan is a 1000-year-old city, something akin to an Istanbul on the banks of the Volga river, and the third capital of tourism in Russia.

Kazan is the best place to see the clash of Russia’s many cultures and religions, and it’s just a 90-minute flight from Moscow. This is reflected not just by the centuries of coexistence of Orthodox Christians and Muslims, or by the eclectic Temple of All Religions, but also by the bilingual Russian-Tatar street signs.

The exotic local cuisine stimulates your senses and will make you want to learn Tatar and spend more time in Kazan.

1. SEE THE 21-CENTURY LANDMARKS OF KAZAN FIRST

Kazan has successfully combined tradition and modernity: Its cultural heritage is made up of several layers where different religions are intertwined in unusual ways. The celebration of Kazan's first millennium has completely transformed this urban center, which is busy staking its claim as Russia’s third capital after Moscow and St. Petersburg.

2. TATAR CUISINE IS A CULINARY JOURNEY IN TIME

Kystyby, echpochmak, talkysh kaleve - these dishes are worthy of the verbal torture that a foreigner experiences when trying to pronounce their names. Delicate stuffed flatbreads in the form of a soft half-moon, nourishing pastries, pyramid-shaped and baked in the oven, and desserts like a work of art for discriminating sweet-toothed foodies are the first foods you should try to get acquainted with as you sample the local cuisine.

3. SPEND SOME QUALITY TIME DURING CULTURAL EVENTS

The Great Bolghar medieval festival is held at the location of the town of the same name 120 miles from Kazan. In this largest town in the Bulgarian Ulus of the Golden Horde in the 14th-15th centuries, re-enactors aim to revive the atmosphere of this international center of trade, where a Mongolian warrior, an Iranian merchant and a spy from Milan could share the same table in a tavern.

4. DISCOVER THE ISLAND TOWN OF SVIYAZHSK

Located only 39 miles from the city, Sviyazhsk seems ready to disappear underneath the waters of the Volga River. A motley assemblage of churches, bell towers, and teetering homesteads is all that remains above ground. The city was once a fortress town of great strategic importance and home to over 10,000 people.

5. TAKE A JOURNEY OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

While most visitors to the Republic flock to Kazan, there are numerous smaller cities that dot its landscape, where famed artists and poets have flocked from other parts of Russia during times of war and confusion and where some of the most iconic Soviet brands are still produced.

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ABOUT KHAYA

Founded in South Africa, Khaya currently has nine offices around the world and an ever growing global presence. Clients include broadcasters, service providers as well as sport federations and sponsors. Khaya provides the perfect “home away from home” experience, where you feel at home when everything is foreign.

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