Old Arbat Street, Moscow

While there are good souvenirs here, you can get the same stuff for a lot less in other places.

Hay muchas tiendas de los objetos tradicionales, pero se puede obtener las mismas cosa en otros sitios con mucho menos plata.

Fun Alternatives: Try the underground passage from Ilyinka near Red Square to Revolution Square.

El pasaje subterraneo entre Ilyinka (acerca de la Plaza Roja) y la Plaza de la Revolucion.

Arbart St. is the most famous tourist attraction in the Moscow City The first chronological proceedings of Arbat narrate 15th Century, the street was mentioned in an account of a major city fire. I think the name of this street the street name originates from the Abarb , that Arabic word for suburb. In the 19th century Arbat turned to be a preferred region for Moscow’s graciousness and imaginative intelligentsia
distinguished tourist attractions around Arbat are Smolenskaya Square,

Unique Suggestions: it is western end of Old Arbat leads out onto the Garden Ring road. That is twin tower blocks of Intourist Belgrade Hotel rise on opposite side of square.

Fun Alternatives: A short walk away from the main road brings you to the Pushkin apartment building .The Museum is grate you can find English speaking guild in here, by special arrangement. Open Weds-Sun 11 a.m.-6 p.m., closed last Friday of the month. Other side Building is Georgian Cultural Center including Mziuri, .

Old Arbat runs parallel to New Arbat. It is a pedestrian street with all of the most expensive shops in the city crammed onto it. While your strolling you can go deaf to the pounding techno, step in a puddle of spit, piece of gum, or pile of cigarette butts, have your wallet stolen, or have a bird poop on you. Enjoy! If you still have an urge to go then you might be the kind of person that would enjoy changing your money in the open with someone that is going to give you a "special" rate.

Unique Suggestions: If You Have To Go To The Tourist Trap, At Least buy some glass body jewelry.

Fun Alternatives: As an alternative, I would suggest going to a Circle K corner store in Compton. It'll probably be safer and more fun for the kids.

The guidebooks I had read all suggested souvenir shopping on ulitsa Arbat. The area has been paved with cobblestones, closed to vehicles and turned into Moscow's first pedestrianized street. Although once a hang-out for artists, writers and intellectuals. . .today we found it to be over-hyped, over-visited and not very pleasant at all.

A lot of the merchandise was highly priced, there were a number of young adults begging along the street (some under the pretense of busking, others not even bothering with that front). It was not a pleasant atmosphere. . .people were constantly trying to get our attention to their goods, or to allow them to draw a picture of us. . .and there wasn't enough of historical or architectural note in the area to make the trip worth extending.

Unique Suggestions: We did buy a few souvenirs here, on the south side of the street, but we did the rest of our shopping elsewhere, as this area grated on us very quickly.

Fun Alternatives: No need to search for an alternative. . .you'll come across souvenirs at many places.

Starry, or Old, Arbat is a foot traffic only street. The street is lined with vendors, shops, resteraunts serving "western food" soon to include Moscow's Hard Rock Cafe, portait drawers,etc...If you want to buy souviners, this is NOT the plae to do it. It ic close to several of the five star hotels and it is where many of the tour guides take their charges, so the prices are quite high, even after negotiating, go to Izmailovsky park for your souviner shopping instead, a bit further away, but MUCH cheaper with a MUCH better quality selection!

Unique Suggestions: There are a few good resteraunts here, and it is a pleasent place to walk along and see street acts in the summer months. There are no cars so it is relatively safe, as long as you keep an eye on your wallet....

Fun Alternatives: AS I mentioned earlier, if it is souviners you are looking for, head out to Izmaylovskiy Park!

Arbat Street. Anything you buy here will be much more expensive than less touristy areas of the city. Also beware of the pickpockets waiting to distract you and relieve you of your possessions.

The first historical records of Arbat relate to the year of 1493, the street was mentioned in an account of a major city fire. Most probably, the street name originates from the Arabic world for “suburb”. In the 19th century Arbat turned to be a favourite neighbourhood for Moscow’s nobility and creative intelligentsia, it was believed to number one noble for every seven ordinary residents.

The Wax Museum on Old Arbat. Too expensive, very small and bad exhibits - a rip off. Never pay the asking price to street vendors. Always know the price in advance for taxis rides. Keep the exact change handy. Change your money into roubles only at exchange bureaus of which there are lots.