The city
Founded in 1221 by Vladimir Prince Yury Vsevolodovich, the city of Nizhny Novgorod was known as Gorky from 1932 to 1990. It is located in central Russia at the meeting of the Oka and the Volga rivers, and is the administrative centre of the Volga Federal District and the Nizhny Novgorod Region. In the Soviet era, up until the beginning of the 1990s, the city was closed to foreigners. The population today is 1.27 million. The journey from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod by road is 421 km.
Schedule of matches
Nizhny Novgorod will host six world championship matches: four group games – with the participation of teams from groups D, E, F and G. They will be held on June 18, 21, 24 and 27. An 1/8 and a 1/4 final will be held on July 1, 6.
The stadium
The “Nizhny Novgorod” football arena is being built specifically for the World Championships on an area of land known as Strelka (Arrow), near the meeting of two great Russian rivers – the Oka and the Volga. The stadium will open in December 2017 and will accommodate 45,000 spectators. It is close to the historic centre, and can be reached from there on foot.
How to get to the stadium
A new station, “Strelka” on the Sormovsko-Mescherskaya line of the Nizhny Novgorod metro, will open in 2018 near the arena. Rides will be free for match ticket holders. In addition, for fans with tickets, there will be special buses from the airport, from the river and railway stations, from the centre and from other areas of the city.
Fan zones
The main fan zone in Nizhny Novgorod will be on Minin and Pozharsky Square.
It is designed to accommodate 15-21,000 people, with a large stage with a screen showing World Cup matches. There will also be sponsor pavilions, cafes, souvenir stalls, and even parking for fans who have come by bicycle.
Where to stay
Nizhny Novgorod and its suburbs have many different kinds of accommodation, with specialized tourist sites offering more than 800 addresses. These include world-famous hotel chains such as Hilton, Kempinski, Korston, Marriott, ParkInn, as well as Russian hotel chains, minihotels, hostels and apartments. Prices start from $10 per night.
Where to eat
Most cafes, restaurants and snack bars are located on the central Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street and around the Kremlin. For lovers of British cuisine, there is the pub-restaurant “English Embassy” and the Union Jack Grand Music Pub. “Home Italy” is an Italian restaurant, and large groups are welcome at the restaurant “Sehr Gut” or the club-restaurant “Onegin”. You can try Caucasian cuisine and immerse yourself in the Soviet past in the restaurant “Weeping Willow” on the Lower Volga River embankment.
What to see
The best way to discover Nizhny Novgorod is a walking tour of the pedestrian Bolshaya
Pokrovskaya Street. It is full of historical houses, souvenir shops, luxury boutiques, and interesting sculptures, and leads towards the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, which has a stunning view of the Volga river and Strelka, where the Oka meets the Volga. Not far from the Kremlin, the 500 steps of the Chkalovskaya staircase connects Minin and Pozharsky Square with the Volga embankment. At the foot of the stairs there is the “Hero” monument-boat, with a monument to the legendary Soviet pilot Valery Chkalov on its upper platform. We also recommend a visit to the Pechersky Ascension Monastery, whose bell tower is as tilted as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The city also has an excellent zoo, numerous museums, theatres and art galleries.
