Yekaterinburg by night looks majestic and modern.
The city
Known as the capital of the Urals, Yekaterinburg is located in the central part of the Eurasian continent, on the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains. It is the fourth city in Russia by population: according to official figures, about 1.4 million people live there. The distance by road from Moscow to Yekaterinburg is 1797 km.
Schedule of matches
Yekaterinburg will host four world championship matches: four group games – with the participation of teams from groups A, B, E and G.
They will be held on June 15, 21, 24 and 27.
The stadium
Matches will be held at the “Yekaterinburg
_ Arena” football stadium, which before the
World Cup has undergone a major reconstruction.
With stands designed for 35,000 spectators, it is located on the northern bank of the Upper Iset reservoir at Repina Street, 5.
How to get to the stadium
The arena is within walking distance of the city centre. Fans can also reach it by car or by public transport to the stop “Tsentralny Stadion”. Walking from the metro stations “Ploshchad 1905” and “Geologiches-kaya” to the arena takes 12-15 minutes. Shuttle buses will also operate around the city for fans with tickets – along a dedicated lane. For this service and other routes, more than 100 new buses have been purchased.
Fan zones
The main fan zone, designed for 17,000 people, will be located in the Mayakovsky Central Park of Culture and Leisure.
Where to stay
More than one million tourists are expected to visit the city during the World Cup. There are more than 500 hotels, hostels and boarding houses for every taste and budget in Yekaterinburg and its suburbs. For example, the “Atrium Palace” and “Onegin” hotels offer comfortable rooms at an average price of $85 per night, while in the mini-hotel “Crystal” rooms start at only $9.
Where to eat
For budget tourists there are student cafeterias at the universities and colleges, while gourmets have a choice of fine dining opportunities.
FOR TOURISTS WITH CHILDREN, THE PARK OF LIVING BUTTERFLIES, THE “GALILEO” PARK OF WONDERS, THE “LIMPOPO” WATER PARK AND THE ZOO ARE ESSENTIAL PLACES TO VISIT.
For fans without tickets to the stadium, there are sports bars with large screens. The Top 10 restaurants and cafes, according to visitors of popular tourist internet resources, are: “Pate”, “My Friend Olivier”, “Khmeli Suneli”, “Nigora”, “Stroganov Grill”, “Monk”, “Osteria Bar Sorizo”, “Zhadina Beef”, “Pan Smetana” and “Panorama A.S.P.” The average lunch bill for two is less than $20.
What to see
The “Red Line” was created in 2011 and connects the most popular and most interesting places in the centre of Yekaterinburg. It is a 6.5 kilometer pedestrian route drawn directly on the asphalt, which passes the 35 best architectural and artistic locations of the city. The route begins at the monument to Lenin in 1905 Square, and returns there at its conclusion. Near the red line, painted in yellow are paths for bicyclists, skaters and skateboarders, from the “Shar” fountain to the “Cosmos” cinema on the opposite bank of the Iset. The pedestrian Vainer Street has monuments to Michael Jackson, a hot summer (in the form of a giant fan), Berlin bears, and other historical and fictional characters.
For those interested in world history, there is a route to the area of Ganina Yama near the city, where in 1918 the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II and members of the Romanov family were secretly buried, after their execution by the Bolsheviks in a cellar in the town. There are seven Orthodox churches there now and a monastery in honour of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers.
Fans of nightlife will enjoy the many, diverse clubs of Yekaterinburg. For tourists with children, the park of living butterflies, the “Galileo” park of wonders, the “Limpopo” water park and the zoo are essential places to visit.
