tour of flanders centre

Tour of Flanders Museum (and why you shouldn’t miss it)

For a cycling fan, particularly one with a passion for the history of the sport, the Tour of Flanders Museum in Oudenaarde, Belgium, is a must-visit destination.

Where is the Tour of Flanders museum?

The museum is easy to find – it sits just a few metres from the market square in Oudenaarde. You can’t fail to spot it because there’s a vintage Peugeot/Flandria team car parked on the kerbside immediately outside!

The museum is marked “Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen” on the map below:

The windows of the museum are decorated with unique cobblestones, each depicting the previous winner of the famous race.

What can you expect to see inside?

Inside is an absolute treasure trove of cycling inspiration.

You may even see Freddy Maertens, the museum’s curator and former world champion in the Eddy Merckz era.

Through a combination of artefacts collected from the inception of the race at the turn of the last century and a range of multimedia presentations chronicles, the museum chronicles the history and progress of the event.

You’ll see everything from vintage bikes (and wonder how on earth they made the journey up the Koppenberg) to life-size cut-outs of recent winners, Peter Sagan and Tom Boonen. There is even an interactive machine that simulates the experience of riding on the cobbles!

The museum displays the bike that Greg van Avermaet won his Olympic Gold medal on in 2016 and a whole room has been devoted to three-time winner Fabien Cancellara. In here, you’ll find his bikes, trophies and jerseys.

Don’t miss!

Make sure you don’t miss some of our favourite items:

• bikes that were ridden by Merckz
• a jersey that once belonged to Johan Museeuw
• a bust of the British rider Tom Simpson.

And finally…

There is an excellent gift shop and entrance lobby full of local information, including cycling route maps and a cycling themed café.

After a long day in the saddle, it is a perfect way of spending a couple of hours before dinner. Don’t miss it!

Have you been? Let us know and share any tips in the comments below!

Want more info on cycling in Flanders? Don’t miss our full guide to the region: here .

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PELOTON CAFÉ

RONDESHOP  

The Tour of Flanders centre

• Markt 43, 9700 Oudenaarde
• 055 33 99 33

Visitor and experience centre that tells you everything about the famous Tour of Flanders. Feel the jostling on the cobblestones firsthand, virtually cycle up some slopes or take a seat on the podium next to Tom Boonen and Peter Van Petegem.

There is also a separate children’s track for little cycling fans in the exhibition. The little cycling fans can indulge themselves in the Ronde expo. They receive a nice assignment booklet after which they can explore for themselves. Did they reach the finish line? One last sprint to the reception to receive their prize.

webdesign:  TAKK

• Streekproducten
• Hotel Moriaanshoofd
• Hotel de Zalm
• Leopold hotel
• Steenhuyse Hotel
• Aanbod in infokantoor
• Op stap met de gids
• Evenementen

Tour of Flanders Centre

Would you like to feel the energy of Flanders' most iconic cycling classic, even out of season? Then this experience centre is totally up your street. At the CRVV, where the history of Flanders' most popular race is explained, you dive into the soul and heroism of the Tour.

Both permanent and temporary exhibitions give flandriens (Flemings) the honour they deserve. Test your knowledge and feel the adrenaline, euphoria and stamina of the heroes.

Thanks to the multimedia approach, it seems as if you are experiencing it first-hand. Images, sound and projections get you into the mood. Who dares to climb in the saddle? By means of computer simulations, you can brave the slopes and cobblestones. Just like the real thing! Join the platoon along with Schotte, Merckx or Museeuw. Top-class sport at its best. Even though you don't have to be a pro. The CRVV is simply a welcoming meeting place for every cycling enthusiast.

Tip: In the Tour shop, you will find original gifts and souvenirs.

Ready? Get set, go!

Those who are up to the challenge take straight to the roads. The CRVV is the perfect place to start and finish your own Tour. Close to the market square of Oudenaarde and yet in the hills in no time. Let the pedal-pushing begin!

After you've worked up a sweat, you can indulge in a nice long shower on you return. A beer (Flandrien or Kwaremont) along with an energy-rich pasta await you in the Peloton Café.

Website Tour of Flanders Centre

Centrum Ronde Van Vlaanderen *****

The Tour of Flanders Centre is in more than one way the ideal base camp for your Tour of Flanders experience. You will not only find a wealth of history about the race at the visitors’ centre but also a wealth of comfortable and convenient facilities to start and finish your own tour of the Flemish Ardennes. There is free parking available around the corner (at the Ham, near Hotel Leopold). If you’re thinking of riding one of the three signpostedTour of Flanders routes, this is the ideal place to start. Rent a race bike and hit the roads. After your ride, you can enjoy a shower at the TOFC (2 euros) and the Ronde Shop offers several must-see and must-have souvenirs. And to cap off a perfect day, try a delicious locally brewed Flandrienbeer at the Peloton café .

Segments nearby

Average gradient

Edelareberg

Cycling day trips

Cycling holiday.

Tour of Flanders Centre (Oudenaarde, Belgium)

• Destinations
• East-Flanders

Tour of Flanders Centre in the city of Oudenaarde is the high altar for everyone who can pedal hard in Flanders and far beyond.

It’s the ideal place to start and end your cycling trip. An active experience centre where you can sample the true soul of Flemish tournament based on multimedia and interactive applications.

Children, the visually impaired and foreign visitors can become acquainted with the unique Tour of Flanders story thanks to bilingual audio guides (NL, ENG).

The Centre also contains an auditorium, exhibition space, conference room, hall, pub and shop, even showers are available

Don’t miss the exhibitions and activities which are organised regularly.

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• Tourist areas and towns

Tour of Flanders Centre

• Markt 43 9700 Oudenaarde Flemish Ardennes - Belgium Routebeschrijving
• +32 (0)55 33 99 33
• [email protected]
• http://www.crvv.be

Immerse yourself in the atmosphere and magic of 'Flanders Most Beautiful'. Thanks to multimedia applications, interactive attractions and unique collector's items the Tour of Flanders is brought to life again. Get acquainted with the founder Karel Van Wijnendaele, and enjoy 100 years of history of the Tour of Flanders.

Guide Freddy Maertens will gladly show you around! Experience the heroism, feel the enthusiasm and sense the triumph and tragedy. Put yourself in the position of your cycling hero, climb the Oude Kwaremont behind Peter Van Petegem, relive the most beautiful moments of the Tour of Flanders in the theatre, experience the feeling of cobbles on the special "cobblestone simulator", challenge your relatives to a cycling quiz and win together with our champions!

• Food & Drink
• Sport & Leisure
• Accommodation

Hotel Leopold Oudenaarde

Restaurant hof van cleve, flanders field american cemetery, kluisbos recreational resort, restaurant berto.

The general tour

The general tour takes you to the most important historical sights in Flanders Fields. Start your journey at the Memorial Museum Passchendaele and the surrounding park. Visit military cemeteries, the In Flanders Fields Museum , Talbot House , the Yser Tower , the Menin Gate and other points of interest. The tour gives you the opportunity to make the most of your 48 hour visit to Flanders Fields.

Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917

Berten Pilsenstraat 5a, Zonnebeke

Start the day at the heart of the Third Battle of Ypres or ‘Passchendaele’as it is more commonly known. The name alone is a symbol of senseless military violence and so the museum seeks to provide a reminder for future generations. The dugout tunnel with communication and dressing post, headquarters, workplaces and dormitories, provides an idea of how the soldiers had to live underground, like moles, because there was nothing left above. It’s impressive, as is the museum with its collection of historical artefacts,images, movies and dioramas. Complete your visit to the museum outside in the trenches before heading into the park that surrounds the museum.

Tyne Cot Cemetery

Vijfwegestraat, Zonnebeke

With its arched wall and colonnades in white stone, the Missing Memorial of Tyne Cot Cemetery instils respect. This is the largest military cemetery of the Commonwealth in continental Europe. Almost 12,000 soldiers are buried here. 12,000 white crosses, row after row. We stand in awe. On the Memorial Wall are the names of the 34,957 soldiers who fell after 16th August 1917 and whose graves are not known. In silence, we move on to another cemetery, this time on the other side of the front.

German Military Cemetery

Klerkenstraat, Langemark 

Drive 4 miles from Passchendaele to the village of Langemark, where one of only four German war cemeteries in Flanders, can be found. Behind the monumental entrance lie more than 44,000 soldiers, half of them in a mass grave. Among them, are over 3000 cadets and student volunteers, which explains why the cemetery is also known as the Studentenfriedhof. The bronze statue of four grieving soldiers, by Emil Krieger, is very impressive. Slightly larger than life it immediately captures the eye, on entering the cemetery.

In Flanders Fields Museum

Grote Markt 34, Ieper

In Ypres , start with a visit to the hub of the WWI commemoration in Flanders Fields - the In Flanders Fields Museum . Entry is with a white bracelet with a red poppy on it, instead of a ticket. This museum - located in Ypres’ impressive Cloth Hall - focuses on personal stories reminiscent of the invasion, the trench war and the remembrance ceremonies since the armistice. Take time to slowly climb the belltower to have a look at what were once the battlefields.

Menenstraat, Ieper

Take time to sample Flemish cuisine and the local beer before heading to the Menin Gate - by far the most famous Commonwealth war memorial in Flanders. On its white walls are engraved the names of 54,896 soldiers whose bodies were never found (the other 34,000 names we already saw at Tyne Cot Memorial this afternoon). Since 1928, each and every day, apart from the Second World War, the Last Post is sounded just outside these

The Last Post

At the end of the day, this final experience is very emotive. The four buglers - in the uniform of the voluntary fire-fighters of Ypres - stand in line and the first notes sound like a call. If we can’t call the soldiers back to life, let’s send them “a final farewell at the end of their earthly labours and at the onset of their eternal rest”, as it reads on www.lastpost.be . There are many video clips of the ceremony on YouTube but as one comment on the videos says: “You must see this once in your life. If you are not moved by it, you’re made of concrete.”

Talbot House

Gasthuisstraat 43, Poperinge

Death cells

Stadhuis, Guido Gezellestraat 1, Poperinge

Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery

Boescheepseweg, Poperinge

The Yser Tower

IJzerdijk 49, Diksmuide

Trench of death

Ijzerdijk 42, Diksmuide

Tip: walk up to the second floor of the visitor’s centre for a panoramic view of the Yser plain.

Vladso German Military Cemetery

Houtlandstraat 3, Vladslo

Dead sons were mourned over by both sides and at the German war cemetery in Vladslo, near Diksmuide, is a symbol of this grief. Stand in front of the world famous sculpture by Käthe Kollwitz , “The Grieving Parents’ and you will see the father struggling to contain his emotion, the mother bowed in utter pain. Their son, Peter Kollwitz, age 18, volunteer in the German army lies amongst the 25,000 German soldiers burried here.

Visit Flanders Fields in 48 hours

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As it happened: Breakaway takes surprise victory on hectic stage 11

The ronde waits for no man: tour of flanders preview.

Van der Poel the favourite for Sunday in the absence of Wout Van Aert

This was supposed to be Wout van Aert's year. On the cobbles this season, the Belgian champion has been several steps ahead of the rest. Solo victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad was followed by a Jumbo-Visma exhibition at the E3 Saxo Bank Classic. Another, almost casual flex on the Kemmelberg at Gent-Wevelgem served only to shore up his status as the consensus favourite for the Tour of Flanders.

By contrast, his old sparring partner Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) was labouring. Injury had ruined his cyclo-cross season and there were doubts as to whether the Dutchman would feature in the Tour of Flanders at all.

Even when Van der Poel surprisingly resurfaced to place third at Milan-San Remo, one still wondered if he could really hope to challenge Van Aert in the Flemish Ardennes. Victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen assuaged those doubts, and now, improbably, he sets out from Antwerp as the man most likely to win the Ronde.

At the start of Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday, one directeur sportif tried to make light of his own team's depleted roster and accordingly limited prospects at the Ronde.

The  major  contenders missing the Tour of Flanders 2022 Tour of Flanders 2022: Everything you need to know Wout van Aert 'unlikely' to ride Tour of Flanders

"Maybe Van Aert will get sick before Sunday too, eh, you never know," he said. It was an exercise in gallows humour rather than in wishful thinking, but 24 hours later, Jumbo-Visma announced that Van Aert had missed the team's Tour of Flanders recon due to illness and that his participation in the race was 'unlikely.' On Friday night the Belgian's absence was confirmed.

Through the early weeks of the season, riders and teams across the peloton have been stricken by illness, but for Van Aert and Jumbo-Visma, the beat went on regardless. The Belgian champion's dominance at Omloop and Harelbeke brooked no argument and his entire Spring had been built around hitting his peak for the Tour of Flanders. Now everything is on the shoulders of  Tiesj Benoot and Christophe Laporte.

The Ronde waits for no man, of course, and Van Aert would not be the first favourite to be removed from the running at the last. Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen crashed out early in the race in 2012 and 2013, respectively, but the sense of anti-climax at the loss of such totemic figures was quickly superseded by the drama provided by those who remained in the race.

While Van Aert's absence will change the Belgian newspapers' attribution of their five-star ratings before the race, it will leave no asterisk on the roll of honour afterwards.

Instead, Van der Poel takes on the mantle of favourite thanks to his sparkling victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen, which seemed to bear out his counter-intuitive assertion that his injury-blighted build-up to the Classics had been his best yet. Even so, the 2020 Tour of Flanders winner's record at the business end of the Monuments is not quite unimpeachable. At last year's Ronde, he was surprisingly beaten by Kasper Asgreen (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) in a two-up sprint, and he was also outkicked by Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious) at Paris-Roubaix in October.

Van der Poel's usual onslaught of kinetic energy can often overwhelm his opponents, but he sometimes punches himself out in the hardest-fought races, leaving himself exposed to a knockout blow in the finale. His rivals will have taken note. Nothing is ever certain in advance at the Tour of Flanders, least of all in a season like this.

Tour of Flanders 2022 contenders

Even without Van Aert, Jumbo-Visma remain the strongest collective in the race, and they may still dictate the terms of engagement in the Flemish Ardennes. Christophe Laporte and Tiesj Benoot had expected to serve as foils to Van Aert, but now they may find themselves thrust into leadership roles.

Neither man has as bankable a sprint as Van Aert, of course, meaning that Jumbo-Visma will have to be inventive if they are to take on Van der Poel.

They may find an ally of circumstance in Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who had his first taste of the cobblestones at Dwars door Vlaanderen. As ever, the Slovenian's strength was striking, but he was hamstrung by a positioning error ahead of Berg Ten Houte.

He learned that chasing the race is a Sisyphean task in this corner of the world. In Flanders, it pays to get your retaliation in first. If he digests that lesson quickly, then he will be a real threat on Sunday as he chases a third Monument victory in less than twelve months.

After illness ruined his Milan-San Remo challenge, Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) has quietly positioned himself among the leading contenders here. He looked very sharp indeed in placing third at Dwars door Vlaanderen, and he is backed by an Ineos squad that blends the youthful fearlessness of Ben Turner with the experience of Dylan van Baarle.

QuickStep-AlphaVinyl's diminished powers has been one of the key storylines of the Spring, as the combination of a recent spate of illness and a more longstanding drop-off in recruitment has depleted their Classics unit.

Even so, their line-up – and team car – holds a treasury of experience, and the defending champion Kasper Asgreen has been riding far more strongly than his results might otherwise suggest.

The Dane was pedalling very smoothly indeed at E3 Harelbeke last week, but he was hampered by his relative isolation in the finale. Few riders, however, cope with the extra hour of a Monument quite as well as Asgreen, and that trait should stand him in good stead here.

Milan-San Remo winner Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) has similar powers of endurance, while Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) has made a leap forward on the cobbles this season and is a danger man here. Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Soudal) will surely be an aggressive presence, while the Trek-Segafredo tandem of Mads Pedersen and Jasper Stuyven will also expect to feature in the finale.

TotalEnergies will rely Anthony Turgis in the absence of Peter Sagan and Dries Van Gestel, but Greg Van Avermaet , Oliver Naesen (both AG2R-Citroën) and 2019 winner Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) look somewhat off the pace.

The weather forecast, meanwhile, is for frigid temperatures on Sunday, which has drawn comparisons with the famously miserable conditions of 1985, when only 25 riders reached the finish in a race won by the Belgian champion Eric Vanderaerden. Earlier in the week, the potential symmetry with Van Aert in 2022 seemed clear. Now the picture is rather less certain. The Ronde is different for it, but no less intriguing.

Tour of Flanders 2022 route

The route for the 106th edition of the Tour of Flanders follows the format that's now been entrenched since 2012, with the Oude Kwaremont taking centre stage and teaming up once again with the Paterberg. Kwaremont, tackled three times in total, is a long, aching climb at 2.2km in length, while the Paterberg is its punchier bedfellow, barely 400 metres but packing an average pitch of nearly 20 per cent.

They are used twice in combination, the second time being the race's finale, with just a 13km run-in to Oudenaarde to follow.

In between the two Kwaremont-Paterberg punches are a quartet of cobbled climbs that include the savagely-steep and savagely-surfaced Koppenberg, along with old favourites like the Taaienberg – aka Boonen-berg – Kruisberg, and Steenbekdries. This 40km section, twisting its way through the Flemish Ardennes, is the absolute heart of the race.

However, that's not to say it's where we'll see all the action. Even in a normal year, the racing on this Flanders course can be opened up from range. This year, with top-favourite Wout Van Aert likely missing and the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar in attendance, there's every ingredient for early aggression.

Berg Ten Houte – the flash point at Wednesday's Dwars door Vlaanderen – appears with 75km to go and is quickly followed by the Kanarieberg. Even before that, the run of Molenberg, Marlboroguhstraat, Berendries and Valkenberg will surely see some 'shadow-favourites' spring into action.

In total, the route measures 272.5km and features 18 hellingen (climbs), most of them cobbled. The start is given in Antwerp's Grote Markt at 10:00 CET and the riders will reach the finish in Oudenaarde nearly seven hours later.

The opening 100km are largely a preamble as the race makes the long journey over to the Flemish Ardennes. A breakaway of lower-level riders will form, and the peloton will be shaken awake by the flat cobblestone sectors of Lippenhovestraat and Paddestraat, although there are still 33km before the climbing begins.

The first climb is the Oude Kwaremont, the first of three times the hordes of fans in the roadside VIP tents will be able to watch the race go past. There will still be 135km to the finish but there'll still be a fight for position ahead of the climb, and a big atmosphere on it.

The riders will come off the Kwaremont and descend straight to the Kortekeer, in what is a quartet of back-to-back climbs. The Achterberg is new to the route and is followed by the Holleweg cobbles and then the Wolvenberg climb.

The Kerkgate and Jagerij cobbles make things tricky ahead of the next spate of climbs: Molenberg, Marlboroguhstraat, Berendries and Valkenberg. The race will have ticked over into the final 100km, and things should really be starting to happen. There's a brief respite but then the Berg Ten Houte and Kanarieberg signal a critical duo where a strong team can rip the race apart.

The riders will then loop around and descend to the foot of the Oude Kwaremont. If it was warming up last time, it will be deafening this time as the race reaches full throttle. The Paterberg follows and then it's straight over to the Koppenberg, Steenbekdries, Taaienberg, and Kruisberg, which effectively has the Hotond baked into it.

They once again take the road down to the Kwaremont and this time it'll be berserk. The race will be in pieces by the top - if not already - and they'll emerge onto the main road with its massive dip in the middle that has become one of the iconic Flanders shots. From there, it's the familiar turn left back onto narrow country lanes that twist down to the foot of the Paterberg. A sharp right-hand bend, and the cobbles hit instantly and the gradient quickly ratchets into the double distance.

It's only short, but any weakness here will be brutally exposed. The riders haul themselves up the final incline and turn left at the top, swooping down the short descent before the 13km run-in to Oudenaarde.

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Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation , published by Gill Books.

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• Classic Moscow Tour 5 days/4 nights (every Monday)
• Description

Moscow is a city that can take months, if not years, to get to be known properly, and visitors often do not know where to start - there is so much to see! We will show you the city in a day packed with variety and wonder. In the first half of the day, we will take you around the highlights of the city on our comfortable tour bus, and our guide will keep you entertained with fascinating true stories about the city’s past, present, and future.

We will stop for lunch in a traditional Russian restaurant, where you’ll be able to discover the country’s rich culinary heritage. After lunch, we will take you to the most historic site in Moscow: the Kremlin. We will show you around this city within a city, and you will visit the ancient Kremlin cathedrals, where generations of tsars were crowned and buried.

Then you will visit one of Moscow’s oldest and most fascinating museums - the Kremlin Armory. With its unique collections from the Tsar period: historical armor and weapons, Russian and European silver and gold tableware and jewelry, ancient state regalia, and ceremonial vestments, historic clothing, the carriages used by many of Russia’s tsars, and Fabergé eggs, it truly has something for everybody!

Within the Armory is another great treasure house - the Kremlin Diamond Fund, which hides the former Imperial treasury - the personal gem collections of Russia’s tsars - updated with more recently - discovered specimens. Here you will see the Great Imperial Crown made for Catherine the Great - which alone contains 5000 diamonds - along with other priceless cut and uncut diamonds and other precious stones, many with a fascinating history.

Price per person

• Hotel accommodation (4 nights)
• Meals according to the program (4 breakfasts)
• Transport service according to the program
• Excursions according to the program
• All entrance tickets according to the program
• Way to Moscow and back (air, railway tickets)
• Meeting (or seeing off) at the train station or at the airport
• Lunches and dinners
• Meeting (or seeing off) at the station or at the airport: railway station-hotel - 500 rubles/car, airport-hotel - 1500 rubles/Car
• Additional excursions from our catalog
• River walks
• Tickets to the theater, circus
• You can extend your stay in Moscow for any number of days. We will book additional nights at the hotel and draw up an excursion program if necessary
• Arrival at the hotel on your own. Individual transfer if needed, for add. fee: railway station-hotel - 500 rubles/car, airport-hotel - 1500 rubles/car
• Check-in at 14.00. If you arrived earlier, you can leave your baggage for free in the hotel's luggage room
• 11:00 Meeting with the guide - at the monument to Zhukov G.K. in front of the Historical Museum (metro station Okhotny Ryad) - you can get to the meeting point on your own. It is possible to order an individual transfer from the hotel to the place of departure for an extra charge fee - RUB 500/car

• Return to the hotel on your own
• 07:00 - 10:00 Breakfast at the hotel (buffet)
• 11:00 Meeting with the guide - at the monument to Minin and Pozharsky on Red Square (metro station Okhotny Ryad) - you get to the meeting point on your own. It is possible to order an individual transfer from the hotel to the meeting point for extra charge fee - RUB 500/car
• 11:00 - 14:30 Bus-tour «Date with Moscow» with a ride on the cable car (during the tour there are several exits: Red Square, Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Vorobyovy Gory observation deck)

• 11:30 Transfer from your hotel to the Mosfilm studio

• 15:00 Transfer from the Mosfilm studio to your hotel
• 11:00 Meeting with the guide - at the main entrance to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (metro station Kropotkinskaya) - you get to the meeting point on your own. It is possible to order an individual transfer from the hotel to the meeting point for extra charge fee - RUB 500 / car

• 07:00 - 10:00 Breakfast at the hotel (buffet). Check-out at 12:00. You can leave your baggage for free in the hotel's luggage room
• 11:00 Meeting with the guide - at the arch of the Main entrance to VDNKh (VDNKh metro station) - you get to the meeting point on your own. It is possible to order an individual transfer from the hotel to the meeting point for extra charge fee - RUB 500/car

• At the end of the tour, you independently get to the station / airport or hotel and pick up your luggage from the storage room. Individual transfer at will, for add. fee: hotel - railway station - 500 rubles/car, hotel - airport - 1500 rubles/car

1. Choose your dates

• This group is fully booked
• Few slots in the group
• Lots of slots in the group available!

9 Things to See in Moscow's Red Square

 Sir Francis Canker/Getty Images

In most cases, you'll be entering Red Square from the north, passing landmarks such as the Bolshoi Theatre and Duma parliament building as you make your way southward. Although you don't necessarily have to pass through the Voskresensky (or Resurrection in English) Gates in order to gain access to the square these days, they definitely provide a sense of arrival, to say nothing of the way their left arch frame's St. Basil's Cathedral if you look from just the right angle.

An interesting fact is that while a gate of some kind has stood here since the mid-16th century, the one you currently see wasn't built until 1994, having been destroyed in 1931 so that tanks could enter and exit Red Square during military parades.

St. Basil's Cathedral

TripSavvy / Christopher Larson 

Few sights are as iconic not only of Moscow and Red Square but indeed of Russia than St. Basil's Cathedral, whose colorful, onion-shaped domes are a symbol of the country around the world. Officially known as the Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, this church has stood since 1561, which is quite miraculous when you consider all the turbulent history that has transpired since then.

Among other things, religion was severely prohibited during the Soviet period , which led some to believe that this emblem of the Russian Orthodox church might not withstand the tenure of the USSR. 

An interesting fact is that St. Basil's is the so-called "Kilometer Zero" of Russia; all of Moscow's main roads (which can take you anywhere in Russia) begin at the exits to Red Square. In this way, St. Basil's iconic status also has an extremely tangible element.

The Kremlin

TripSavvy / Christopher Larson

When you think of The Kremlin, it's unlikely that positive images enter your mind. The fact that simply saying the word "Kremlin" is too vague a descriptor (most Russian cities have their own Kremlin complexes; you should say "Moscow Kremlin") notwithstanding, this misunderstood place is incredibly beautiful, even if you don't like the policy that comes out of it.

Senate Square

In spite of its name, which refers to the role the building that rises above the square played during Imperial Russia, Senate Square is actually home to Russia's presidential administration, currently helmed by Vladimir Putin. In order to see where Russia's legislature operates from, walk just outside Red Square to the Duma parliament building.

Dormition Cathedral

Dating back to the year 1479, the gold-domed Dormition Cathedral pays homage to an Orthodox religious feast that commemorates the death of the Virgin Mary . As is the case with St. Basil's, it is curious that such a conspicuously religious structure was able to survive through the Soviet period.

Armoury Chamber

Though it takes its name from the fact that it housed Russia's royal arsenal when it was built in the 16th century, the most notable resident of the Kremlin's Armoury Chamber today is the Russian Diamond Fund.

Notable Kremlin Towers

Robert Schrader

The interior of the Moscow Kremlin is more beautiful and inviting than you'd expect, but the walls and towers that rise around it better live up to the intimidation with which the complex is associated. 

Borovitskaya Tower

Named to commemorate the dense forest that once stood atop the mount where it's built, this tower is extremely picturesque. Built in the late 15th century, it's visible from most places in the square, and also as you walk along the Moskva River.

Nikolskaya Tower

Also built in the year 1491, this tower currently suffered destruction at the hands of Napoleon's army in the 19th century. What you see now is the result of an 1816 re-design and renovation, though artillery fire during the Russian Revolution also caused superficial damage to the tower, named to honor St. Nikolas of Mozhaysk , so it's difficult to know which elements of it are original.

Spasskaya Tower

Known in English as the "Savior's Tower," this iconic, star-topped tower is perhaps the best-known of all the Kremlin's towers. Built in 1491 like the other two towers on this list, it's certainly the most photographed. As a result of its proximity to St. Basil's, it often makes its way into tourists' pictures.

Mausoleum of Lenin

Just as it's strange to learn how many religious monuments survived through the Soviet period, it's a bit odd to think that Lenin's preserved body still sits in a mausoleum just beneath the walls of the Kremlin on Red Square, given the lack of consensus about the ultimate impact of his Revolution, even in Russia.

It's not guaranteed that you'll be able to see the body (which, believe it or not, seems to be improving with age ) when you go, and if you do you will likely have to wait in line, but even strolling past the outside of the Lenin Mausoleum, flanked by stone-faced guards that almost look like statues, illuminates the gravity of his body still being here.

GUM Shopping Center

You might cringe, at least initially, when you realize that one of the most iconic stops on a tour of Red Square is a department store—until you see said department store, that is. Built in 1893 and known during Soviet times as the State Department Store, GUM  ( Glávnyj Universáľnyj Magazín​ or Main Universal Store in English) hearkens back to the grandeur of the late 19th century, both seen from the outside (especially, when lit up at night) and the interior, which might have you feeling like you're further west in Europe.

A trip inside GUM is a particularly good idea during winter, when frigid temperatures outside will have you savoring the heat, the quality of souvenirs, confections and other goods sold inside notwithstanding. Also, make sure not to confuse GUM with CDM, which sits near the Bolshoi Theatre, even though both are stunning and iconic in their own right.

State Historical Museum

The Russian State Historical Museum is located near Voskresensky Gates, though you should wait until after you've seen the first few attractions of Red Square and the Kremlin to head back there and go inside. To be sure, as you pass by its facade (whose late-19th century grandeur somewhat obscures that fact that it's currently a museum accessible to the public) you might not even think to try and gain entry.

Once inside the museum, you can plan to spend at least a couple of hours, given that artifacts here date back to the very beginning of the Russian state in the ninth century. As is the case with GUM, this will be a particularly alluring prospect if you visit in winter, when Moscow is arguably at its most beautiful, but certainly at its least tolerable. 

Minin-Pozharsky Monument

It's somewhat easy to disregard this monument, which pays homage to the two Russian princes who ended the so-called "Time of Troubles" in the mid-16th century, during which Polish-Lithuanian forces occupied Russia, among other awful things including a famine. That's because the statue currently sits just at the base of St. Basil's Cathedral, which makes it very difficult to photograph or even see without being overwhelmed by that much more famous edifice.

Though the statue originally sat at the very center of Red Square, it came to be an obstacle to the movement of tanks during the Soviet period, much like the Voskresensky Gates. As a result, authorities moved it during that time, and it's stayed where you currently find it ever since.

Kazan Cathedral

Taken by itself, the smokey-pink Kazan Cathedral is an architectural marvel; originally built in the 17th century, the church you find here today, located just north of the GUM department store, dates back only to 1993.

Unfortunately, since it sits not only in the shadow of GUM, but also in the shadow St. Basil's and the Towers of the Kremlin, it's easy to miss entirely if you aren't looking. As a result, you might wait until you've seen just about everything else in Red Square before coming here to take photos, and to appreciate the understated beauty of this oft-overlooked cathedral.

Moskva River

As you head south from St. Basil's Cathedral to exit Red Square, make sure to walk onto Bolshoy Moskvoretskiy Bridge, which crosses the Moskva River. If you look due north, you can get an excellent shot of the church framed, on the left, by the towers of the Kremlin. Directing your gaze a bit to the west allows you to see the skyscrapers of Moscow City as they rise above the Kremlin's walls.

Walking westward along the riverbank is also a worthwhile excursion, for the views it provides of Red Square and the Kremlin, as well as the fact that doing so takes you to other iconic Moscow attractions, including Gorky Park and the Pushkin Museum. The views you enjoy from the river and the bridge are particularly stunning at night, though you should make sure you bring a tripod if you want to get a clear picture, given how strong winds over and near the river can be.

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