Some people are shocked, if not a bit annoyed, when I say that walking is a hobby of mine. They likely assume that I am talking about a short daily commute, but in reality, what I mean by walking being a hobby of mine is that I can walk for 30 kms and upwards a day, if the sun is not out there to kill me. My goal is to finally reach a full 40 kms this year, and Nizhny Novgorod just may be the city where I can break my own record. With its numerous parks and wonderful sights that adorn my walks in said parks, why should I attempt to do it anywhere else? As any other Soviet/Russian city, parks are an integral part of the local topography here and making a full list of them would take the better part of a decently sized book. Therefore, I will only share my three favourite local parks with my lovely readers, in an effort to show the three main types of parks one can find here: massive green areas with amazing views, often culture-oriented yet much smaller spaces with an exhibition of sorts, and very well-maintained gardens in which one can enjoy a slow walk or sit down to get a rest for a while.
Switzerland Park – https://yandex.com/maps/-/CCUzyNurlB
Nizhny is often called as the city of sunsets, and one can understand why that name has stuck with it for many generations after a quick visit to Switzerland Park during a sunset. Though my phone’s camera could not do it any justice (hence the omission of any such photos here), it was by far one of the prettiest sunsets I ever saw. Other than such beautiful sights, the Switzerland Park offers massive playgrounds for children, plenty of kiosks to get some delicious grubs from, and an extremely long path to walk on that can take hours to walk if you want to explore it all. It is wonderful all year around, though I prefer it without snow given how it is much easier to walk then. Other than the occasional runners and plenty of families having a great time together, you can sometimes see an artist or two that are trying to immortalize the views they see as they walk around the park, an example of which can be seen just below!
Victory Park – https://yandex.com/maps/-/CCUzyNBS3D
Russian cities seem to have a Victory Park or two regardless of their sizes and location, and Nizhny Novgorod is no exception. This is the place in town to go to if you want to look at some old Soviet/Russian military equipment as you spent your Sunday strolling around. It is quite small, one of the smallest parks in Nizhny for sure. However, you can see around 30 different tanks, trucks, and planes here, as well as a selection of photos from Russia’s recent military history, well, before 2008 that is… Afghanistan and Chechnia seem to take the central stage here, and one can read up on Soviet military history if they so wish to thanks to the plethora of plaques that are found all around this park. It is well worth a visit, basically being an outdoors military museum that does not charge an entry fee.
Aleksandrovskiy Garden – https://yandex.com/maps/-/CCUzyNF6SA
While places like the Switzerland Park focus on walking, sports, exercise etc. they try not to put many benches around their premises so as not to give anyone the wrong idea. No siree, you will not be able to rest here before you finish your morning run! However, if you want to have a more laid-back experience as you get some fresh air, places like Aleksandrovskiy Garden wait for you. Here, you get to sit around as much as you like, watch the sight or the people, or both. It is in a very central part of the town, basically being next to the Kremlin. Since it also has some of the finest views of Volga as well as its confluence with Oka, you can also find a ton of newlyweds that come here to get their marriage photos sorted out. It is an amazing place to say the least, especially around autumn when the yellow and the green mixes so well together with the azure waters of Volga. That being said, it is an outright “dangerous” place in winter, with most of it being covered with layers of ice that turn a literal walk in a park to a death trap. Though it is worthy to see Volga all frozen at least once in your life, do be careful, and take all the precautions you can take before such a visit.
