Visitors interested in bell culture, city history and craft activities in Valdai will find several distinct themes to explore. Bells are central both to a museum visit and to the collection at the Bell Centre; there is also a museum of city history, guided street tours and ceramic activities.
Hear and understand bells
The Bell Museum is housed in the historic Church of the Catherine Palace. Empress Catherine II commissioned its construction based on a design by N. A. Lvov. The exhibition includes multi-storey bell towers and interactive installations that illustrate the bell’s construction and mechanics. Bell traditions from different countries are also explored.
Bells are rung live during every visit, from 19th-century yamshchik road bells to ensembles of modern church bells. Visits are available only to groups at scheduled times, which take place hourly. Check the museum’s current visitor information before planning your visit.
The collection and interactive activities at the Bell Centre
The Bell Centre Museum displays bells from around the world, bell shapes dating from the 3rd century BC to the Middle Ages, and modern souvenir bells. A touchscreen gaming table offers children and teenagers games in which they can harness a virtual troika or cast a virtual bell. The virtual bell can be sent by email to yourself or someone else. There is also an interactive, scale model of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
City history in a manor house
The Museum of the County Town of Valdai is housed in a two-storey 19th-century manor house in the city centre. Its collections include individual, paired and group portraits from former Valdai homes, as well as household items, small personal objects, letters and postcards. Mementos come from local families including the Rots, Bogdanova, Nikolsky, Rohrbeck and Bystrova families. Collections of materials are devoted to Valdai’s notable summer visitors, including V. Solovyov, M. Menshikov, S. Nilus, N. Roerich, V. Kosagovsky, the Panaevs, the Diaghilevs and the Frolovskys.
The Holy Trinity Cathedral is an architectural landmark of the city and a centre of spiritual and cultural life in Valdai District. It is a cultural heritage site of regional significance. An image of the blacksmith Valda can also be seen on a façade in Valdai.
Streets, the town square and ceramics
Visitors can explore Valdai’s streets with a guide. A fenced summer garden was laid out on Palace Square in the second half of the 19th century, where townspeople strolled during the warm season.
The Kruzhal pottery studio offers masterclasses, courses and creative programmes where clay is made into household items and souvenirs. Activities include using the potter’s wheel, hand modelling and painting clay pieces. Check whether the studio is currently operating before planning your visit.
Visitor information and an excursion nearby
The Valdarai Tourist Information Centre in Valdai is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; check the opening hours before your visit. An excursion run by Valdai National Park takes visitors to two holy springs, 15 kilometres from Valdai. It covers how the springs formed, historical aspects and related folk traditions.
Discover more destinations: Malaya Vishera, Retle, Ondvor, Molochkovo, Tashino, Veliky Novgorod, Myasnoy Bor, Pestovo.
For the regional travel overview: Novgorod Oblast.
