Vyborg

There is a true medieval city built by Scandinavians in Russia that Russians (except for those who live in Saint Petersburg) mostly know nothing about. It's a shame that Vyborg is so underestimated and doesn't get the attention it deserves, though it doesn't take much time to get there – it is as far from Saint Petersburg as more popular day tour destinations from the northern capital, such as Tsarskoe Selo, Gatchina, Kronstadt or Oreshek fortress.

The history of Vyborg can be divided into three parts: Swedish, Finnish and Soviet-Russian. The fortress was found by the Swedes in 1293 to guard the borders of the Swedish state. Located at the crossroads of trade routes, Vyborg began to grow rich. In the 15th century the fortress was rebuilt, and the Swedes themselves considered the city to be the most beautiful in Scandinavia. We can still see this magnificent monument of medieval European architecture today without significant changes.

Year 1811 Finland was conquered by the Russian Empire, and the city of Vyborg was included into the Grand Duchy of Finland. The new era started with building expensive stone mansions designed by famous architects. Beautiful squares which could impress any resident of the finest European capitals appeared. Little by little Vyborg became the second most important city in Finland (after Helsinki).

Vyborg never became finnish again. During the World War II, or the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) as it's called in Russia, the city was badly damaged. The after-war years were quite a challenge for those who wanted to preserve the city, because the government didn't make any moves to restore historic buildings, and the center of the city looked more and more abandoned. Luckily, during the last years restoration work finally began thanks to the growing poplarity of Vyborg as a tourist sight. There are some buildings which are extremely difficult to restore, though the authorities do their best to revive the atmosphere of an ancient European city lost in Soviet times: knight festivals are held, medieval-styled restaurants and souvenir shops open. There is one place tourists are especially fond of: it is a shop of local delicacies called Wiborg, where one can find traditional pretzels and sbiten (a soft drink with honey and spices), which are definitely worth trying.

There is an unusual romantic park called Mon Repos in the center of the city. It's famous for its mysterious grottoes, beautiful cliffs, and pavilions in various styles. Restoration of the park will last until 2020, but it's already open for visitors.

The main symbol of the city, along with the Vyborg castle, is the famous Round tower, built in the XVI century and located. There is a restaurant there which dates back to the time where the city was Finnish and is still open for hungry visitors.

Narrow medieval streets, Lutheran churches, the most ancient stone houses in Russia, fortresses and towers remind of Tallinn and Helsinki, but, nevertheless, Vyborg is a unique city which should be a must-see for everyone coming to Russia.