Rising at cock crow, easy lifestyle, nature and fresh air – these are the intrinsic charms of agritourism. Rural tourism or agritourism is becoming more and more popular in Karelia, the Altai, the Leningrad region, the Kaliningrad region and some other regions of Russia.
The visitors are offered the traditional Russian meals: honey, kvass, kasha (Russian porridge) and borsch made of organic food products. The tourists are happy to be engaged in farm activities ranging from picking berries and vegetables or feeding animals, getting acquainted with the traditions of a Russian village. During their vacation they are learning crafts and are engaged in lots of other farm activities: milking cows, weaving willow baskets, riding a horse or driving a field tractor.
The city dwellers who want to escape the hustle and bustle of urban life and long for fresh air and quiet environment can find peace in rural farms located in the Kaliningrad region. Here the local farmers invite their guests to take part in fishing or hunting adventures.
In Bashkiria, the landlords of a agri-farm Boursian invite their guests to spend their vacation in a traditional Russian house with a lovely garden, banya (the traditional Russian bath) and a hayloft. They also arrange trips to Shulgantash Nature Reserve, horseback riding tours or tours on boats propelled by oars, gathering medicinal herbs, mushrooms and berries.
While staying in Kutan, another Bashkir agritourism farm, the tourists may taste honey from local bee yard, medovukha (a traditional Russian drink made from fermented honey and water), take part in fishing and hunting activities, bear’s paths hiking, or learn about beekeeping.
Another option is to visit three ancient villages: Romanovo, Nesterovo and Kiucher, which are located not far from Pereyaslavl-Zalesskiy (the Yaroslavl region), in the picturesque forest surroundings on the bank of the Roksha river. The visitors may participate in excursions with an overnight stop in Nikitskiy Monastery.
The city dwellers may also opt for an agritour in Volgograd region and spend their vacation in Nizhnegnutov farm yard located not far from the Tzimlyansk water reservoir and the Tzimlyanskiye peski natural park. The main tourist attraction of the park is a herd of wild horses grazing on the steppe grasslands.
In the Pskov region there is a village with a huge bath which may accommodate up to 30 people. Foreign tourists often visit this place on their way from Saint-Petersburg to Moscow. The hostess will attend the guests during the traditional bath procedure and flap them with the special bath besoms. After the bath she will treat the visitors with the freshly drawn milk and fresh curd (or farmer) cheese. This village is as popular with the tourists as the national museums.