From skyscrapers to ancient manors: what to see in Yekaterinburg
It is interesting to see the capital of the Urals in any season and in any company. It doesn't matter if you arrived for a couple of days or decided to stay longer — Yekaterinburg easily draws you into its rhythm — energetic, with an industrial flavor. This is a city where glass and concrete business centers are adjacent to merchant mansions, and former factories become art spaces. Here, the old complements the new, and the streets are saturated with creative energy and a rare sense of comfort — as if you were in the company of old friends.
A city for business travelers
Yekaterinburg is becoming more visible on the business tourism map every year. Major forums, exhibitions, and conferences are held here — the city is often chosen as a venue for business events. And the Accor chain offers reliable hotels so that you can work and relax here in comfort.
We tell you about the sights of Yekaterinburg, where to go and what to see, where to stay and have a delicious meal.
Comfortable hotels as the starting point of the route
If you want to get comfortable and not waste time on the road, pay attention to Novotel Yekaterinburg Center. This is a four-star hotel in the heart of the city, on Engels Street. Nearby there is 1905 square, the embankment, museums, restaurants and everything that usually turns out to be on the route of a tourist or business guest.
The rooms are stylish, modern, with good sound insulation and comfortable mattresses — you can get a good night's sleep, even if the city lives its own life outside the window. There is a hammam, a gym, a restaurant, and the lobby bar is open around the clock.
Novotel is often chosen for business trips: the hotel has five conference rooms that are suitable for events of various formats, from negotiations and strategic sessions to press breakfasts, trainings and even banquets. Guests have access to a separate coffee break area, a reception desk, and a cloakroom. There is all the necessary equipment — screens, projectors, sound equipment. For those who need to park their car, there are underground and surface parking spaces.
Where to walk in Yekaterinburg: walking route
It's worth starting from the heart of the city — the main attractions, museums, embankments and cozy streets for walking are concentrated here. Everything in the center of Yekaterinburg is convenient to explore on foot.
Plotinka and Historical Square
There is a dam located not far from the Novotel Yekaterinburg Center, as the townspeople call the Historical Park near the dam on the Iset River. It was from here that the city's history began in the XVIII century. Here, engineers Tatishchev and de Gennin laid the foundation for the future plant by building a dam. Monuments, ancient buildings and paved paths have been preserved from that era.
Everyone comes here: students play guitars, children feed ducks by the water, and couples take pictures against the background of the city pond. Skaters, rollerbladers and companies who like to relax by the water gather at the monument to the founders of the city (popularly known as Beavis and Butt-head). In the underpass nearby, you could previously see the so-called "Tsoi Wall" — graffiti with portraits of the soloist of the Kino group. Now the transition is dedicated not only to Tsoi, but also to iconic Ural rock bands.
There is an old water tower in the park at the end of the 19th century. Now there is a cafe, a souvenir shop and a museum dedicated to industrial history. Nearby there is an open—air exhibition with equipment from previous years: machine tools, presses and aggregates.
In summer, city festivals and concerts are held at the Dam, in winter, the skating rink is flooded and festive lighting is turned on.
Iset River Embankment
After the Historical Park, the route continues along the embankment of the Iset River, one of the most picturesque city promenades. Here Yekaterinburg reveals itself in all its layers: against the background of the city pond, there are austere facades of the 19th century, modern business centers and architecture in the style of constructivism.
On the way there is the Yekaterinburg Drama Theater with columns and mosaics, the Shar fountain rotating on a thin stream of water, and Oktyabrskaya Square with wide stairs. The space is organically integrated into the urban environment: benches, amphitheaters, bike paths and recreation areas are located along the water.
In the evening, the soft lighting of buildings and bridges turns on, and the walk becomes especially atmospheric. In summer, festivals and concerts are often held here, food vans are operating, and street musicians are playing. In this place, you can especially see how Yekaterinburg has changed — from the industrial past to the modern rhythm of the metropolis.
Vayner Street — Uralsky Arbat
Vayner Pedestrian Street is just a 15-minute walk from the Novotel Yekaterinburg Center. The street is often compared to Moscow's Arbat — and for good reason: it has the same mix of urban life, art and commerce. This is one of the most interesting places in Yekaterinburg.
Vayner Street combines modern design showcases and examples of merchant architecture of the late 19th century — old mansions and former apartment buildings.
There is always someone playing, performing, discussing life over a cup of coffee. People come here during the day for beautiful shots, and in the evening for the atmosphere and communication. It's easy to meet a street musician, a magician, or a living statue on Weiner. And there are dozens of sculptures installed here.
What's interesting to see in Yekaterinburg: unusual locations and art objects
Yekaterinburg knows how to surprise. Along with classical monuments, there are many non-standard objects here.
Urban sculptures on Weiner Street
Weiner has collected bronze figures of popular characters — they have become an integral part of the urban landscape. There is a sculpture of Michael Jackson in a branded rack. It was installed in 2011 and is considered the first monument to a pop star in Russia. Not far away is Gena Bukin from the TV series "Happy Together". According to the story, the Bukin family lived in Yekaterinburg. Nearby there are bronze images of a peddler, a banker and a motorist with a dog.
The keyboard at the Iseti embankment
One of the most unusual art objects in Yekaterinburg is a concrete keyboard located on the embankment of the Iset River. It consists of 104 large keys laid out right on the lawn. According to urban legend, if you carefully jump from letter to letter, "typing" the dream word, and then "press" Enter, the wish will surely come true.
The keyboard has become part of the Red Line tourist route, a 9-kilometer-long pedestrian highway painted directly on the asphalt. It brings together the main attractions of the city center to walk the whole of Yekaterinburg "along the red thread."
Monument to The Beatles
On the Iseti embankment, at Gorky St., 8, the first monument to The Beatles group in Russia has been erected — silhouettes of participants against a brick wall. Opened in 2009 on the initiative of the Ural fan club, it has become a symbol of musical freedom and is successfully integrated into the Red Line tourist route — an ideal place for photography and cultural insight.
Vysotsky Business Center
The Vysotsky Skyscraper is one of the most notable architectural dominants of Yekaterinburg and a popular viewing point. The 188-meter-high building was built in 2011 and for a long time remained the tallest in Russia outside of Moscow. It is now one of the ten largest office skyscrapers in the country.
There is an open observation deck on the 52nd floor, offering a panoramic view of the center of Yekaterinburg and its surroundings. In clear weather, you can see the Ural Mountains. There are offices, apartments, a restaurant and other commercial facilities inside the building.
Sevastyanov's House
Yekaterinburg's business card: an amazing example of eclecticism with elements of Neo-Gothic and Moorish style. Originally built in 1817, it acquired its current appearance after reconstruction in 1866 by order of Nikolai Sevastyanov.
Since 2009, the building has been used as the residence of the President of Russia, so there is no way to get inside. It is included in the federal Register of Cultural Heritage Sites and is depicted on commemorative coins and the 2023 five thousandth bill.
Culture and education: what to visit in Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg is not only a city of striking monuments and scenic routes, but also a recognized cultural capital. Here you can immerse yourself in history, art and cinema.
Yeltsin Center
The social and cultural space was opened in Yekaterinburg in 2015. The main part of the center is the Boris Yeltsin Museum. Here, with the help of interactive exhibits, important events of the 1990s are described: the collapse of the USSR, the August coup, the presidency of Yeltsin and the adoption of a new Constitution. The exhibition presents archival photos, documents, videos and personal belongings.
The Yeltsin Center has an art gallery, a library, a cinema, a lecture hall, a bookstore, a cafe and a children's center. Exhibitions, lectures, screenings and festivals are held here. The center has become one of the main cultural venues in the city and has received an international museum award.
Metenkov House
A cozy museum of photography, located in an old mansion in the center of Yekaterinburg. There is a large collection of historical photographs, photographic equipment, posters and postcards. The building itself once belonged to photographer Veniamin Metenkov, one of the first who began to photograph the city and its inhabitants back in the 19th century.
Today, the museum operates as a modern art space: it holds exhibitions, creative meetings, workshops and art events. Here you can see retro cameras, rare photographs, multimedia installations, and even participate in an art residency. In the space, archival images and retro cameras are juxtaposed with modern exhibitions and digital projects.
Vladimir Vysotsky Museum
On the 2-3 floors of the Vysotsky Business Center there is a memorial museum dedicated to the life and work of the legendary poet and actor. The exhibition opened in 2013 and covers more than 1,000 square meters. The collection includes personal belongings of the artist, rare photographs, posters, notes, letters, as well as the original Mercedes-Benz W116 car owned by Vysotsky.
One of the central objects of the museum is a realistic full-length wax figure of the poet. The permanent exhibition is complemented by temporary exhibitions and new artifacts from private collections and family archives. The museum is considered one of the largest in Russia dedicated to Vysotsky.
Sverdlovsk Film Studio — Cinema House
The Sverdlovsk Film Studio has been operating since 1943 and is considered the main center of film production in the Urals. Hundreds of films have been shot here, from feature films to documentaries and animations. Many of them were included in the golden fund of Russian cinema.
The Cinema House appeared in 1983 and has become an important cultural venue in Yekaterinburg. Rare films are shown here, festivals, meetings with directors and creative workshops are held. A cozy cinema hall with a special atmosphere and a poster outside of mass distribution is a favorite place for connoisseurs of auteur cinema.
Sverdlovsk State Drama Theater
One of the main theaters in Yekaterinburg and the oldest stage in the city. There are both classical productions and modern plays. The theater is known for its strong cast and vibrant productions, so the performances are sold out.
The theater building is located in the center, 2 km from the Novotel Yekaterinburg Center. It is convenient to stop by the evening performance after a walk along the embankment and feel the cultural atmosphere of Yekaterinburg.
Yekaterinburg History Museum
One of the best routes to explore the city for the first time is a walk through its past. The Yekaterinburg History Museum was opened in 1940 as the Yakov Sverdlov House Museum. In 1995, it received its current name and became the museum of the city's history.
His collections contain more than 74,000 exhibits, from archaeological finds to rare photographs, documents and household items. The permanent exhibition shows how the city has changed from the 18th century to the present, and temporary exhibitions and festivals bring the past to life through cinema, street actions and joint projects with the townspeople.
What to eat in Yekaterinburg: Ural cuisine and international dishes
Speaking of what you should definitely visit in Yekaterinburg, you should pay attention not only to the architecture and museums, but also to the restaurants of the city. The Urals has always been famous for its hearty and varied cuisine.
It is based on what nature gives: meat, fish, wild plants, root vegetables and mushrooms. The main gastronomic asset is Ural dumplings stuffed with a mixture of several types of meat. They are served with broth, sour cream or butter. It is equally interesting to try game dishes such as venison, duck, and rabbit, as well as seasonal snacks made from pickles and pickled mushrooms. Such treats are offered both in author's restaurants and in democratic establishments.
But in Yekaterinburg it is easy to find establishments with different cuisines from all over the world: from pan-Asian to Middle Eastern. There are many cafes with vegetarian menus and breakfasts at any time of the day.
The Olive Lounge, a restaurant at the Novotel Center Hotel, will be a convenient place to explore local and international tastes. The menu takes into account the gastronomic preferences of guests from all over the world. It serves classic European dishes like beef stroganoff, pasta with shrimp or salmon steak, as well as local pork and beef dumplings, pike chops, and Ural—style skoblinka. During the day, you can stop by for breakfast, a business lunch or a leisurely a la carte dinner.
Pay attention to the gastronomic evenings — they are regularly held in the restaurant. On such days, guests can try a special menu consisting of several dishes, from appetizers to desserts, accompanied by drinks and live music. Sometimes the program includes quizzes or master classes from the boss. This is a good reason to arrange a small celebration and get acquainted with the cuisine of the establishment in an unusual format.
Seasons in the big city: what makes Yekaterinburg beautiful in winter and summer
The capital of the Urals is beautiful at any time of the year — you just need to choose the right route. In summer, the city comes to life: music plays in parks, people walk along the embankments until the evening, and the pond in the center turns into one of the most photogenic locations. During the warm season, it is especially pleasant to discover the most beautiful places in Yekaterinburg — to look into the green Arboretum Park, go to the picturesque Lake Shartash, sit by the water with a view of the city lights.
Everything changes in winter. The city is decorated with garlands, and the main Christmas tree is being installed on the Dam. An ice town with a skating rink, ice sculptures and attractions is being built on 1905 square.
Accor hotels are comfortable to relax in, regardless of the season. In the summer, you leave the hotel lobby and you are already in the heart of the city, among the embankments, parks and streets with history. And in winter it is especially pleasant to return to the warmth: relax in the hammam, drink something warming, recover in the gym or a cozy relaxation room.
Results
Yekaterinburg is a city at the junction of Europe and Asia, where history does not displace modernity, but complements it. Monumental facades are juxtaposed with graffiti, constructivism with high-tech, and merchant architecture with business districts. Contrasts do not argue, but create a multi-layered and integral image of the city: lively, original, real.
To make your trip to the capital of the Urals comfortable, choose Accor. Then all the most interesting things — museums, restaurants, sights — will be literally on the doorstep.
