Russia's beautiful and low-key small city, once the ancient capital of Russia.

As we all know, Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia, and the political, economic, and cultural center of the whole country. Most tourists who travel to Russia will visit Moscow. However, in the history of Russia, Moscow is not the oldest or most profound place, and the birthplace of the country's historical culture is in some small towns around Moscow. To the east of Moscow, there are many small towns in the Volga River and Kryazhima River basin. Although they are not well-known on tourist maps, they are the "golden land" for Russia, where the country's history and culture originated. This series of small towns distributed in a ring are called the "Golden Ring Towns" and are a classic route for tourism in Russia. In the town of Golden Ring, Vladimir is quite famous. It is located about 200 kilometers northeast of Moscow and covers an area of about 30,000 square kilometers. The historical heritage here is much older and deeper than Moscow, making it a brilliant pearl in the long history of Russia. Vladimir has a special geographical location, located in the center of European Russia, and was once the capital of ancient Russia in history. This small city was built in the early 12th century and was the capital, political and religious center of the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality. In 1299, after the Kiev Rus Metropolitan moved to Vladimir, Vladimir became the true capital of Russia. However, the good times did not last long, and in 1328, the capital was moved again, and the capital of Russia was moved to Moscow. As a historical and cultural ancient city, Vladimir naturally attracts many tourists to explore the accumulation and charm of Russia. From Moscow, you can take a train or bus and arrive in three hours. However, for independent travelers who do not speak Russian, taking public transportation is a challenge due to the low English proficiency rate in Russia. Vladimir preserves many historical buildings, such as churches, arches, palaces, and monasteries, all of which are national treasures of Russia. Among them, the Assumption Cathedral is the most famous. This cathedral was built in 1160 and has a history of more than 860 years. It is the oldest surviving church in Russia. The Assumption Cathedral is all white, with a golden "onion head" dome and towering bell towers. It was the place where Russian tsars were crowned from the 12th to the 15th century. Located next to the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the Cathedral of St. Demetrius has a similar but unique appearance with pure white walls and golden domes, elegant and exquisite, known as the "epic on white limestone". At the same time, both cathedrals are listed as world cultural heritage sites and are the pride of the Russian people. In the surrounding area, there is a church square where lush trees, green grass, and colorful flowers are everywhere. The square has a wide view, and standing there, you can see a vast plain in the distance. The buildings and church spires with ups and downs are hidden in the dense forest, making it a great place to enjoy the sunset. In the afternoon and evening, locals come here to take a walk, ride a bike, sit and chat, and bask in the sun, showing the leisurely and peaceful slow life everywhere.

Vladimir

Vladimir Vladimir is located about 190 kilometers northeast of Moscow, even older than Moscow, and is known as a gem of ancient Russian culture. Vladimir is beautiful and peaceful, and is a golden ring town on the world-famous tourist route. It is usually the first stop for travelers to start the Golden Ring tour. There are many ancient monuments here, such as the Golden Gate, the Cathedral of the Assumption, the Cathedral of St. Demetrius, and the Church of the Intercession at the Nerl River mouth, which are listed as world cultural heritage.

Built in the 12th century, the Church of St. Demetrius is the most beautiful church in Vladimir and is world famous. Built with white limestone and small windows, it is a traditional Russian building type. Because the texture of limestone is soft and easy to engrave, the walls are engraved with scenes of animals, plants and hunting. It is the only church in this type of building that has a carved appearance. It is characterized by the construction of four pillar tower churches under a dome. The structure of the building is rigorous and evenly proportioned. The front of the church is decorated with sculptures and patterns. The whole church is magnificent. The interior of the church is painted with murals, the "Dooms of the Last Judgment" (12th-century works) by Guros and Byzantine painters. This church has also become a "stone poem", "stone carpet" and so on. Instead of using traditional bricks, it uses easy-to-process limestone as a building material. It can be said that it is an art building that gives the craftsmen the imagination and skills to get twelve points. In addition, the craftsmen who came from Europe also participated in the construction, so they also incorporated the Romanesque style. Among the reliefs, the biggest or most striking is David (the ancient king of Israel) who appeared in the Old Testament. He is happily playing the harp on the window in the center of the three sides. It also portrays the image of King Alexander, the king of Solomon, and the king of Vladimir, who ordered the construction of the church. The duke faces the north wall and holds the son on the left side.