The Moscow Region can offer a lot to see as it is closely connected with Russian capital in historical and economic senses. Monasteries and churches, as well as estates of aristocracy, have preserved the brightest artistic and cultural achievements of Russia. Old towns of the Moscow Region have always been in the center of tourism and warm hospitality has become a good tradition here.

Maybe the most delightful moment in traveling around the Moscow Region is that it has a lot of hotels and wonderful recreational areas equipped with everything needed for having a great time. These suburban hotels are gradually becoming more and more popular among the Muscovites as holiday destinations, where they can play sports, enjoy leisure activities and spa treatments, whose array depends only on the level and price of the chosen hotel.

However, if you are interested in culture as well as in a good rest, you can easily combine one with another, as most of the local recreation centers are situated close to museum-estates, or monasteries, or some other famous buildings and sites. Their special atmosphere has preserved Russian cultural heritage for several centuries. Among the ones definitely worth paying a visit are the estates of Kuskovo, Arkhangelskoye, and Abramtsevo.

Kuskovo and Arkhangelskoye were the centers of aristocratic life and western lifestyle, while places like Abramtsevo have a different atmosphere and show the Russian life of the period at a different angle.

However, one of the most enchanting features of the Moscow Region is its traditional arts and crafts. If you are planning to travel around the region be sure not to miss a chance to visit at least some of its small artisan towns and villages. Gifted handicraftsmen will be glad to demonstrate their works to the guests. And the most pleasant thing about such trips is that every visitor will have a chance to find a unique souvenir at a reasonable price. Among the world-famous crafts that you are likely to witness in the Moscow Region the most distinctive are Gzhel porcelain, Fedoskino lacquered boxes, Zhostovo trays, and

People

The region has a population of nearly 7 million people, 5 million of whom live in cities. There are 74 cities in the Moscow Obast of which 56 are under regional jurisdiction and 15 have populations of more than 100 000. The average population density is 142 people per km sq.

Moscow Region is one of Central Russia's most industrialized regions with a well-developed agricultural industry and high scientific potential. More than 40 research and educational institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences, more than 70 specialized agricultural institutions, and more than 100 institutions of other sectors are concentrated in the Moscow Region. Twenty percent of all Russian scientific organizations are located in the Moscow Region.

The Moscow Region has a well-developed transportation infrastructure, including 2741 km of railways and 12 473 km of highways. Four civil airports and air force airfields with service to nearly every country of the world are located here. Eleven main railway lines with connections to the Moscow Region circumferential railway pass through the region. Waterways include the Moscow-Volga Canal and the navigable Moscow and Oka rivers.

Three ring roads around Moscow in a radius of 50 and 80 km from the city, along with the further development of customs terminals, ensure efficient truck haulage.