Tula
Introduction
Tula sits in the northern part of the Central Russian Upland, on the banks of the Upa River, a tributary of the Oka, roughly 193 kilometres south of Moscow. As the administrative centre of Tula Oblast, it is the region's largest city and a natural stop for travellers moving between the capital and points further south.
The city spreads along the Upa, and its position on the upland gives it the feel of a substantial provincial centre rather than a suburb of Moscow. Use it as a base for exploring the surrounding oblast, or as a convenient break on a longer journey through central Russia.
Before you go
Tula is older than Moscow, and its character was shaped first as a frontier outpost and southern fort of the Grand Duchy of Muscovy, when a brick-walled kremlin was built. It later stood through the siege of Khan Devlet Geray and became an epicentre of the Time of Troubles, so a visit here is as much about layers of history as about the city you see today.
Since Peter the Great ordered the establishment of a modern weapons factory, Tula has been known above all as an industrial ironworking centre. Its locally made weapons, machine tools, samovars, accordions and pryaniki (gingerbread cakes) are reputed to be of the highest quality, and seeking them out is a good way to orient your trip before you arrive.
Getting there
Tula is served by two railway stations. Moskovsky Vokzal (Tula-1-Kurskaya) sits on Ulitsa Puteyskaya in the western part of the city, while Ryazhsky Vokzal (Tula-Vyazemskaya) is on Ulitsa Ryazhskaya. Trains arrive from Moscow, a journey of roughly two to three and a half hours, as well as from Oryol and Kaluga. Which station you use depends on where your train originates, so check your ticket before setting out.Getting around
Tula is compact, and much of the central area and its main sights can be covered on foot, so walking is a practical way to link the centre with nearby attractions. For longer distances, or when the weather turns, the city's road-based network fills the gaps: buses cover routes across the city, trolleybuses run on overhead wires where they serve, and marshrutkas — shared minibuses on fixed routes — are often more frequent and flexible than the larger buses. These modes connect the railway stations, the city centre and the main visitor areas. Tickets are typically bought from the driver or conductor on board, so keep small change handy.
Taxis are readily available and convenient, especially if you arrive at a station with luggage or are heading outside the main public transport corridors; you can book by phone with Taxi Visit (360-360) or Taxi Volga (370-370), or use a ride-hailing app, which saves speaking Russian on the phone — confirm availability locally when you arrive. If you come by rail, check before setting out whether your train uses Moskovsky Vokzal on Ulitsa Puteyskaya in the west of the city, the likelier station if arriving from Moscow, or Ryazhsky Vokzal on Ulitsa Ryazhskaya, as they are in different parts of the city. Note that Klokovo is a military airbase rather than a civilian airport, so most visitors reach the area by air via Moscow and continue by train or road.
Where to stay
Mid-range options cluster around the city centre and the main station. The History Hotel on Shuhov Street is a Western-style property with rooms in several classes, plus a sauna, a pool and a cafe-bar. Right opposite the Moskovsky Vokzal, the Moskva Hotel is the most convenient base if you arrive or leave by train, with single, double, studio and apartment layouts to choose from. For something quieter, the Inshinka Spa lies outside Tula and pairs its rooms with spa and sauna facilities, a pool and a solarium.
- History Hotel (История), 24 Shuhov St — rooms of various classes, sauna, pool, cafe-bar
- Moskva Hotel, 3 Puteyskaya St — opposite the Moskovsky Vokzal; singles, doubles, studios and apartments
- Inshinka Spa (Иншинка-SPA), 23 Inshinsky — outside the city; spa, sauna, pool and solarium
If you want to stay outside the city entirely, the Grumant sits about 20 km away along the Moscow–Crimea highway, with a spa, bowling, a pool and a restaurant among its facilities.
Food & drink
The source material for Tula contains no information on where or what to eat and drink, so there is nothing to describe in this section.What to see and do
The Tula Kremlin anchors the city's sights, built in a perfectly rectangular shape unusual for Russian medieval fortresses and never stormed or conquered in five centuries. Inside its nine-tower rampart you'll find two cathedrals and several museums, including the Museum of Guns with its cannons, rifles, sabres and pistols, the Museum of Samovars in the old town near the walls, and the Tula Art Museum with Russian icons, metal-plastic art and European classics. Among the towers, look for the 16th-century Naugolnaya tower at the northwest corner, the Ivanovskaya (Taynitskaya) tower at the northeast corner, and the 15th-century Spasskaya Tower. Elsewhere in the city, the Tula's Gingerbread Museum on Oktyabrskaya Ulitsa teaches you how to make the Tula-style gingerbread cake, and the 1842 Transfiguration Church on Mendeleevskaya Ulitsa stands in the Russian classicism style on the site of the ancient church of St. Nicholas the Miracle Worker. For open-air time, the City Garden of Kremlin sits just east of the fortress, and the Central Park of Belousov offers another green escape. The Circus on Sovietskaya Ulitsa dates from 1963. If your visit coincides with it, the annual two-day Gladiator's Cup Tournament at Club Vityas on Belousova Street stages a battle at the walls of a wooden fort.Three days in Tula
Day one: Start in Tula itself, getting your bearings in the city on the Central Russian Upland. Walk down to the Upa River, which runs through the city, and take in the waterfront before turning to the older streets. The city's story runs deep, from the Grand Duchy and Muscovy through the Time of Troubles, when Khan Devlet Geray threatened the region, and since Peter the Great it has grown into a substantial Russian city. Use your first day simply to settle in and get a feel for the place.
Day two: Give the day to the river and the wider landscape. The Upa is a tributary of the Oka, and following it out of the city shows you the countryside of Tula Oblast. If you want to explore further afield, trains from Moskovsky Vokzal, Kurskaya, Ulitsa Puteyskaya, Ryazhsky Vokzal, Vyazemskaya and Ulitsa Ryazhskaya connect Tula with Oryol, Kaluga and Moscow. Tickets are easy to arrange, and taxis such as Taxi Visit and Taxi Volga can fill the gaps. Note that Klokovo is the city's airfield if you are arriving or leaving by air.
Day three: Return to Tula for a last look at the city before you go. Revisit the Upa where it crosses the centre, and use the remaining time to take in the streets you have not yet seen. If your journey continues, the rail stations and taxis make the onward trip straightforward, whether you are heading to Moscow or deeper into Tula Oblast.