A small inviting city founded by Grand Prince Yuri Dolgorukiy, ruined by the Mongol Tatars and restored by forces of citizens, is the last refuge of Alexander Nevsky. In his honour, a monument was established. The merchant-city Gorodets presented the world with plenty of wooden architecture monuments and got the name The City of Masters.

For a long time, Gorodets remained the centre of wooden ship construction, the leading supplier of grain products, and a settlement for Old Believers. Due to them, monuments of the past have survived, and legends and traditions have not fallen into oblivion.

Today Gorodets is a calm and quiet city with clean streets and ancient houses, a fascinating view of the Volga River, and a whole museum quarter where you learn about the samovar history and try the sweetest gingerbread in Russia.

But the main city sight is a unique complex dedicated to the Russian wooden architecture and folk crafts of the 16-19th centuries. Here, you can see magnificent monuments of ancient architecture such as majestic princely castle, merchant’s mansion, and ordinary peasant huts with traditional interior. Each has a museum exhibition or an authentic functioning workshop where you can see how Gorodets painting, golden embroidery, or the famous local clay toy, Zhbannikovskaya whistle, were created. Besides, in the City of Masters, you can not only watch the creative process of talented masters but take part in captivating master classes on willow weaving or wood carving, pottery, or baking the favourite delicacy of the locals, Gorodets gingerbread. After hard work and a worthy reward of a memorable souvenir, hospitable owners welcome the museum guests to a tea room. What can be more pleasant than drinking fragrant herbal tea with fondant and gingerbread at the end of such an enthralling adventure?