Saratov Travel Guide, Russia

Saratov is a port on the Volga River and an important urban area in southern Russia. With a multiethnic population including Russians, Tatars, Jews, Ukrainians and Germans, Saratov is a notable industrial, scientific and cultural centre.

Saratov Travel Guide – Interesting Facts and Figures

The last census indicated that Saratov had 878 900 inhabitants, which make it the fifteenth largest city in Russia. Saratov has more than 10 academic institutions, 21 research institutes and 19 project institutes. The name of the city is supposed to be derived from the Tatar “Sary Tau” (yellow mountain). Many Russian artists, scientists, philosophers and writers had been born or lived in Saratov: painter Aleksey Bogolyubov, aircraft designer Oleg Antonov, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, writers Mikhail Bulgakov and Aleksandr Radishchev. Any respectable Saratov Travel Guide should not forget to mention the fact that Saratov natives affirm with pride they have the most beautiful women in Russia, possibly due to the mix of ethnicities. It is also the city where the first public theatre, the first circus and the first public museum in Russia were inaugurated in late 19th century.

Saratov Travel Guide – Location

Saratov is located in the European part of Russia and stretches along the Volga River for 50 kilometers. The city is divided into six districts (Leninskiy, Zavodskoy, Oktyabrskiy, Kirovskiy, Volzhskiy, and Fruzenskiy) and it encompasses many recreational areas like parks, woods and beeches. It is the administrative center of the Saratov-Oblast Region and connects Central Russia with the Urals.

Saratov Travel Guide – Climate

Saratov’s climate could be considered as an excessive continental one, with cold winters and very hot summers. Due to the recent global climate changes though, Saratov’s weather has become warmer, with rain taking the place of snow in the first months of winter. But temperatures still go bellow -25ºC in winter, when the Volga freezes, and go up to 35ºC in torrid summer days. There are a lot of rainy days in Saratov, especially in summer, when the weather is rather instable.

Saratov Travel Guide – Transport

There are no direct international flights to Saratov Tsentralny Airport, so the most frequented air routes make a stop in Moskow (you might want to stop here for a few days and enjoy some Moscow Sights or the Moscow Nightlife) or Saint Petersburg. Nevertheless, there is a good connection to Moscow by train (and even to Warsaw and Berlin) and also some direct bus routes Moscow-Saratov and back. It is important to remember when making your transportation choices that Russia spreads across 12 time zones, so a train journey between Moscow and Saratov will take about 17 hours, while the plane will get there in 2h; nevertheless, many Saratov Travel Guides will recommend the former as the best way to admire the scenery and get familiar with the Russian lifestyle.