Lodging 24 hours Reservations via e-mail, fax phone Continental breakfast 24-hour bars and buffets TV, fridges E-mail Internet service International fax and telephone Hairdresser's Laundry Airport train stations pick up Sightseeing with a personal guide Air train tickets Travel arrangements in other cities Free safe deposit for valuables Free luggage storage Guarded parking

At different times Moscow had different observation platforms. Since 1967 the best observation point in Moscow has been the Ostankino TV tower (the observation platform placed at the height of 337 m). The tower can be seen from any corner of the city, it is an architectural center of the TV and Radio complex, the foundation of which was laid on April 22, 1964. It took a little more then three years to build the tower; 35 scientific research design institutions developed metal and concrete components for it. Newspapers extensively covered the progress; in spring 1967 the tower became higher than Empire State Building in New York. The tower is about 560 m high. Its weight is 51,400 tons. Now you can enjoy the view of Moscow by going up to the observation platform of the tower. It was recently reconstructed after the fire happened in August of 2000, which has destroyed the most inner part of the tower. The Ostankino Palace-Estate. (5 First Ostankinskaya street, near VDNKh metro station) is the estate and park of Counts Sheremetev. The village of this name has been known since the middle of the 16th century; in the 17th century Ostankino village was owned by Princes Cherkassky, and from the mid-18th century by Counts Sheremetev. The ensemble of the estate was planned by Count Sheremetev as a recreation palace and theatre. The wooden palace designed by Francesco Camporessi was built by serf architect P. Argunov in the style of late classicism from 1791 to 1798; in addition to its columned portico, it is decorated with moulded sculptural relieves. The main building of the palace with a theatre and a suite of ceremonial rooms, richly decorated with ceiling frescoes, moulding, inlaid parquet floors, carved gilded and wooden lamps and crystal chandeliers, works of art and sculptures by Russian and European masters, is connected by low galleries with side pavilions. The Egyptian Pavilion was intended for music concerts and dances and the Italian Pavilion with a graceful rotunda facing the park for receptions. Ostankino had the best serf theatre in Moscow. Italian and Russian operas and ballets were staged there; they impressed the visitors with high professionalism of actors, by splendor and wealth of stage settings. The best serf opera actress of the theatre was Praskovya Zhemchugova who became the legitimate wife of Count Sheremetev, which met with misunderstanding and shocked high society. In memory of Zhemchugova, who died soon after child birth, Count Sheremetev founded an almshouse in Moscow. Next to the Ostankino palace there is a brick building of the St. Trinity Church, built in the Moscow Baroque style at the end of the 17th century. Next to the estate palace a formal garden and a landscaped park have been partially preserved (became a city recreation park in 1932). It was created to a design by serf architect A. Mironov in 1793. A large park and a 200-year-old oak grove from the center of the landscaped park. There are old Slaves burial mounds of the 11th-13th centuries on the territory of the park. Now the palace houses the Ostankino Museum-Estate formed in 1918 as a palace-museum of serf art. Italian Pavilion is open for visitors from 10 am to 3 pm from May 18 to September 1 (closed Mon, rainy and high humidity days ). Tel.: 286-6288. All-Russia Exhibition Center. (former VDNKh, VDNKh metro station) is a huge exhibition area, which was opened in June of 1959. Two kilometers long and 1 km wide, it is composed of wide pedestrian avenues and numerous pavilions (more than 78). It glorified every aspect of Socialist construction from education and health to agriculture, technology and science. The original architectural image of the exhibition was formed by creating the main USSR and Soviet republics pavilions, each built in a corresponding national architectural style. Worth noting are the Friendship pf People and Stone Flower fountains designed in so called Stalin Baroque style with opulent ornamentation, excessive architectural details and pretentious monumentalism, and the famous sculpture of V. Muhina A worker and a collective farmer, one of the symbols of the soviet time. At present the exhibition functions as a recreation center, a big shopping area, and an exhibition site. The main entrance, 500 meters from prospect Mira is approached by its own imposing avenues from hotel Cosmos and VDNKh metro station. The soaring 100-metre titanium obelisk beside VDNKh metro station is a monument to Soviet space flights. In its base is the Cosmonautics Museum. Open daily from 10 am to 7 pm except Mon and last Fri of the month. Botanical Garden 360 hectares of ground hold 12,000 species of flora from every continent. Arboretum, rose garden, tropical conservatory, Japanese garden. Open 10 am till 7 pm

The metro (i.e. subway/underground) is the easiest and most reliable way to get around Moscow. It operates from 5:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Trains run at intervals 2-5 minutes. Its layout is very simple: ten radial lines are joined together by a circular line. Each radial line has its own name and color on the map, and you can get from practically any station to another with a maxi- mum of two transfers. Metro stations are marked with the large letter 'M. To pay for your ride, buy a magnetic card at the sta- tion ticket office and insert it into the slot of one of the automatic gates. The fare for any length trip (whether you make one or two transfers) is 4 rubles for one-trip ticket. You can save money by buying magnetic cards for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 30 or 60 trips for 3 rubles a trip. In every car there are several colored metro maps, above the doors is a diagram with the names (in Russian and English) of the stops of the line you are on (the diagram has the color of the line). The loud speaker announces (in Russian) the next coming stop and the stop you are on. Be careful: the doors close and open automatically! Each station has a police post, a first-aid station and local telephones. Plastic cards for telephones can be bought at the metro station ticket office.

Transsib with Stopovers. From Moscow for Irkutsk you can leave every odd date by train #10, and also four days a week by trains #4 (Tue), #6 (Wed Thu), #20 (Fri). Duration is approx. 82 hrs - From Irkutsk to Ulaan Baatar You can get daily by train #264 and also three times a week by trains #4 (Sat), #6 (Sun Mon). #4 #6 leave Irkutsk 8:46 am, #264 leave Irkutsk 8:10 pm - There are few trains a week from Ulaan Baatar to Beijing (Mongolian Chinese local trains), but in Moscow we can provide reservation only for train #4 (Sun) and #24 (Thu). The trains leave Ulaan Baatar 8:50 am. Each stopover during your trip (you can make as many stopovers as you wish - in Yaroslavl, Ekaterinburg, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Ulan Ude, etc.) costs additional $20 to the direct ticket price*. Discount for round trip ticket - 15%. The Trans-Siberian Trains. The Trans-Manchurian Express (train #19/20) goes from Moscow across Siberia to Lake Baikal, then branching east, around the ancient borders of Mongolia via Harbin, to Beijing (9000 km in total). This train is serviced by Russian Railways. #20, dep. Moscow 10:26 pm (Fri), arr. Beijing 5:30** am (next Fri) #19, dep. Beijing 11:10 pm (Sat), arr. Moscow 6:09 pm (next Fri). The Trans-Mongolian Express (train #3/4) is serviced by rolling stock and staff of Chinese Railways. Cutting over 1000 km off the Trans-Manchurian (7867 km), the 'new' route to China was built in the Soviet times. The train goes around Lake Baikal, stops in Ulan Ude and then turns down to Ulaan Baatar and further to Beijing. #4, dep. Moscow 11:42 pm (Tue), arr. Beijing 3:33 pm (next Mon) #3, dep. Beijing 7:40 am (Wed), arr. Moscow 2:10 pm (next Mon). 'Rossiya' Express (train #1/2) - the Trans-Siberian route to Russian Far East, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok. This famous train offers the best opportunity to travel along the world's longest route (9289 km), with is purely domestic. #2, dep. Moscow 3:26 pm (odd dates), arr. Vladivostok 6:53 am (on the 8th day) #1, dep. Vladivostok 3:14 pm (odd dates), arr. Moscow 5:00 pm (on the 7th day). The Mongolian Express (train #5/6) is an international express-standard train operating twice a week between Moscow and Ulaan Baatar along the Trans-Mongolian route (6306 km). The trains are serviced by staff of Russian Railways (once a week) as well as by Mongolian staff (the other time). #6, dep. Moscow 11:42 pm (Wed Thu), arr. Ulaan Baatar 8:15 am (next Mon Tue) #5, dep. Ulaan Baatar 1:50 pm (Mon Tue), arr. Moscow 2:10 pm (next Fri Sat). The 'Baikal' Express (train #9/10) is one of the best trains in Russia, operating between Moscow and Irkutsk (5193 km). Many travelers use it for multi-stop itineraries and especially for Lake Baikal leisure tours. #10, dep. Moscow 9:29 pm (odd dates), arr. Irkutsk 8:04 am (on the 5th day) #9, dep. Irkutsk 1:55 pm (odd dates), arr. Moscow 3:17 pm (on the 4th day). * E.g. if you go from Moscow to Beijing with stopovers in Irkutsk and Ulaan Baatar, the price for the whole trip will be: Moscow - Beijing direct ticket price + $20 + $20 * * Arrival and departure times are local Timetable may change - check it in advance! *** We offer 10% discounts for Moscow - St. Petersburg Moscow - Novgorod train tickets for RYHA card holders

Hostel TRAMP is a Moscow hostel operating from the beginning of the year 2001. The Hostel is located in the picturesque quiet park zone within one hour driving from the international airport Sheremetievo-2, 5 minutes walk from the metro station Botanicheskiy Sad (Botanical Garden) and 15 minutes from the city center by metro. We provide departure and arrival transfers, taxi service, sightseeing with English speaking guides, etc. Experienced English speaking staff will help to solve any problem you meet. Reservation of accommodation in other cities. Train tickets to any point of Russia, CIS countries and Europe. Trans-Siberian, Trans-Mongolian, Trans-Manchurian routes. Our partners in St. Peterburg, Irkutsk, and other popular Russian cities will provide you with a wide choice of travel arrangements. Please, contact us by e-mail for any questions - we'll be happy to help you!

 Luggage storage
 Credit cards accepted
 Facsimile services
 Games room
 Hairdresser's saloon
 Heating
 Access to internet
 Laundry services/washing machine
 Licensed bar
 Around-the-clock recetpion
 Parking lot
 Fridge
 Safe deposit box
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Phone at reception
 TV sets in rooms