http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3926
In winter you can ski or snowboard, ride a snowmobile, drive in a sledge or toboggan, parachute or even go ballooning. In summer there’s bikes, motorcycles, swimming and sunbathing to enjoy.

Moreover, you’ll enjoy the scenery of Russian forests and hills. Get yourself a bunch of wildflowers and breathe fresh air.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3926 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3914
Excellent view of the Moskva River, pleasant river voyages in the summer. Nearby are lots of little places with shashlyk and beer at reasonable prices, but be prepared for long lines.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3914 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3910
Get off the metro at Park Kultury station (Russians know it as Culture Park) and head for the impressive entry gates. After you’ve been on the wheel, go to Krimsky bridge and head for Sculpture Park, off Krimsky Val. This is where the Russian government decided to house the majority of Soviet era statues after 1991, and there are some wonderfully evocative works on show. They're all here - Lenin, Stalin, Dzerzhinsky, Brezhnev. A great place to wander, imagine or just get a few obligatory 'communism shots'. There's a small entry fee, and look out for the hideous/amazing statue of Peter the Great by the river.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3910 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3899
The park is situated opposite the impressive Hotel Cosmos, built for the 1980 Olympics.

Must be seen if you want to get a feel of Stalinist Moscow.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3899 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3893
In Sokolniki (metro Sokolniki) on Sunday afternoons, you can see pensioners dancing outside. Here you can buy shashleeks (kebabs) and drink beer all at a reasonable price and realise that most Russians are neither oligarchs, mafiosi or poverty stricken.

The best park in my view is Bitsevsky Park. This is a large forested area at least 10 km by 4 km in the southern part of the city. It is easy to get lost amidst the trees and the ravines, but you’ll eventually emerge at the bottom of a downhill ski run, a cross county skiing area, or by a spring where Russians are collecting spring water. You’ll see ordinary Russians playing chess and volleyball or relaxing with a barbeque or picnic.

There are many more parks in Moscow. A tourist who has no time to explore at least one will miss an opportunity to get behind the headlines and see reality.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3893 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3860
You can also take in the iconic monument to space exploration, a spectacular shard of metal topped with a B-movie space ship, which is just outside the park at the metro station.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3860 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11