Sp Slavgorodsmall towns, unhurried: a travel journal

An independent journal about trips to small towns. We do not sell tours or tickets, do not organise group purchases and are not connected with the former website on this domain. Check timetables and visiting rules with the transport operators and the venues themselves.

Routes

Routes around a small town

A route around a small town is not a list of must-see spots but a sequence in which the streets themselves lead you to the next place. Here are three sample routes: instead of addresses they use types of places, and the order is designed for walking at a relaxed pace.

If you covered less ground than planned but got talking to locals twice, the day was a success.

— From the editors

How this section works: a route is included if it can be done on foot, has room for a rest and a snack, and any stop can be skipped without spoiling the whole idea of the day.

One day in the old centre

A classic walk for getting to know a town for the first time.

Stops: 6 on foot, from a morning arrival to an evening departure

  1. Railway station or bus station

    Before heading into town, check straight away where and when the return service leaves. Take a look at the building too: stations in old towns often keep traces of past eras.

  2. Main square

    The heart of the old centre is usually easy to find by its church, its arcades of shops or the building of the former town hall. Stand here for a few minutes and get your bearings on where the streets lead.

  3. Local museum

    It is best to visit the museum in the morning: afterwards the town reads quite differently, and the attendants sometimes point out which houses deserve a closer look.

  4. Old streets

    Turn off the main street into the side streets. That is where carved window frames, wooden gates and quiet lanes survive, and they are what many people come for.

  5. Lunch and the market

    Have lunch where the locals eat, then wander through the market. You can try home baking, honey or berries there and hear how people talk in these parts.

  6. Viewpoint

    End the day somewhere high: by a church on a hill, at the edge of a park or on a bluff. From there the town comes together into a single picture you will want to take home with you.

A riverside town

A day in which the main landmark is the water.

Stops: 5 on foot along the bank, best in the warm season

  1. Morning on the embankment

    Early in the morning it is quiet by the water: anglers, mist, the first passers-by. This is the best time to sense how the town is bound up with its river.

  2. Old pier or bridge

    Piers, crossings and bridges say a lot about a town's history: goods and people once came here by water. Pause and look at how the riverbank was built up over time.

  3. Riverside streets

    Climb up from the water along one of the streets leading to the centre. Houses by the river are often older than the rest and were built with spring floods in mind.

  4. A break in the centre

    Rest, have lunch, drop into the museum or library. The water is not going anywhere, and your feet will thank you.

  5. Evening on the bank

    Towards sunset, return to the river from the other side. Evening light on the water and the silhouettes of rooftops make a fine ending to an unhurried day.

Two days: the town and its surroundings

For when you want to see not only the centre but also what lies around it.

Stops: 5 with an overnight stay, first day in town, second beyond it

  1. Day one: the centre

    Walk the old centre without hurrying: the square, the museum, the streets, the market. In the evening, ask your hosts or the museum staff what is worth seeing nearby.

  2. Evening stroll

    Once the day visitors have left, a small town truly becomes itself. Walk along the lit streets and sit for a while in a small park.

  3. Morning: out into the surroundings

    Devote the second day to a neighbouring village, a monastery, a spring or a forest trail. Find out in advance how to get there and, above all, how to get back.

  4. Nature or a country estate

    Outside town the pace is slower still: fields, old parks, village churches. Bring water and a snack, as there may be no shops along the way.

  5. Return with time to spare

    Plan your journey home so that you are not racing for the last service. Spare time turns the end of the trip into a calm farewell rather than a dash.

How to tailor a route to yourself

  • Put the museum and other indoor visits in the first half of the day, and save walks for good light and sunset
  • Leave one empty slot in the route for a chance discovery
  • Ask locals for directions: sometimes that is how the most interesting conversation begins
  • If the weather turns, swap the street walk and the museum around
  • Mark the way back to the station on your map in advance, not at the last moment
  • Do not try to see everything: a small town is better walked slowly than covered completely
  • Destinations

    History, nature, crafts, architecture and water: how to choose a small town that matches your interests.

  • What to see

    Local museum, church, high street, market, viewpoint, park and station: how to make the most of each.

  • Getting there

    Train, intercity bus and car: the pros, the weak spots and why the timetable is worth checking twice.

Sources

  • The journal's editorial materials

Information reflects the situation on the date of preparation. Timetables, opening hours and visiting rules in small towns change without much notice, so check them with the transport operators and the venues themselves shortly before you travel.