In Zapadnodvinskiy District, travel interests range from sports and river trips to wetlands, lakes and historic architecture. If you are looking for a holiday rental, you can start planning by deciding whether nature, sporting activities or culture should be your main focus.
Getting there and sporting activities
The M9 “Moscow–Riga” highway runs through the district. A railway line also passes through Zapadnodvinskiy District, continues into the Baltic states and connects it with Moscow. Check current connections when planning your specific journey.
The “Muchino” sports and recreation centre, which operates year-round, is 12 km from the town of Zapadnaya Dvina. Its ski roller-ski trails have a natural elevation difference of up to 270 metres above sea level. Competitive and recreational athletes from Russia and Belarus use them for training. This makes “Muchino” a distinct sporting destination in the district. Year-round operation describes the centre; check the access arrangements that apply to you before visiting.
The district’s rivers are also among the leisure activities described here: they are popular with kayakers for river trips. The hunting grounds of Zapadnodvinskiy District also contain more than 70 fish-rich lakes regarded as fishing waters. Savinskoye and Vysochert lakes are also home to the water chestnut “Chilim,” which is listed in the Red Book.
Forests, wetlands and lakes
The Okovsky Forest is one of the district’s attractions and is mentioned in the Primary Chronicle. The Velesskaya wetland system offers another aspect of the landscape: a complex forest and wetland ecosystem that is designated a natural monument of the district. Together with the lakes, these features offer a nature-focused theme spanning forest areas, wetland ecology and a particularly notable aquatic plant.
Nikopol Historical Park preserves rare tree species and is designated a protected natural monument of botanical significance. It complements the larger forest and wetland landscapes with a historic park focused on botany. If you plan to visit natural sites, check the relevant access arrangements in advance.
Architecture and regional history
The village of Kochevitsy is home to an architectural ensemble dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. The history of the Church of the Transfiguration goes back further: it was first mentioned in 1540–1541 in the cadastral register of Toropets. In 1775, a new stone church was consecrated on the site of a wooden church. The building has survived to this day and is located near Lake Pesno. If you plan to visit a particular cultural site, it is advisable to check in advance whether visits are possible.
The local history museum, dedicated to the history of the town and district, has two halls. One focuses on regional history and peasant life in Zapadnodvinsky District, and displays prehistoric finds. The second hall covers the Second World War; it displays military objects and photographs from war archives belonging to district residents who took part in the war. The exhibition thus combines regional everyday history and archaeological finds with the history of the war.
Whether your trip focuses primarily on the natural landscape, sporting activities or historic sites, the topics described here offer different starting points for planning.
Discover more destinations: Savostino, Bologoye, Sonkovskiy District, Kalininskiy District, Rzhevsky District, Vesyegonskiy District, Konakovo District, Spirovskiy District.
Go to the overview of the region: Tver Oblast.
