There is a fabulous place for holiday making not far away from Moscow: Zavidovo. Here land and water seem to join together as the charming Shosha River flows into the great Volga. Comfortable two-storey cottages for guests are scattered over the vast area: Finnish wooden cottages, Slovenian countryside houses, log houses in the Northern Russian style, and Swiss-style chalets. Behind the bucolic exterior of the houses there hide every modern convenience one can think of, such as closed verandas, fireplaces, saunas and kitchens with the most updated gadgets.

But however nice and comfortable the cottages' insides may be, what lies outside their walls is even more attractive for the guests; fascinating landscapes, primordially pure air and a wide range of options ensuring you enjoy yourself in a big way. Outside it is as nice in summer as in winter.

To a true hunter Zavidovo's surrounding forests offer grand opportunities to add more to his collection of trophies. The elk, wild boar, fox, and hare hunting is exceptionally good, taking into account the area's proximity to the agglomeration of Moscow. The guests, naturally, can always rely on the assistance of the most experienced huntsmen.

Any guest may associate himself with the fascinating world of hunting in a less I demanding way, too, by visiting the hunting Shosha Restaurant. You could listen to a hundred stories about how good its cuisine is, yet maybe it's best just to go there and enjoy it yourself. Tasting is believing.

If shooting animals appears too blood-thirsty a pleasure for you, yet you feel like checking your marksmanship all the same, you could try your hand at clay-pigeon shooting, the way professional marksmen do.

Riding a horse or driving in a horse-driven sledge will give you a thrill you won't forget; and after such an excursion you may always "feel the difference" by riding a snowmobile. Skiing aficionados may go skiing amidst the natural marvels of winter forests, too.

A sauna or a Turkish bath are especially joyful after a day full of exercise. If you feel like trying a jolly good steam bath in the Russian style, with an ice-hole nearby, you may do so, too, at a bathhouse at the Shosha River.

But what if the weather won't be good enough? Don't despair! The world of Zavidovo is so diverse in the opportunities it offers that you just could not be bored. You may try your hand at playing a variety of indoor sports (from tennis to chess) at the sports complex. There is a tropical swimming pool, too, and a fitness gym.

Such is the Zadidovo holiday-making centre, a place about which the old saying is true indeed: seeing is believing.

(“Moscow today & tomorrow”. December / 2002)