TrailTrack routes

Explore two surviving directions of the Metropolitan Road, see Dmitrovskoye’s Church of St Demetrius from the road side, and walk from village surroundings into woodland. The former metropolitan estate’s history relates to an actual old passage followed here, beyond accounts of distant monuments.

Explore the Metropolitan Road in modest independent portions: from Dmitrovskoye’s village setting and actual old church to western woodland passages. It suits visitors interested in understanding the historical direction who choose a convenient section, approach and return beforehand.

Spend a substantial independent running day between suburban rail and the Moscow metro. The places follow their own sequence: Ilyinskoye’s Baroque church, Bykov Pond, Lake Generalskoye, woodland streams and Mitino’s historic side. A pause by the lake gives the two halves of the long journey distinct moods.

Choose a woodland day with distinct historical and riverside stops: look at the church in Luzhki, pause beside the Istra, and reach the Storozhka valley and Dyutkovo. These places combine well with a separately arranged Taneyev Museum visit. A carefully chosen accessible section with a clear return plan will make a more rewarding day without the unresolved railway crossing.

Travel from small ponds to a large river, then return to quieter woodland valleys. Semin and Bykov ponds invite brief stops, the Lipka suits a separately chosen snack break, and the Moscow River crossing gives a sense of the journey’s scale. Different railway endpoints let the day finish on another side of the region.

Run from Povarovo towards Istra through actually visited parts of Polevshchinsky Forest. The western Chermet bend and southern woodland continuation give this version its own shape, while finishing on the Riga railway side allows a return by public transport.

Spend an active day travelling from a suburban railway station to the Moscow metro, with different places to discover along the way. St Sergius and St Elijah churches provide architectural pauses, Semin and Bykov ponds offer waterside stops, and the woodland glades change the mood. The smiling Khoja Nasreddin makes a recognisable meeting point after a substantial run.

Discover how western Moscow’s woodland belts connect through small river valleys and the broad Moscow River. Bykov Pond and the Petrovo-Dalneye bridge provide waterside pauses, the Medvenka offers a quieter woodland setting, and Malevich Park adds contemporary art. Once access and alternatives are checked, these places can form a rewarding long training outing with different starting and finishing points.