19 Best Things To Do In Ufa, Russia

1. Visit the historic Salavat Yulaev Monument

Built in 1967, this historical monument in Ufa is dedicated to Salavat Yulaev, the Bashkir national hero who was a companion of Emelian Pugachev and part of Pugachev’s Rebellion. The Salavat Yulaev Monument is close to 10 meters (33 feet) tall and weighs around 40 tons (40.6 tonnes). It is located on top of a hill so you are sure to get some good views of the area when you get up close to the monument. The monument was designed by Soslanbek Tavasiev and is represented in the coat of arms of Bashkortostan, a national symbol of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

Salavat Yulaev Monument

Address: Tubinskaya Ulitsa, 3, Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, 450076

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

2. Chill out for an evening at Fountain Seven Girls

While exploring the streets of Ufa, make sure you are don’t miss Fountain Seven Girls located at the heart of the city. It is a lovely place to sit, with a coffee or an ice cream, and admire the statues of seven girls in different poses. In the night, there will be light and sound shows along with the water splashes. Created by Khabibrakhmanov Hanif Mirzagitovich, the fountain was made based on the legend of the seven sisters, who tragically died and ascended to the sky as seven new stars.

Fountain Seven Girls

Address: Lenina Avenue, Ufa, Russia

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

3. Quench your adrenaline rush and have an adventure at Gammy Adventure Rope Park

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

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Gammy Adventure Rope Park is a great place for the entire family. The park features fun courses above the ground with different levels of complexity for both children and adults. The ropes and routes can handle very heavy weights and there will be safety equipment to protect you. Plus, the instructors will always be around to help you out. Though the place is for thrill-seekers, you can also relax in the park or have some food at the nearby restaurant with good views of the river.

Gammy Adventure Rope Park

Address: Mendeleyeva St., 201B, Ufa 450000, Russia

Website: Gammy Adventure Rope Park

Opening hours: 11am - 10pm (daily)

4. Spend a Sunday afternoon with your kids at Monument Mustai Karim

Mustai Karim was a great Bashkir poet. The monument dedicated to him was installed in Ufa in 2013 in front of House of Trade Unions. Having a height of 6 meters (19.7 feet) and length of 15 meters (49 feet), the monument was designed by famous Moscow sculptor Andrei Kovalchuk. The monument was created with the works of the poet in mind and features characters from his books. It is a wonderful monument nobody should miss.

Monument Mustai Karim

Address: Kirova st., 1, Ufa, Russia

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

5. Enjoy a spectacular game of hockey at Ufa-Arena

You don’t have to be a hockey fan or speak Russian to enjoy a thrilling match at Ufa-Arena, an 8,250-seat multi-purpose arena in Ufa. Opened in 2007, Ufa-Arena became the home of the Kontinental Hockey League ice hockey team, Salavat Yulaev Ufa, replacing Ice Palace Salavat Yulaev. The place was the primary venue for the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in 2013. Make a visit and an adrenaline-pumping game part of your Ufa itinerary.

Ufa-Arena

Address: St. Lenin, 114, Ufa, Russia

Website: Ufa-Arena

Opening hours: 7am - 12am (daily)

6. Discover a wide array of flamboyant plant species at Ufa Botanical Garden

Organized in 1932, Ufa Botanical Garden currently has plants from many parts of the world, including North America, Eastern Asia, the Mediterranean area, and it even plants from the Himalayas. At their greenhouse, there are exotic plants from tropical countries. Their lemon garden, from where you can buy seedlings, boasts lemons weighing around a kilogram (2.2 lbs). Ufa Botanical Garden also hosts special plant festivals depending on the season, such as festivals of irises, peonies, and chrysanthemums, where you can check out many flowers and take part in competitions and workshops. And there are birds, fishes, and turtles, too.

Ufa Botanical Garden

Address: Mendeleyeva St., 195/3, Ufa, Russia

Website: Ufa Botanical Garden

Opening hours: 10am - 6pm (daily)

Price: 2 USD

7. Browse through the artifacts at National Museum of the Republic of Bashkortostan

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Started in 1864, the National Museum of the Republic of Bashkortostan features the rich past and present of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Check out the nature of the native land, as well as its archaeology, history, ethnography, and more; you will learn quite a lot about Ufa in a couple of hours. There are a lot of photos, clothes, and even prehistoric animals. They give guided tours, too. The museum currently has 34 exposition and exhibition halls. It is a good place for education and fun, especially for families.

National Museum of the Republic of Bashkortostan

Address: Sovetskaya St., 14, Ufa 450077, Russia

Website: National Museum of the Republic of Bashkortostan

Opening hours: Tue - Fri: 11am - 6pm; Sat: 12pm - 8pm; Sun: 11am - 6pm (closed on Mon)

Price: From 2 USD

8. Explore the colossal Lyalya Tyulpan Mosque (can accommodate up to 1,000 worshippers)

The elegant Lyalya Tyulpan Mosque is one of the largest mosques in Russia and it is visited by thousands of pilgrims and tourists every year. Its name means “Tulip in Bloom”, and the tulip means the coming of spring, awakening, and rebirth for the Bashkirs. The mosque represents a blossoming flower where the 53-meter-tall (174 feeT) twin minarets are young buds. Built between 1990 and 1998, Lyalya Tyulpan Mosque was designed in a modern style by Wakil Davlyatshin.

Lyalya Tyulpan Mosque

Address: Ul Komarova d 5, 450044, Ufa, Russia

Opening hours: 8am - 10pm (daily)

9. Stroll through Victory Park

Opened in 1947, the beautiful Victory Park until 1980 was known as Neftyanik Park. With an area of 62 hectares (153 acres), the park features memorials related to the military and war. There are monuments, statues, artillery guns, and tanks. There are a lot of trees and flower beds in the park; you can relax on the benches or walk around the place and get good views of the Belaya River, too.

Victory Park

Address: Ordzhonikidzevskiy district, on shore of river Belaya, Ufa, Russia

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

10. View the most contemporary paintings at Bashkir State Art Museum

Opened in 1920, Bashkir State Art Museum is one of the oldest museums in Russia. The museum is dedicated to Mikhail Vasilyevich Nesterov, a renowned Russian artist and academician of painting who was also a native of Ufa. Its collection includes works by famous artists such as David Burliuk, Ivan Aivazovsky, Ilya Repin, Mikhail Vrubel, Valentin Serov, Isaac Levitan, and many others. And, obviously, you will find many works by Nesterov also. There is a book store, too, where you can get art books for affordable prices.

Bashkir State Art Museum

Address: St. Gogol, 27, Ufa, Russia

Website: Bashkir State Art Museum

Opening hours: Tue - Fri: 10am - 6:30pm; Sat: 12pm - 8:30pm; Sun: 10am - 6:30pm (closed on Mon)

Price: 2 USD

11. Unwind at Bashkortostan Forester's Park

Editor’s Note: There’s no photo available at the time of writing

Located close to the bustling city, Bashkortostan Forester’s Park is a wonderful place to relax. Go there and explore the place with your family or friends, or roam around alone to rejuvenate yourself with some fresh air and the sounds and sights of nature. The park also has a forest museum in it, where you can meet some friendly staff who will teach you a lot of facts about the world of animals, the park, and the museum. The park has a playground and there are open-air cages also with many domestic and wild animals.

Bashkortostan Forester's Park

Address: Lesnoy Drive, 1, Ufa, Russia

12. Watch an outstanding performance at Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Popular with locals as well as tourists, Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre is a wonderful place to enjoy an opera and ballet play. The place still has its old architecture. It is the theater where the great Rudolf Nureyev took his first steps. You will find the museum two floors up, where you can check out stage costumes, photos, posters, and an oil painted portrait of Nureyev. There is also a café, in case you feel like indulging in some pastries or coffee after the show.

Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre

Address: Ul Lenina, 5/1, Ufa, Russia, 450077

Website: Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre

Opening hours: 9am - 7:30pm (daily)

Price: 2 - 10 USD

13. Admire the view from Iremel Ferris Wheel

When going for a ride on a Ferris wheel to get a good view of a place and for a unique adrenaline rush, the taller the structure the better. Those who agree should check out Iremel Ferris wheel, the tallest Ferris wheel in Ufa and the third highest in Russia. This one has a height of 60 meters (197 feet). That should give you quite a good sight of the surroundings. The Iremel Ferris wheel has 24 closed cabins. They all have soft seating and lighting, and will be heated in winter and cooled during summer.

Iremel Ferris Wheel

Address: Oktyabrya Avenue, 77/1, Ufa, Russia

14. Soak in some culture at the famous Bashkortostan State Academic Russian Drama Theatre

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Bashkortostan State Academic Russian Drama Theatre dates way back to 1861. Check out the place to see some great performances by famous artists such as Svetlana Akimova, Valery Grinkov, and many others. They also host special programs such as the Touch Festival, which is for promoting acting among people with disabilities, and they also provide discounts to socially vulnerable groups.

Bashkortostan State Academic Russian Drama Theatre

Address: October Ave., 79, Ufa, Russia

Website: Bashkortostan State Academic Russian Drama Theatre

Opening hours: 10am - 8pm (daily)

15. Rejuvenate yourself at the quaint S. Aksakov Garden of Culture and Rest

Yes, there are a lot of wonderful gardens in Ufa. This garden is named after the Russian writer Sergey Timofeyevich Aksakov, famous for his semi-autobiographical stories and books on hunting and fishing. The garden is nothing big but it is quite popular with locals and tourists. It is a peaceful place, good for relaxing, jogging, or going for a walk with your pet. There is a beautiful lake here with gooses, ducks, and fish in it. The park is a favorite place for newlyweds and it also hosts cultural and sports events.

S. Aksakov Garden of Culture and Rest

Address: Ulitsa Pushkina, 112/2, Ufa, Russia

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

16. Listen to live music while munching on some snacks at Square of Two Fountains

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Located in the center of Ufa, Square of Two Fountains is open during the summer season for all those who are looking to enjoy some good music, dance, and theater performances, while tasting good street food. There will be four pavilions that prepare Asian and European dishes, desserts, and drinks. There will also be a children’s zone with fun games and programs. The “I love UFA” sign located at the place is one of the most photographed sights in Ufa–take a photo here for your Instagram account.

Square of Two Fountains

Address: Kirova St., 27, Ufa, Russia

Opening hours: 12pm - 11pm (daily)

17. Make the most of the nightlife at Ufa Jazz Club

Opened in 2007, Ufa Jazz Club is a popular place where young musicians begin their careers and famous groups continue their work. There is classical and modern jazz, funk, blues, folk, avant-garde, classical instrumental, and vocal music here. Performances include local jazz bands and international bands and artists. It is a perfect place for a night of soulful music. As for when you get hungry, there is breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and a good collection of wines and drinks. There is a Bashkir menu, tacos menu, and even a low calorie menu, among other specialties.

Ufa Jazz Club

Address: St. 50 years of the USSR, 8, Ufa, Russia

Website: Ufa Jazz Club

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 9am - 12am; Sat - Sun: 11am - 12am

18. Spend some quality time at Ethnical Park Vatan

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At Ethnical Park Vatan, you can find a lot of things from Bashkir culture. There are traditional yurts that house boutique shops and arts exhibition spaces. You can drink local tea, taste free samples of honey, and buy a bottle if you wish, and also learn a lot about the Republic of Bashkortostan. The stage nearby is famous for concerts and boxing matches are even sometimes conducted in the area.

Ethnical Park Vatan

Address: Gafuri St., Ufa, Russia

Opening hours: 10am - 10pm (daily)

19. Savor delectable fare at Burzhuika

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Burzhuika, or literally “potbelly stove”, is a popular restaurant in Ufa with a cozy interior, a good selection of European, Italian, and Japanese dishes, a unique vegetarian menu, and drinks. The food is very good here and they serve well-sized portions. The place is located close to the famous Hotel Azimut. If you’ve got a hankering for delicious meals while in Ufa, make Burzhuika one of your stops.

Burzhuika

Address: October 79/1 Ave., Ufa, Russia

Website: Burzhuika

Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 12pm - 12am; Fri - Sun: 12pm - 2am

Off to Ufa then?

So, there you have it–all the best places to check out while exploring the wonderful city of Ufa. Of course, you can find many other special areas by yourself besides our handpicked places. That is one of the best things about traveling, right? Discovering hidden gems. Pack your bags already and head towards a wonderful vacation!