To take a walk through a nature reserve, you don’t have to travel outside of Moscow. Within the city limits of the capital there is a nature reserve “Sparrow Hills”, formed in 1998 with the aim of preserving the natural historical and cultural complexes and landscapes of Moscow. The reserve, which covers an area of 137.5 hectares, has sheltered many rare species of plants, animals, birds or insects that are in danger of extinction.
There are eco-trails throughout the reserve, which you can walk along independently or with a guided tour. As a sightseeing tour, you can choose from several scenic routes: “On the slopes of the Vorobyovy Gory”, “Andreevsky Ponds”, “On the terraces of the Vorobyovy Gory”. In addition, guests of the reserve can choose one of thematic excursions: “Literary Sparrow Hills”, “Wintering Birds of Moscow”, “Biodiversity”, “Spring Flora of the Sparrow Hills” and others. If you wish, you can end your walk with a picnic - there are places for barbecuing near Andreevsky Ponds, and cozy gazebos are located along the entire route.
Participants of the excursion will pass by enclosures with rare ornamental birds (pheasants, peacocks, turkeys), squirrels, and birds of prey. Not far from the enclosures there is an observation deck with a magnificent view of the slopes of the Sparrow Hills. Children will certainly be interested in the bird alley with feeders, birdhouses and titmouses. Children's playgrounds can also be found on the territory of the reserve.
Free excursions take place on weekdays from 8.00 to 17.00. You can also go for a walk on weekends - for a fee. There is no specific time for the start of excursions; it is recommended to register in advance. If you wish, you can come with your children or the whole class. The duration of the excursions is from 40 minutes to two hours, depending on the weather and the age of the participants.
If you wish, in the Vorobyovy Gory reserve you can take part in an environmental quest and have an interesting time doing logical tasks, terrain orientation and photography.
Bicycles for rent
There are many places on Vorobyovy Gory that would be interesting to ride a bike. For those wishing to rent a bicycle, there are several rental points in different areas of the park.
Parents and children can ride a bicycle completely free of charge - a free rental point for children's and adult bicycles has been opened at the Palace of Pioneers. In addition to bicycles, there are scooters and balance bikes, roller skates for children and adults, you can rent a protection kit, Nordic walking poles, ping-pong and badminton sets. The rental point is open in the second building of the Palace on weekdays from 15.00 to 20.00, on weekends from 12.00 to 20.00. A passport is required to rent.
Another rental point operates in the Main Building of Moscow State University. There are sports and road bikes from the brands Sprint, Atom, Upland, Legent. This rental is paid, for 200 rubles. per hour you can rent a new bike; last year’s and worn-out models are sold for 150 rubles per hour. You can rent a bicycle for a day (600-800 rubles), and there is an assortment of roller skates. For collateral you will need a document or 5000-10000 rubles. The rental office is open from 11.00 to 23.00, but before your visit you should call MSU security in order to freely enter the university territory.
Two more rental points are located on the embankment near the chairlift and near the exit to Vorobyovskoye Highway.
Nature reserve "Sparrow Hills" - one of the most famous natural areas of Moscow, located on the steep bank of the Moscow River opposite the Luzhniki Stadium. Due to a certain connection with the natural reserve, it has become one of the most popular attractions in Moscow.
Vorobyovy Gory is a steep cliff Teplostan Upland on the right bank of the Moscow River, stretching from the mouth of the Setun River to the St. Andrew's Bridge. The height of the slope is up to 80 meters: thus, the word “mountains” in the name is symbolic, but for Moscow this landscape is unique. An interesting natural feature of the area was landslide processes, which historically interfered with capital construction and farming on Vorobyovy Gory.
The area of the natural reserve is about 135 hectares; The landscape of the slope is cut by deep ravines and overgrown with broad-leaved forest. On the territory you can find 3 ponds - Bolshoi Andreevsky, Maly Andreevsky and Lesnoy - and several springs.
Since 2013, the territory has been transferred to the jurisdiction of .
Flora and fauna of Sparrow Hills
Most of the territory of the reserve is covered with broad-leaved forest, the most common tree in which is maple. There are also many oaks and birches on Vorobyovy Gory, as well as ash, aspen, elm and alder trees. The undergrowth is formed by shrubs: hazel (hazel), euonymus, honeysuckle and viburnum. Among the herbaceous cover there are ferns and various forest and meadow flowers and herbs: mothweed, Fischer's carnation, multifloral rosemary, broad-leaved drowser, meadow astragalus and others. In general, the flora of the reserve includes about 400 plant species, of which 43 are included in the Moscow Red Book.
Some trees reach an age of 200-250 years; ash trees, which are over 300 years old, also grow on the territory of the reserve.
The fauna of the Sparrow Hills includes more than 100 species, of which a relatively small number of mammals (squirrels, hedgehogs, voles, wood mice, shrews, bats, moles) and almost a hundred different species of birds (chaffinch, greenfinch, corncrake, tufted duck, gray owl, goshawk, white-backed woodpecker, grosbeak and others), among which 37 are listed in the Moscow Red Book. Amphibians are represented by grass and lake frogs; among reptiles, the common grass snake is found.
Ecological trails
Three eco-trails pass through the territory of the natural reserve: “On the slopes of the Vorobyovy Gory”, “Andreevskie Ponds” and “On the terraces of the Vorobyovy Gory”.
Eco-trails are laid taking into account the geological and natural features of the Vorobyovy Gory and help visitors navigate the natural diversity of the nature reserve. There are excursions along them (including free ones), and the trails are also available for independent visits.
For independent visitors, ecological tourist routes have been developed, along which signs and stands are installed with information on the geological structure of the slope and the plants and animals living on the Vorobyovy Gory, recreation areas and picnic points are equipped, as well as playgrounds for visitors with children.
Reservoirs and springs
One of the attractions of the Sparrow Hills is cascade of St. Andrew's ponds, including 2 ponds: Big and Small Andreevsky, dug at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries. The ponds were named after the St. Andrew's Monastery; in the past, there was a small village near them, whose residents raised fish in the ponds. Currently, the ponds have been preserved on natural banks; The decorative qualities of the reservoirs attract visitors to the reserve and local residents.
Another pond of the Vorobyovy Gory, less mentioned than Andreevsky - Forest. The Forest Pond is home to crucian carp and lake frogs, and reeds, egg capsules and cattails grow.
Near the ponds there are gazebos and picnic points, which have become a favorite vacation spot for the townspeople.
On the slopes of the Sparrow Hills there are a number of springs, the most famous of which are a spring on the left side of the Ostroumovsky ravine, a spring at the foot of the post-landslide ledge And a spring below the monument to Alexander Herzen and Nikolai Ogarev. The listed springs are well-maintained, cleared and fortified, but at the moment they have rather a decorative value - drinking water from them is not recommended.
Historical monuments of Vorobyovy Gory
On the territory of the Sparrow Hills, in addition to noticeable natural features, there are a number of historical and cultural monuments.
Place of the Oath of Herzen and Ogarev - granite stele located in a forest area. The monument is decorated with portrait bas-reliefs of Herzen and Ogarev, and the inscription is carved on granite: “Here in 1827, the young men A. Herzen and N. Ogarev, who became great democratic revolutionaries, took an oath to fight the autocracy without sparing their lives.” The monument was opened in 1978.
St. Andrew's Monastery was founded in 1648 in honor of the victory of Russian troops over the Crimean Tatars in the battle of Moscow in 1591.
Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Vorobyovy Gory It was probably founded in the 15th century and was rebuilt several times. Its origin is connected with the palace village of Vorobyovo that existed in the past, which, having received its name after the surname of its first owners - the Vorobyovo boyars, subsequently gave the name to the entire historical area - Vorobyovy Gory.
To date Sparrow Hills - a favorite place for walks and recreation for citizens and a popular city attraction among tourists. The territory is conducive to walks, quiet rest and sports; in addition, from the reserve you can go to two popular observation platforms: and .
By Vorobyovskaya embankment, bordering the reserve from the river, there is a bicycle path along which you can get to Neskuchny Garden And .
Nature reserve "Sparrow Hills" is located on the right bank of the Moscow River opposite the Luzhniki Stadium. You can get to it on foot from the metro station "Sparrow Hills" Sokolnicheskaya line.
