Do not even try jumping to conclusions, that's a dangerous habit for travelers. No, I'm not talking about women standing on-street corners selling themselves, though some fools do come to Moscow looking for that foolishness. I'm talking about something different. I call the do-it-yourself walking tours, "streetwalking tours." Moscow is the largest city in Europe; it also is one of the most expensive cities in the world. I think that fact scares many tourists off, especially in keeping many Americans from coming here and seeing one of the most interesting countries and cities in the world. You do not have to be a millionaire to be able to come and enjoy seeing the sites of Moscow, I know because I have been living here for over 5 years and I'm sure as heck no millionaire. You can find hotels and hostels here at various prices from $25.00 a night on up to $2500.00 a night. It's much the same here as in other tourist cities for everything, restaurants, tours, shopping, there's lower, mid and upper-level prices, just like in any other country in the world today. What makes Moscow and Russia unique; it's just like getting into Mr. Peabody's Wayback Machine and stepping back in time to a bygone era.

Moscow is a unique and interesting city that officially is 850 years old, but unofficially people have settled here for over 1000 years. Moscow is something of both the old and new capital of the Russian Federation. During Communist rule, Russia was a closed country, if you were not from one of the Eastern European countries controlled by Russia; communist countries rolled in their welcome matte and stopped people from entering or leaving. But with the death of Communist rule, Russia opened her doors and with that opening Moscow is now one of the top tourist spots for Europeans and Asians. It's estimated during the tourist seasons of spring and summer over 2 million people come into or leave Moscow on a daily bases. One reason Russia is such a popular tourist attraction for Europeans and Asians is that people want to see a part of the world that for around 70 years off-limits to them. Americans have now started catching on to seeing a part of the world that was closed tight to most Americans for so long. But sadly Americans still do not travel to Moscow like European and Asian tourists who visit Moscow throughout the year. I have noticed an increase in the number of Americans coming to Moscow in the last two years, so I hope my American comrades are starting to wise up.

You may ask, "Why do I want to take a "streetwalker's tour" of Moscow?" "My travel agent can set me up with some great tours of Moscow, so why bother?" No doubt about it, your travel agent can set you up with some great tours, but only of the major sites of Moscow. Tours of the Kremlin, Red Square, a few of the major museums and may be a couple of the churches, the major sites. But let's face it, most of these "pants on fire rush job tours" are expensive and move quickly, so more money can be made by giving another tour. I mean, how anybody can enjoy a tour that speeds around Moscow so fast you feel like one of the "Jetsons."

Yes, seeing the major sites of Moscow is important and should not be missed, but you should do it on your own at your own pace, especially if you're a photographer. Tours run on a schedule and move fast so the next tour can be given, these tours are anything but fun or interesting. But there is so much more to Moscow than only the major must see sites like the Kremlin, Red Square, Alexander's Garden, Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, of the newly rebuilt Church of Christ the Savior. That is why I wrote these series of articles so you can find and see the real Moscow, the real Russia, the real historic sites and meet the real people. Because the major tourist sites are so popular with so many tourists going the see them, they have become something of big tourist traps with street vender's trying to sell everything under the sun at higher tourist prices. Not that it is bad, but the atmosphere kind of takes away from the site and makes them seem unreal. Sometimes you just have to travel the unbeaten paths to find undiscovered treasures. To see sites that most other tourists do not get to see let alone even know about. That's why "streetwalking tours" are the real deal.

Moscow is the "Streetwalker tourist's" dream city, few cities of the world offer the "streetwalker tourist" with so much to see and do with an enjoyable stroll down Moscow's famous streets. Imagine walking around the Zamoskvorechye District, one of the major historic areas of Moscow. After exploring Bol'shaya Ordynka and checking out Lavrushinskiy Pereulok with its many old churches and mansions. Or visiting one of the most famous art galleries in the world, the Tretyakov Gallery, you may want to take a break in the Sculpture Park, have a refreshing cold brew and snack on a hot dog or a famous Russian stuffed baked potato. Watch the pretty young women walking by, artists painting or children playing as you watch the world go by. Moscow is a city of parks, both big and small parks and they are great places to take a break from your "streetwalking" and have a snack and drink, everything from Russian foods and drinks to foods you know well. Most of the do-it-yourself "streetwalking tours" are free and will not cost you anything unless you want to go inside a museum or two. It makes me wonder just what in heck photographers in the US are doing, just sitting on their tails, daydreaming of being a pro photographer? They sure as hell are not coming here to Russia to take photos of a place closed off for so many years that so few people know even exist. It always amazes me how so few people take the best tour there is for no cost at all. People say, I cannot come to Moscow, everything costs so much, I cannot see anything, hogwash. Sometimes the best things in life are free and "streetwalking tours" are free.

The first thing the "streetwalker tourist" must do is plan your trip out before you ever leave home. You can find just about everything you need on the internet, guidebooks, metro (subway), bus route, trolley and tram route maps and even street maps. One of the better sites for the "streetwalker tourist" is the City of Moscow's Tourist Information Web page. http://www.moscow-city.ru/?lang_char_id=en. You can download one of the better street guides with some of the best street maps for the "streetwalker" on their download page. This guide named, "Moscow. The Official Tourist Guide" http://www.moscow-city.ru/download/Moscow%20The%20official%20tourist%20guide.htm There is no better guide than this one with excellent detailed maps. Moscow tram route maps http://tram.ruz.net/maps/maps.htm. Metro map, this is one of the better metro maps, just click on the metro station you will start at and then click on the metro station your going to, it will highlight the route and tell you how long it will take http://yapriedu.ru/metro/index_en.html.
Tourists should take the time to research their destinations, download and print out maps. Then highlight their routes on the maps they have printed. When you get to Moscow, make sure you pick up a free small pocket map of Moscow's subway routes and stations and keep it with you always. Also go to one of the local bookstores and buy yourself a good street map of Moscow, get the best detailed map you can find, the better maps have both English and Russian names. With a highlighting marker, circle important locations, your hotel, metro stations close to where you are going, bus-stops, tram/trolley stops and anything of importance to you. If by some reason you find yourself lost, always look for the nearest subway station. With your street map, you know right where you are and with your small pocket metro route map, you can find your way right to the metro station you need to get to, like the metro station closest to your hotel. I always keep a small Moscow metro map and street map booklet in my camera case. Since in Russia, you always have to keep your passport on you when going out in public, I also keep a small pocket metro map card in my passport case. But if you ever get lost just look for the nearest metro station, then you can get back on track easily.

One software program I've just started playing around with is called, Google's Earth and it is a program where you type in the name of a city and it shows you a three D map of the city, you can zoom in and see everything on the street, even click on a tourist site and see a photo of it. Looks to be a nice program for helping a person to plan their trips, especially if you use a map or guidebook so you can see the names of streets and other things more clearly. But using Google Earth along with a map is a pretty nice way to plan your trips out from the short time I've played with the program.

If you're a lazy tourist, then "streetwalking tours" are not for you. Lazy tourists should stick with travel agents and let them arrange expensive prepaid ours. "Streetwalking tourists" are not lazy; they want to see the real sites, the real people, the real history of the city and countries they visit. So they take the time to research where they are going and know what they want to see and then after visiting Moscow, they do not whine and cry on the internet like a few lazy dingbats do. "Streetwalker tourists" want to have a good-time and they do because they know where the action always is.

Have I wet your curiosity any? I hope so, in my following article issues I will cover the more important of Moscow's historic streets, parks and squares found in Moscow, one street or park at a time in my following articles. The fist street I will cover next will be Moscow's main street Tverskaia Street or Tsar's Street as Tverskaia was known in Moscow's younger days. A lovely and interesting stroll with many historic buildings, cafes, small parks historic churches and boyer mansions to see. This walk starts at Belorusskaya metron station and continues on down to the Kremlin. Moscow is a special one of a kind city, I came here in August of 2003 and just feel in love with the city and her people and have not left yet, except to visit Yalta once. Come to Moscow and do some "Streetwalker tours, you'll be glad that you did." Take it from somebody who knows.