Sparrow Hills in Moscow is one of the most popular places among city residents. It is also a frequent destination for tourists visiting Moscow. Sparrow Hills is famous for its beautiful views of Moscow and is also a great place for strolls.
Sparrow Hills (Воробьёвы горы, Vorobyovy Gory) is a section of the high bank of the Moskva River. The hilly, forested terrain rises up to 80 meters above the river. It stretches along the Moskva River for approximately 3.7 kilometers.
Vorobyovy Gory is located approximately 6.5 kilometers southwest of the Kremlin and Red Square. Luzhniki Stadium is located on the opposite bank of the river.
In the photo: View of Moscow from Sparrow Hills.
Are Sparrow Hills truly such an interesting place and worth your attention (visit)? What do tourists think?
It depends on your tastes and preferences.
A romantic and travel enthusiast will say: What a breathtaking and inspiring view of Moscow! Moscow! I’m ready to conquer you!
A pragmatist will counter: just a high bank, some buildings in the distance, and a small river below.
And some will simply enjoy a stroll in their free time, either along the embankment by the river or on its (the river’s) high bank.
You have to be there, at least to take a selfie.
About the name: Sparrow Hills has nothing to do with sparrows. From the early 14th century, a village stood in this area, originally belonging to the Vorobyov boyars. “Vorobey” means “sparrow” in Russian. The village was named after them—Vorobyevo. This explains the area’s name.
For centuries, Vorobyovy Gory was the first viewpoint of Moscow for travelers and conquerors coming to Rus’. Today, the Vorobyovy Gory is the destination for most tourists visiting Moscow. (From 1935 to 1999, the area was known as “Lenin Hills.”)
Pictured: The Moskva River embankment near Vorobyovy Gory.
The most famous building on Vorobyovy Gory is the main building of Moscow University. It also features a ski jump and a floodlit ski slope.
The Vorobyovy Gory area includes the Vorobyovskaya and Andreyevskaya embankments of the Moskva River. Here you can cycle, roller skate, jog, or simply stroll. There’s a pier on the embankment where pleasure boats dock.
The observation deck offers a beautiful view of the city, including the high-rise buildings of Moscow City and Luzhniki Stadium. The observation deck is located directly across from the university building. A pedestrian path leads from the observation deck to the embankment. A tourist bus stop is located near the observation deck.
The two banks of the river are connected by a cable car. (Cable car rides are very popular with tourists.)
Nearest metro station: Vorobyovy Gory.
You can check the location of this landmark on the Moscow map.
You can choose different routes to get to Vorobyovy Gory.
One option is to take the metro to Universitet station and walk past the main university building to the observation deck. Then you can walk down to the embankment. At the pier, you can buy a boat ticket and take a tour of the Moskva River.
You can also take the metro to Vorobyovy Gory station and walk up to the observation deck. (The metro station is located on the bridge over the Moskva River.)
You can also buy a ticket for a tourist bus and travel to Vorobyovy Gory by bus.
Vorobyovy Gory on the Moscow map.