Though Yaroslavl is the biggest and most active city of the route, it has conserved a nice style of province life. Yaroslavl is "less north" than Kostroma, "less moscow" than Sergiev Posad and "less industrial" than Ivanovo, but it has a reach collection of historical and art monuments, first of all - its collection of wall-paintings in cathedrals and churches of the city.

Visitors usually start sightseeing with the Church of St.Elijah the Prophet situated in the Soviet Square, the administrative center of the city. The church was built in 1647-1650 by the brothers Skripiny who were the richest manufacturers in Yaroslavl. The interior of the church stands out for its murals painted in very hot and temperamental manner and panels of tiles made in Yaroslavl. Nothing is left uncovered by the lively illustrative painting; the walls of the church as well as galleries, vaults, piers, window sills and portals are all graced with artisans' original pigments. Actually this church contains the most interesting and complete collection of frescos and paintings among all over Golden Ring.

The next place to visit is the Saviour-Transfiguration Monastery - the main sightseeing destination in Yaroslavl. It was founded in 12th century but the constructions conserved till the present time are dated by 1550-1580, the period when the monastery became one of the most powerful fortresses of Volga region. The oldest cathedral of the monastery is the Transfiguration Cathedral built in 1505. This one reminds by its facade one of the cathedrals of Moscow Kremlin and served as a shrine for local princes for one century and then - for the local elite. The northern part of the cathedral were occupied by the monastery stacks where, according to the researches, the famous "Chronicle about the prince Igor's regiment" (poem that brought the world-wide fame to the Russian poesy of 12th century) had been kept for some time. By the way, there is a museum dedicated to this poem in the territory of the monastery. Beside the Cathedral and museum, visitors will see monks' cells and the belfry, and even listen to the licensed bell-ringer ringing the bells in the yard.

Also never missed is the red brick Church of the Epiphany, built in 1684-1693 that is situated next to the monastery. This striking building, whose green roofs and bluish-green cupolas complement the main body, is known for its 17th century handcrafted glazed tiles adorning the exterior. Local craftsmen have actually replaced some of the original, defiled tiles with reproductions, which means that experts on glazed, handcrafted, Volga-region ceramic work will have a field day trying to distinguish the new tiles from the old ones. Or, since no such experts likely exist, anybody can have some fun trying to differentiate the replacements from the authentics. Inside the church, frescoes painted in 1693 depict the life of Christ, and the seven-tiered gilded iconostasis that rounds out the impressive interior.

An area that is always mentioned during the excursion is Yaroslavl's embankment, one of the most pleasant to be found among all Volga towns. The embankment, landscaped in the mid-19th century, comprises a long promenade bordered by a picturesque greenbelt referred as "linden tree alley". By the way, the embankment is the favorite place to visit by the newlyweds - it is never missed in their nuptial route.