Museum of History and Fine Arts
Most exhibitions of the museum are located in the best-known secular building of Pskov -  the famous Pogankin house, called "chambers". In the 17th century the chambers belonged to one of the richest merchant families in Pskov - the Pogankins. The museum possesses the unique collections of the silverwork (14-19th centuries) and the icons of the Pskov icon-painting school (14-17th centuries). The archaeological division is of noteworthy interest, as well as the exhibition of the applied art (18-20th centuries) and the picture gallery. The collection of the museum includes about 500,000 items.

Mirozhsky Monastery
The Mirozhsky monastery was founded in the 12th century. It not only was the most ancient and one of the richest monasteries in Pskov, but also a significant cultural center. It took a few centuries to construct the monastery buildings. The most ancient of them, the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Savior, was commissioned by the Archbishop of Novgorod Niphont and built in the 12th century. The architectural style of the Cathedral differs from all the churches not only in Pskov, but also in entire ancient Russia. Niphont, who was of Greek descent, wished to built a church according to the Byzantine pattern in Russia. The walls of the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of our Savior are decorated with the frescos. They were painted by the Byzantine artists in the middle of the 12th century. 80% of the original frescos have survived. The Mirozhsky monastery is included in the UNESCO list of the most outstanding architectural landmarks of the world.

Izborsk and Pechory
Izborsk is located 32 km west of Pskov. In The Tale of Bygone Years - the most outstanding literary work of Kievan Russia - Izborsk was mentioned in one of the first chapters, when in 862 three Varangian princes were asked by the Slavs to rule over their towns. One of them, Truvor, became a prince of Izborsk. In the 14-16th centuries Izborsk was a reliable outpost of Pskov, its "younger brother". The perfectly preserved Izborsk fortress had to withstand 8 long sieges from the 14th to the 16th century and was never captured by enemy. Sightseeing at Izborsk will not be complete if you do not have a look at its ancient buildings. The Church of St. Sergius (16th century) is the most interesting among them. Now it houses a museum of the archaeological finds. The ethnographical complex Peasant Farmstead was recently opened at Izborsk. Here you can taste Russian traditional dishes cooked according to the old Izborsk recipes.

Pechory (20 km of Izborsk, 52 km of Pskov) is a tiny neat town located on the very Estonian border. Its main attraction is Pskov's Monastery of the Caves. Founded in 1473, the monastery has never been closed. The magnificent architectural ensemble of the monastery was formed over many centuries, and nowadays its extraordinary beauty makes a great impression on everyone who comes here for the first time. The perfectly preserved powerful fortress of the 16th century was an impregnable outpost in the western part of the Russian state. At the same time, the monastery was one of the largest cultural centers of ancient Russia. Chronicles and literary works were written here, as well as priceless samples of Russian painting, applied art and jewelry were made and collected by the monks. The name of the monastery was derived from the Old Russian word "pechera" meaning "cave", as the monastery originated from the caves. The caves are located in a steep sandy slope of the Kamenets Stream, in a hill that was considered as a holy site since pagan times. Amazing climatic conditions (the constant temperature in the caves is +5 C all the year round) made the caves a convenient refuge for the people who wished to live in solitude away from the distractions of the world. The ancient caves are an enormous burial vault where nearly 10,000 people are buried - monks, worries, statesmen, peasants and townspeople. The first monastery church was also a cave church. It was sanctified in 1473 in honor of the Dormition according to an ancient tradition. Annually, on August 28th lots of pilgrims and tourists come to the monastery to celebrate its main feast, the Dormition of Virgin Mary.

The Alexander Pushkin Estate-Museum
Pushkin's places in Pskov region are considered to be the main places of pilgrimage for the poet's admirers. The Holy Hills Monastery with its old Cathedral of Dormition (16th century) is located 120 km south-east of Pskov. The greatest Russian poet of the 19th century Alexander Pushkin is buried by its walls not far away from his favorite Mikhailovskoye estate. It was here in the Pskov countryside that Pushkin's poetry was molded and his genius flourished. The wonderful estates of Trigorskoye (the estate of the poet's friends, the Osipov-Wolf family) and Petrovskoye (the estate of Pushkin's great grandfather Abraham Hannibal) were a source of delight and wonder for the poet. At Mikhailovskoye, where Pushkin had to spend "two inconspicuous years living in exile", he wrote over 100 works including the country chapters of his major novel "Eugene Onegin", the drama "Boris Godunov", the lyrical poem "A Magic Moment I remember..." Through all his life, Pushkin carried his passionate love for Mikhailovskoye where thousands of people come to pay tribute to the poet.