Discover Soletsky District

• The park in Vybiti is a natural monument and a cultural heritage site of regional significance. It dates from the second half of the 18th century and is an example of garden and park art.
• The park in Gorki lies on the banks of the Lemenka in the southwest of the district. It is a natural monument and a cultural heritage site of regional significance dating from the 19th century.
• The Church of Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist in Velebitsy was built in 1903 at the site of the 1471 battle.
• A museum room dedicated to M. M. Prishvin opened in Soltsy in 2011; the town is also associated with the history of wheelmaking.

Both parks are designated natural monuments and are cultural heritage sites of regional significance. However, their historical periods and locations differ: the park in the village of Vybiti represents garden and park art from the second half of the 18th century. The park in Gorki dates from the second half of the 19th century and lies on the banks of the Lemenka River, in the southwest of the district. The centuries provide a clear basis for comparison, while the river helps describe the location of the park in Gorki.

Visitors interested in garden and park art can explore the two parks in light of these different periods. Both have protected natural monument and cultural heritage status; the riverside location mentioned applies to the park in Gorki. This makes the distinctive features of each place easy to tell apart.

In the 18th century, Soltsy had workshops for woodwork, wheels, and gun carriages. A children’s game from the past has also been recorded: children would roll a wheel whose axle was attached to a long pole. A wheelmakers’ settlement also existed in what is now Soletsky District from the 16th to the 18th century. This refers to the territory of the district; the workshops and the former children’s game are specifically associated with Soltsy.

The “Museum of the Wheel” exhibition includes various wooden wheels and tools used to make them. It also features models and examples of carts, models of artillery pieces from the 17th and 18th centuries, and horse tack, including collars, reins, and horseshoes. The subject therefore extends beyond the wheels themselves: manufacturing, carts, and equipment are also part of the exhibition. If you are planning a museum visit, check the current visitor arrangements in advance.

Another historical focus in Soltsy is the museum room dedicated to M. M. Prishvin. It was ceremonially opened in a library in Soltsy on May 31, 2011, and displays exhibits from his lifetime. The date refers to the opening, not current visiting hours. So check the library’s current arrangements before visiting.

Elsewhere in Novgorod Oblast, Valday offers its own cultural highlights. At the Bell Museum, staff demonstrate bell-ringing techniques that visitors can try themselves. The Museum Bell Center displays bells from around the world, bell molds dating from the 3rd century BC through the Middle Ages, and modern souvenir bells.

Opened in 1998, the District Town Museum exhibition explores the everyday lives of townspeople, the development of local crafts, and the lives of individual Valday families and well-known summer visitors. The museum also preserves the memory of stonemasons, carpenters, blacksmiths, women who baked bubliki, soap makers, and bell founders. A monument erected in 2017 is dedicated to the blacksmiths and bell masters of Valday. The waterfront promenade in Valday offers a view of the Iversky Monastery. These examples are part of the wider regional context of Novgorod Oblast.

Start by organizing your search around the places that interest you most: park art in Vybiti or Gorki, the cycling history and museum room in Soltsy, or the church in Velebitsy. Use these locations as a guide when searching for hotels in Soletsky District. Then compare the location of each property with your own plans, without assuming that the sights imply any particular accommodation amenities.

Discover more destinations: Chudovsky District, Chudovsky District, Starorussky District, Borovichsky District, Valdaysky District, Demyansky District, Okulovsky District, Valdaysky District.

How do the parks in Vybiti and Gorki differ?

The park in Vybiti dates from the second half of the 18th century. The park in Gorki dates from the second half of the 19th century and lies on the banks of the Lemenka.

What does the “Museum of the Wheel” include?

Among other things, it features wooden wheels, tools, examples of carts, artillery models from the 17th and 18th centuries, and horse tack.

What is known about the museum room dedicated to M. M. Prishvin?

It opened in a library in Soltsy on May 31, 2011, and displays exhibits from Prishvin’s lifetime. Check the library’s current arrangements before visiting.

For the broader travel overview: Novgorod Oblast.