Accommodation

The Beresta Palace Hotel is a comfortable Western- style hotel built in 1991. Amenities include tennis courts, a large swimming pool, and a sauna/solarium/massage complex, as well as a four star restaurant, nightclub, and bierstube. The hotel can arrange guided tours of sights in and around Novgorod, day excursions to Pskov and Staraya Russa, and activities such as boat trips and hunting. Tel: (81622) 30401, (81622) 33315.

Intourist is a humbler and cheaper option. Located just down the street from the kremlin, the hotel is nothing to write home about, but they'll put you up, feed you, and show you around the city. Ulitsa Dmitrievskaya 16. Tel: (81622) 74644.

Budget travellers can take advantage of the Youth Hostel, a former dormitory located three blocks from the kremlin. Rooms hold from one to three people and are extremely clean. There is a small bar downstairs and a large, comfortable common room. Komsomolskaya ulitsa 27, entry is from Ulitsa Chernakhovskogo. Tel: (81622) 72033.