Klyaz'minskoye Vodokhranilishche · RU

Klyaz'minskoye Vodokhranilishche

Just 7–10 kilometres north of the Moscow Ring Road, the Klyazma Reservoir (Klyazminskoye Vodokhranilishche) is where Muscovites go when they crave the sight of "big water". A long, broad ribbon of open sky and ripple stretching through Moscow Oblast, it is one of the largest reservoirs in the region and one of the links in the Moscow Canal waterway that ties the capital to the Volga. Beaches, marinas, sailing schools and low-lying pine-fringed shores give a surprisingly seaside feel to a weekend escape that is still a short drive or commuter train from the city. What makes this water distinctive is its double life. It was engineered in the 1930s to keep Moscow supplied and its rivers topped up, yet today its main role for visitors is pleasure: swimming, sunbathing on sandy bays, sailing, paddleboarding, waterskiing, fishing and cruising. Because the reservoir sits right on the edge of the metropolis and is fed into the Moscow Canal system, you can even reach parts of it by pleasure boat from the city's River Terminal. In warm months the surface fills with sails and motor launches, while quieter villages on the northern and eastern banks keep a more rustic, camp-by-the-fire charm.