The ring line is a hot tip for all those who have spent all their money on shopping. A ride on Moscow’s subway is as beautiful as a visit to the Kremlin, but costs less. The fun starts when descending: Moscow’s subway net lies 84 metres below the ground and boasts the longest escalators in the world. When you finally arrive underground you have finished War and Peace.

Now, you can concentrate on the architecture, which is really something.  Komsomolskaja station alone is an underground palace. 72 octagonal marble pillars frame the giant chandelier, eight mosaics tell the story of Russian history and round arches complete the Barqoue ensemble. Take the subway to Kiewskaja: Mosaics there tell you the story of  the Russian-Ukrainian friendship. Arcades and chandeliers will tempt you to exhaust the memory of your digital camera.

Other stations worth seeing are the futuristic Wystawotschnaja and Majakowskaja stations, where you shouldn’t talk too loudly about other persons as the subway’s “whisper arches” will even carry murmured curses to the end of the huge station. By the way, rumour has it that there is a second, a secret metro as well, connecting the Kremlin with the airport. And the rumour has never been proven wrong.