Barnaul (Russian: Барнау́л buhr-nuh-OOL) is the capital of Altai Krai.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
The city was founded in the XVIII century as a center of silver and copper mining, and has a population of over 600,000. The foundation year of the city is unknown and is either 1730 or 1739. The name of founding father is Akinfey Demidov, a Russian mine-owner who started copper extraction and melting in the region. Later on his business spread to the gold and silver and the family reached all-Russian scale. The city became a fort and built a dam. This activity was major for centuries to come. Except that, nature and geography explorers never abandoned this Siberian place. Pyotr Petrovich Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky and Alexander von Humboldt lead their expeditions across the city.
Inside the city there are routes of public buses (about 150), marshrutkas, taxis, trams (11) and trolleys (5). The thoroughfares interconnecting Barnaul with other cities, towns and suburbs are Pavlovsky Highway (Павловский тракт) leading to Novosibirsk, Zmeinogorsky Highway (Змеиногорский тракт) leading to Kazakhstan, Pravoberezhny Highway (Правобережный тракт) to Novosibirsk and Biysk. The river port may be useful in getting to suburbs or closest villages like Bobrovka that offers country tourism activities.
1 Altai museum of regional studies, agkm@intelbi.ru. offers expositions of ethnographical artefacts. Museum of literature, art and culture of Altai [1]. Altai Museum of Art.[2] Malevich, Kandinsky, Rembrandt. 'World of Stones' museum. Address: 5b, Kalinina st. Museum of military history. Address: 73, Komsomolsky Pr. Hours: 9.30-17.30 Tu-Sa. Museum of Time. Address: 12, Matrosova st. Private collection of 'curiosities' from a mammoth tooth to 300mln years old corrals and Soviet symbols, the visitors can touch with their hands. 1 State Art Museum of Altai Krai (KGBU GHMAK, Государственный художественный музей Алтайского края), 16 M. Gorky Str. (Lev Tolstoy Str.
House Club (Клуб Хаус), 15, Solnechnaya Polyana. Restaurant, sauna, hooka-lounge, disco floor and bowling.
Manhattan Pizza (Манхэттен-Пицца), Trade-centers 'Holiday classic' (Холидей классик) or 'City center' (Сити-Центр). A chain of pretty good fast-food restaurants. Zapravka (Заправка, гриль-бар), 51a, Kirova st, ☏ +7 3852 200-100. 12:00-2:00. It's a grill bar. Pozharka (Пожарка), 49, Chkalova st, ☏ +7 3852 63-01-01. Anti-fire grill-bar with a fire-truck inside.
Locally brewed beer: Ворсин (Vorsin), Golfsteiner, Барнаульское (Barnaulskoye), Чешское (Cheshskoye), Жигулёвское (Zhigulyovskoye) [3]. English Pub, 57a Chkalova st, engl_pub@mail.ru. 13.00-3.00. Wooden tables and chairs, British music, darts and flags Il Patio, 20 Lenina st. 12:00–24:00. Italian cuisine Kefir (Кефир), 39 Lenina Prospekt, ☏ +7 3852 20-2020. 6PM-8AM. A trendy restaurant with calm atmosphere; an array of sushi choices, pasta entrees & desserts. ca. 800 руб for meals without drinks.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Jul, Barnaul typically sees ~25°C daytime highs and 15 rainy days.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-07-23. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
stayonomy