Ufa (Russian: Уфа́ oo-FAH, Bashkirː ӨФӨ oe-FOE), the capital of Bashkortostan, is a large, interesting, and rapidly developing city, with a population of over 1.1 million in 2018. Ufa is exceptionally interesting for a traveler. The city is diverse architecturally and demographically, with influences from multiple distinct cultures and religions. Quite appropriate for a city at the junction of Europe and Asiaǃ Life in Ufa swings from major highways to quiet streets, modern nightlife to rich cultural traditions.
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Ufa is one of the shortest place names in Russia. As the locals say, "If you get only three letters, come visit usǃ" It is only three letters in the Bashkir language as well, ӨФӨ, the unusual appearance of which has given the city one of its odder nicknamesː City of Three Screws. Ufa is situated west of the Ural Mountains on the Belaya River (in Bashkir, Agidel River) at its confluence with the Ufa River. The toponym itself may mean “river” or simply “water”: opinions differ on this matter. In a loose sense, Ufa may be one of the oldest cities in the Ural Region.
Marshrutkas and buses go all over the city and run very frequently. These can be hard to figure out if you can't read Russian so look up the route on Yandex before heading out. Pay right before getting off, not as you get on. The drivers will make change for 50- or 100-ruble notes. Transit essentially shuts down after 22:00. Only a few minibuses continue to operate, until 00:40. There are trams and trolleybuses here as well, but they offer far more limited service than the buses and minibuses. Fares are paid to the driver or conductor. Cash fares are 22 руб on trams and trolleybuses, 29 руб for buses (June 2021).
What to see in Ufa is a tricky question. On one hand, it is easy to spend more a day here, especially if you visit Chernikovka and other areas outside the center. On the other hand, there no one well-known attraction in the city. Perhaps the best known sight is the Monument to Salavat Yulaev, but for the average traveler, it's just another monument, albeit one with a beautiful setting overlooking the river. It's also worth visiting the National Museum, Friendship Monument, and the Fountain of Seven Girls. There are many Orthodox churches, but the oldest and most interesting ones were destroyed during Soviet times.
1 Bashkortostan National Museum (Национальный музей Республики Башкортостан), ул. Советская, 14, ☏ +7 347 273-03-63. Su Tu-F 11:00-18:00, Sa 13:00-21:00. The main museum of the republic is located in the former building of the Peasant Land Bank (1905), which is interesting as the best Art Nouveau monument in Ufa. A full inspection of the museum will take at least two hours, since each of the obligatory departments of the local history museum (history, archeology, nature, ethnography) is presented here in several halls: for example, in the ethnographic one they will tell about the Bashkirs and other peoples inhabiting the republic - Tatars, Chuvashes, Mari.
Restoran Chestnykh Tsen, ul. Lenina 16 (Just opposite to McDonald's). Recommended. Offers meals for about 200R. Tasty Tramcar (in the square outside of Guest's Yard (mall) on Lenin). Only open in the summer. Good cheap schwarma and donuts. The schwarma is like a Russian burrito. ~70 руб per person. Lido, Pushkin, 94 or Mendeleev, 201b. Don't eat anything from the hot bar. In the summer, there are good places for shashlik everywhere, usually in squares or outside of malls. ~300 руб per person. 1 Farfor (Доставка еды Farfor), st. Stepan Kuvykin, 27, ☏ +7 347 298-92-22. 12:00-22:00. Pizza, rolls, sushi, assorted sets, Japanese soups, salads, desserts, main dishes and drinks.
Ufa is a fairly tranquil city, and "disadvantaged" neighborhoods are located far from the center. Nevertheless, it pays to be prudent after dark while walking outside the center, if only because small streets are poorly lit, especially in one-story, residential neighborhoods. In Ufa, the ban on consumption of alcoholic beverages in public places is taken seriously, and you risk a fine.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Jul, Ufa typically sees ~24°C daytime highs and 11 rainy days.
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