This city once rivaled Moscow for the predominance of central Russia. That was before the Mongols invaded in 1238 and destroyed most of the city and killed most of its inhabitants.
What remains of special interest to visitors today are three 12th-century structures that claim to be the first examples of "white-stone" Russian architecture: St. Demetrius Cathedral, the Cathedral of the Assumption and Vladimir's Golden Gate (part of the city's defenses), which now has a museum with a diorama depicting the city at the time of the Mongol invasion.
100 mi/170 km northeast of Moscow.