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Finding Your Way With Free Route Planners

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Planning your journey can be a daunting task, especially when you have multiple stops to make or want to find the most efficient route. Luckily, there are several free route planner tools available that can help streamline your travel experience. These tools offer a range of features, from real-time traffic updates to customized route options, all designed to optimize your journey. In this article, we will explore the top free route planner tools and provide you with valuable insights to make an informed decision.

Why Use a Free Route Planner?

Comparing the top free route planner tools, factors to consider when choosing a route planner.

A route planner can be a game-changer when it comes to travel, whether you are an individual planning a road trip or a business optimizing your fleet's routes. Here are some key benefits of using a route planner:

• Time Savings: A route planner can save you precious time by calculating the most efficient route within seconds. Instead of spending hours planning, you can focus on enjoying your journey or completing more deliveries or service calls in a day.
• Fuel Cost Reduction: By providing the most efficient route, a route planner helps you avoid unnecessary detours, ultimately minimizing fuel consumption. This not only saves you money but also reduces the environmental impact of your travel.
• Stress Reduction: Navigating unfamiliar areas or dealing with unexpected traffic can be stressful. A route planner can provide real-time traffic updates and offer alternative routes, ensuring a smoother and more enjoyable journey.

Now, let's dive into the top free route planner tools available and explore their unique features.

When it comes to free route planner tools, there are several options available, each with its own set of features and capabilities. Here is a comparison of the top three free route planner tools:

Google Maps

Google Maps is a popular choice for route planning due to its user-friendly interface and comprehensive mapping data. It offers real-time traffic updates, turn-by-turn directions, and the ability to save customized routes. However, Google Maps does not offer advanced features such as multi-stop optimization or route customization for businesses.

RoadWarrior

RoadWarrior is a powerful route planner tool specifically designed for businesses. It offers features such as multi-stop optimization, route customization, and integration with other business tools. While it does have a paid version, the free version of RoadWarrior provides most of the essential features required for efficient route planning. It allows you to put in up to eight stops, making it suitable for small businesses or individuals.

If you find yourself needing to make more than eight stops often, RoadWarrior Flex is available. It allows users to put in 200 stops per route and 500 daily optimized stops. RoadWarrior also offers a free trial, so you can try it out without any risks. (Full disclosure: MapQuest's parent company System1 also owns RoadWarrior.)

Get a free 7-day trial of RoadWarrior here

Waze is a community-based navigation app that also provides basic route optimization features. It takes into account real-time traffic data to suggest the most efficient routes. While it may not offer advanced optimization algorithms like RoadWarrior, it is a popular choice among drivers for its crowd-sourced road information and real-time alerts.

Now that we've explored the top free route planner tools, let's discuss the factors to consider when choosing a route planner.

Choosing the right route planner tool can make a significant difference in your travel experience. Here are some key factors to consider:

User-Friendly Interface

A route planner should have an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, allowing users to quickly input destinations and generate optimized routes. Look for tools that offer a clean and visually appealing interface, making it effortless to navigate and plan your journey.

Customization Options

Customization is essential when it comes to route planning. Look for a route planner that allows you to customize routes based on your specific preferences. For example, you might want to avoid tolls or highways. The ability to personalize your routes ensures that the planner fits your unique needs.

Integration with Other Tools

If you use other business tools such as CRM or dispatch software, consider a route planner that offers integration. Integration streamlines your workflow by connecting different platforms and automating tasks. Look for tools that offer seamless integration, making it easier to manage your routes alongside other business operations.

Real-Time Traffic Updates

To avoid congestion and delays, a route planner should provide real-time traffic updates. Look for tools that take into account live traffic data and offer alternative routes when necessary. Real-time traffic updates are particularly crucial for individuals or businesses that frequently travel in busy areas.

Mobile App Availability

If you frequently plan routes on the go, a route planner with a mobile app can be a game-changer. Look for tools that offer a mobile app compatible with your device's operating system. A mobile app allows you to plan routes and access real-time updates wherever you are, ensuring convenience and flexibility.

Now that you are equipped with the knowledge of what factors to consider when choosing a route planner, it's time to make an informed decision and start optimizing your journey.

Using a free route planner tool can significantly enhance your travel experience by saving time, reducing fuel costs, and minimizing stress. Whether you are an individual looking for the most efficient route to your destination or a business seeking to optimize your fleet's routes, there is a free route planner tool available to suit your needs. Consider factors such as user-friendly interface, customization options, integration with other tools, real-time traffic updates, and mobile app availability. Explore the top free options such as Google Maps, RoadWarrior, and Waze, and start optimizing your journey today. Let technology be your guide and enjoy the benefits of efficient route planning!

Remember, the key to a successful journey is a well-planned route!

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How to Plan a Route with Google Maps

Last Updated: July 21, 2024 Fact Checked

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wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 120,963 times. Learn more...

Google Maps can be useful to navigate through a new location or place. You can also use it to find the best route or route alternatives, and plan your trip accordingly. You can get turn by turn directions, and different routes depending on your method of transportation. You will also be able to tell how long it will take you to get to your destination.

• A list of possible results will drop down. Click your selection, and the map will automatically expand to show you the routes from this starting location to your destination.

• Repeat this step for all the other stops you will make in the same trip.

• For driving—If you’re driving, click the car icon on the toolbar. This is generally the default route.
• For transit—If you are commuting via bus, train, subway, or other public transit, click the train icon on the toolbar. The routes on the map will slightly change to accommodate all public transit routes.
• For walking—If you’re walking, click the pedestrian icon on the toolbar. The routes on the map will slightly change to accommodate walking routes.
• For cycling—If you’re biking or cycling, click the cycling icon on the toolbar. The routes on the map will slightly change to accommodate safe biking routes.

• Metro—You can identify metro or subway stops by the blue “M” icon on the map.
• Hotel/motel—You can identify hotel and motels by the brown bed icon on the map.
• Coffeehouse—You can identify coffeehouse locations by the orange coffee cup icon on the map.
• Restaurant—You can identify restaurant or fast-food locations by the orange spoon-and-fork icon on the map.
• Bank—You can identify bank locations by the blue dollar icon on the map.
• Shopping center—You can identify shopping center or store locations by the blue handbag icon on the map.
• Market. You can identify grocery or market locations by the blue shopping cart icon on the map.
• Church—You can identify church locations by the brown church icon on the map.
• Park—You can identify park locations by the green tree icon on the map.
• Hospital—You can identify hospital locations by the red “H” icon on the map.
• School—You can identify school locations by the brown hat icon on the map.
• Library—You can identify library locations by the brown book icon on the map.

• 2 Identify your destination. Use the search box on the upper left corner of the page and type in the location or address of your destination. A shortlist of possible results will drop down. Tap your selection, and the map will automatically draw you to the location you’ve set. [7] X Research source [Image:Plan a Route with Google Maps Step 10 Version 2.jpg|center]]

• A list of possible results will drop down. Tap your selection, and you will be shown the best transportation method and route from your starting location to your destination, with the total distance and time. Most of the time this will be via car or rail, since these are the faster options.

• Driving—If you’re driving, tap the car icon on the toolbar.
• Transit—If you commuting via bus, train, subway, or other public transit, tap the train icon on the toolbar.
• Walking—If you’re walking, tap the pedestrian icon on the toolbar.

• Hotel/motel—You can identify hotel and motel locations by the brown bed icon on the map.
• Restaurant—You can identify restaurant or fast-food locations by the orange spoon and fork icon on the map.
• Shopping center—You can identify shopping center or store locations by the blue hand bag icon on the map.
• Market—You can identify grocery or market locations by the blue shopping cart icon on the map.
• Hospital—You can identify hospital locations by the red H icon on the map.

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• ↑ https://support.google.com/maps/answer/3092445
• ↑ https://support.google.com/maps/answer/144349
• ↑ https://support.google.com/maps/answer/144339
• ↑ https://support.google.com/maps/answer/3273406?hl=en

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Tech troubles got you down? We've got the tips you need

How to draw a route on Google Maps to create custom directions or plan a trip

• To create a route in Google Maps, open "Your places" and then choose "Create Map" in the "Maps" tab.
• To draw a route, click "Add directions," choose transportation mode, and enter start and end points.
• You can draw lines and shapes on maps by clicking "Draw a line" and selecting "Add line or shape."

Google Maps may be best known for its ability to deliver turn-by-turn directions, but it has another useful purpose: You can use it to create maps on which you can draw routes, lines, and shapes. 

You can then save those maps or share them with others. It's a handy way to pre-plan a trip or share driving directions with someone without needing an internet connection.

How to draw a custom route on Google Maps on Windows or macOS

Google Maps includes the tools you need to draw a route on a map and save it for future reference — you can open it anytime you want to or share a link with others.

1. Open Google Maps in a browser and make sure you are signed into your Google account.

2. Click the horizontal lines in the top left corner and then, in the menu, click Your places .

3. Click the Maps tab at the top of the page. You should now see any maps you've already saved. If you've never used Your Places before, this list may be empty.

4. At the bottom of the page, click Create Map .

5. On the Untitled map page, you can now choose the kind of map you want to put the route on top of. Click the dropdown arrow to the left of Base map and choose the map style you prefer.

6. Under the search field at the top of the page, click Add directions (the button looks like a Y-shaped road). You should now see an Untitled layer with fields to enter driving destinations.

7. By default, you'll get driving directions. If you are using a different mode of transportation, such as cycling or walking, click the car-shaped icon and choose how you're going to travel through the route; then click the X to close the flyout window.

8. Click in the A field and enter an address or location name, and choose it when you see it appear in the search results.

9. Repeat that process to select a location for B .

10. If you want to add additional waypoints or destinations, click Add destination and continue to add new places.

11. When you're done, click Untitled map at the top of the page and give it a name.

How to add a custom route on a separate layer on Google Maps desktop 

You can add more than one custom route on the map you have created, and it will be on a separate layer.

1. After completing the steps in the previous section, click Add directions to create another route – it will be added on a separate layer.

2. Click the car-shaped icon , choose the transportation mode for that route, then click the X button to close the flyout window.

3. Enter directions for the start point in the text box next to A – like you did in the previous section.

4. Enter the directions for the end point in the text box next to B .

5. If you want to name the layers to make them easily distinguishable, click the Untitled layer heading and give it a name.

How to draw a line or shape on Google Maps desktop 

Google Maps has a couple of simple drawing tools you can use to customize a map that you've saved to Your places. Here's how to draw a line or a shape (like a square, triangle or polygon) on a map:

2. Click the three horizontal lines menu in the top left corner and then, in the menu, click Your places .

3. Click the Maps tab at the top of the page.

4. Open an existing map or click Create Map at the bottom of the page to create a new one.

5. Under the search field at the top of the page, click Draw a line (the button looks like three lines and three dots). Click Add line or shape in the dropdown menu.

6. Click the map where you want the shape to begin. Then:

To make a single straight line, drag the mouse to create the line and double-click where you want the line to end.

• To make a line with multiple intermediate points, make a series of single clicks wherever you want the line to go, and double-click the last point to end the line.
• To make a polygon (any shape with three or more sides), click on the map in each place you want to put a corner. To close the shape, double-click on the starting point.

7. Name the line or shape in the dialog box and click Save .

You can edit the shape after you create it. Position the mouse pointer over the line or shape — when it changes from an open hand (which you can use to drag the map around) to a closed hand with a pointing finger, click. You'll then see the edit window. Use the tools in the lower-right corner to change the color, rename the shape, and upload an image to associate with the shape.

How to draw a line or shape on Google Maps on a mobile device

It's easiest to draw lines and shapes on maps in a browser on your PC or Mac, but if you need to work on a mobile device, you can use Google's My Maps, a web app that you can access from both Android and iOS.

1. Open My Maps in a browser on your mobile device.

2. If necessary, tap Get Started .

3. You can select an existing map to edit it or tap the plus icon in the bottom right corner to create a new map.

4. Under the search field at the top of the page, tap Draw a line (the button looks like three lines and three dots). Tap Add line or shape in the dropdown menu. Then follow the directions in the previous section to add and edit lines and shapes on your map.

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Route planner

Hitting a UK road / French route / German stra ß e?

Wherever the stra ß e takes you, we’ve got you covered .

You’ve got your route covered .

Now, what about your vehicle?

Route? Check .

Passport? Check .

Breakdown cover? Check it out .

If you’ve got a journey ahead, whether it’s small or large, the Green Flag Route Planner can help you get there with minimal fuss.

The route planner isn’t limited to the UK. You can get accurate directions across Europe. Remember that European breakdown is worth considering if you’re heading to the continent, because repairs and getting back can be costly and ruin your trip.

Once you enter your start point and destination the route finder will map out the best routes for your journey, giving you an estimation of time and an accurate mileage count. It’s easy to add waypoints, so if you know you need to take a detour en route then you don’t need to workout separate journeys.

The route planner will give you a list of directions to your destination, and each individual direction has its own mileage, helping you to keep on track and stay clear of wrong turnings.

Before you head out make sure you’re covered with breakdown cover so you can get back on the road if anything should happen on the way.

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Get directions & show routes

Report wrong directions

You can get directions for driving, public transit, walking, ride sharing, cycling, flight, or motorcycle on Google Maps. If there are multiple routes, the best route to your destination is blue. All other routes are gray. Some directions in Google Maps are in development and may have limited availability.

Important: Stay alert when you use directions on Google Maps. Always be aware of your surroundings to ensure the safety of yourself and others. When in doubt, follow actual traffic regulations and confirm signage from the road or path that you’re on.

• On your computer, open Google Maps .

• Click points on the map, type an address, or add a place name.

Tip: To choose another route in any transportation mode, select it on the map. Each route shows the estimated travel time on the map.

Add multiple destinations

You can get directions to multiple destinations for all modes of transportation except public transit or flight.

• To edit your starting point, at the top, click Your location .

• You can add up to 9 stops, which includes the final destination.
• To get directions, click on a route.

Tip : You can search for places along your route.

To change the order of your stops: 

• Find the destination you want to move. 
• Drag the destination.

Preview directions in Street View

• On your computer, under the route you want, click Details.

• Point to a step in the directions. If Street View is available, you get a preview photo.
• To get Street View for other steps in the route, in the bottom-left box, click Previous step or Next step.

Customize your route

• Choose Options .
• Check the box next to "Tolls" or "Highways."
• Get directions.
• After you get your directions, click Leave now .
• To change your travel dates or times, select Depart at or Arrive by .

When you enter a destination in Google Maps, we show you how to get there using different travel modes, like driving, cycling, or walking. 

Sometimes, the transport options we show you are ranked according to a combination of objective factors designed to help you find relevant and useful information. These factors can include duration, distance, price, your mode preference, or the relevance of a mode to your query. Generally, the most important factors are your mode preference, trip durations, and sometimes price.

Where available, we also show you other mobility services like public transport, scooter or bicycle rentals, and vehicle ride services. These mobility services are provided by third parties who have made their transport data publicly available or who have a partner agreement with us. Any partnerships or business relationships we may have with any transportation service providers do not influence the ranking of these services.

Google Maps transportation modes

You can get directions for different modes of transportation in Google Maps. Learn about the differences in features and availability between each mode:

• If you want to change a driving route, click and hold a spot on the route and drag it to a new spot on the map.
• Not all cities have public transit directions in Google Maps. Before you can get transit directions, your local transit agency needs to add their route info to Google Maps.
• If you want directions in an area with ride or taxi services, you can compare ride services with transit and walking directions. Learn how to request a ride .
• Directions to multiple destinations, or waypoints, aren’t available for public transit or flight searches.
• Learn more about how to search for flights .
• Learn how to get directions for motorcycles .

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Omsk is one of the largest cities in Russia, a major scientific, cultural, sports, transport, and industrial center. The administrative center of Omsk Oblast, it is the second most populous city in Siberia.

The population of Omsk is about 1,126,000 (2022), the area - 567 sq. km.

The phone code - +7 3812, the postal codes - 644000-644246.

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Foundation of omsk.

The need to build a Russian fortress on the banks of the Irtysh at the mouth of the Om River arose in connection with the steppe nomadic peoples. In particular, with the Oirats, whose tribes in the first decades of the 17th century began to appear within the borders of the Russian state being under the onslaught of their external enemies and as a result of internal civil strife. However, various foreign and domestic political problems of Russia hindered the development and defense of the South Siberian borders.

The situation changed only at the beginning of the 18th century, when the Russian conquest of Siberia intensified. Since Peter I paid great attention to geographical research in the south, the expeditions of that time combined socio-political tasks and tasks of scientific research.

One of such expeditions was led by the Russian military and statesman, associate of Peter I, Major General Ivan Bukhgolts. The goals of the expedition, numbering about 3,000 people, were to search for ore and gold deposits, the discovery of trade routes to India and China, as well as the construction of towns on the Irtysh River.

The expedition left Tobolsk to the south along the Irtysh in July 1715. In the spring of 1716, after a conflict with the Dzungars in the north of today’s Kazakhstan, the remnants of the expedition (about 700 people) withdrew to the mouth of the Om River, where they laid a new fortress named Omsky ostrog (fortified settlement).

According to the census of 1725, 992 people lived in the fortress, in 1742 - 1,092 people. From the first years of its existence, it served as a place of exile for prisoners. After serving hard labor and imprisonment, a lot of them stayed in Omsk for permanent residence.

More Historical Facts…

Omsk in the second half of the 18th century

The ethnic composition of the region’s population was formed in the process of settling the territory. Russians, Germans, Ukrainians, Poles, Belarusians, and representatives of many other nationalities were sent here to serve or were exiled. The indigenous people of the region were the Siberian Tatars and Kazakhs, who switched to a sedentary lifestyle.

The foundation of the second Omsk fortress took place in 1762. The first fortress, although it occupied a favorable geographical position, was wooden and, by the middle of the 18th century, it was dilapidated. In 1765, new stone fortifications were constructed. The first stone structure of the fortress was the Resurrection Military Cathedral, built in 1773 and preserved to this day.

In the end of the 18th century, the Omsk fortress was one of the largest structures in the eastern part of the Russian Empire, its area was more than 30 hectares. In 1782, it was transformed into a town named Omsk within the Tobolsk Governorate. In 1785, the coat of arms of Omsk was approved.

Omsk became the center of management of the Siberian transport routes and the Siberian Cossack army, which not only guarded the South Siberian borders, but also made a huge contribution to the economic development of the steppe expanses of Kazakhstan, the annexation of Central Asia to the Russian Empire.

Omsk in the 19th century

The fire of 1819 destroyed almost half of the town including the archive and the magistrate of Omsk with all the first archival documents. Therefore information about the life of Omsk in the 18th - early 19th centuries is scarce and fragmentary. In 1825, the population of the town was about 9,000 people.

In 1829, the town’s development plan was approved. It was made by the famous Petersburg architect V.I. Geste, who took the city of St. Petersburg as a model with its wide avenues, huge neighborhoods, fountains, cast-iron bridges, and an abundance of green spaces.

The composition of the population of Omsk was not quite usual. In the middle of the 19th century, since Omsk was the center of the military and civil administration, the proportion of the military in the local population reached about 60%.

Fyodor Dostoevsky (one of the greatest psychological novelists in world literature), who served a term of hard labor in the Omsk prison in 1850-1854, in a letter to his brother gave Omsk the following description: “Omsk is a disgusting town. There are almost no trees. In summer, heat and wind with sand, in winter, a snowstorm. I have not seen nature. The town is dirty, military and highly depraved.”

By the second half of the 19th century, Omsk in its development outstripped many steppe towns and became not only an administrative, but also a commercial and industrial center. In 1861, in Omsk, there were 2,122 houses (31 stone houses), 34 factories and plants, about 20 thousand residents.

In 1892, the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway began, which gave a new impetus to the economy of Siberian towns and positively influenced Omsk. The development of the Trans-Siberian Railway caused an increase in the urban population due to migrants who came to work from the central part of the Russian Empire. According to the 1897 census, 37.3 thousand people lived in Omsk. The town had 14 streets with a total length of more than 140 km and 13 squares.

Omsk in the first half of the 20th century

The beginning of the 20th century was a time of great changes for Siberia. Mass peasant colonization caused a sharp leap in the development of the region’s economy, primarily its agrarian sector, and the Trans-Siberian Railway ensured the inclusion of the local economy in the system of the All-Russian and European markets.

Due to its favorable economic and geographical position - at the intersection of the railway and the Irtysh River, in the middle of a vast agricultural territory - Omsk quickly turned into a large transport, trade and industrial center of Western Siberia and Governor-Generalship of the Steppes (Eastern and Central Kazakhstan).

Wholesale trade in bread, butter and other agricultural products was concentrated here. Omsk also became one of the industrial, social and cultural centers of Western Siberia. By 1903, the city’s population grew to 60 thousand people. In 1914, it had about 134.8 thousand residents. Omsk became the most populous city in Siberia.

During the Civil War on the territory of the former Russian Empire, from June 1918 to November 1919, Omsk was the residence of the Supreme Ruler of Russia, Admiral Alexander Kolchak, who declared this city the capital of white Russia opposing red Russia of the Bolsheviks. Soviet power was finally established in the city in 1920.

In the summer of 1921, an event took place that had a decisive impact on the cultural and economic life of Omsk. The functions of the administrative center of Siberia were transferred from it to the city of Novonikolaevsk (future Novosibirsk). In 1934, Omsk became the administrative center of a separate Omsk Oblast.

Over the years of industrialization, Omsk became one of the largest centers for agricultural engineering in the USSR. The metal-working industry also developed at a rapid pace. In 1939, Omsk numbered more than 288 thousand people.

During the Second World War, about 200 industrial enterprises were evacuated to Omsk, as well as 60 hospitals, dozens of educational institutions, theaters, museums, and hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Omsk after the Second World War

In the post-war years, new enterprises were put into operation in Omsk, all existing factories and plants were reconstructed and expanded. The industrial potential of the city was also strengthened by the Omsk oil refinery, the largest in the country. In connection with the rapid development of industry, especially petrochemical enterprises, the ecological situation deteriorated. The concentration of harmful substances in the air sharply increased. In 1964, the population of Omsk was about 702 thousand people.

In the 1970s-1980s, Omsk developed rapidly. In 1975, the city’s population exceeded 1 million. The most pressing problem was the ecological situation. Omsk was in the top 10 cities of Russia in terms of environmental pollution. Another problem that required an immediate solution was the development of passenger transport. The capacity of Omsk streets was exhausted, and therefore the construction of the subway became an urgent issue.

The economic crisis that gripped Russia after the collapse of the USSR had a negative impact on the economy of Omsk and the region as a whole. There was a significant decline in industrial production, construction volumes fell, and unemployment rose. A lot of organizations of the defense complex, research institutes, and design bureaus found themselves in a deep crisis without the state defense order.

The share of mechanical engineering and metalworking, light industry, and, to a lesser extent, chemical and petrochemical, forestry and woodworking industries decreased. At the same time, the share of the fuel industry, energy, and construction materials industry began to grow.

In the 2000s, Omsk again became one of the most important economic centers of Western Siberia with a developing mechanical engineering, petrochemical industry, various branches of the woodworking, construction industry, and a highly productive agro-industrial complex. In recent years, Omsk has also acquired the features of one of the largest Siberian centers of entrepreneurship and banking/financial activities.

Architecture of Omsk

On the street in Omsk

Author: Tim Brown

Yak-9 fighter aircraft in front of the aerospace engineering company Polyot in Omsk

The Omsk Cadet Corps

Author: Stanislav Katsko

Omsk - Features

Omsk is located in the south of the West Siberian Plain at the confluence of the Om River into the Irtysh, about 150 km from the border of Russia with Kazakhstan. About 60% of all residents of Omsk Oblast live in Omsk. The City Day of Omsk is celebrated on the first Saturday of August.

The city’s coat of arms is very similar to the first coat of arms of Omsk approved by Empress Catherine II in 1785. It depicts a part of the brick fortifications, which symbolizes the reason for its foundation as a fortress and the center of the Siberian defensive line.

Omsk belongs to the temperate climatic zone with a continental climate of the forest-steppe of the West Siberian belt. It is distinguished by an abundance of sunlight. The average air temperature in January is minus 16.3 degrees Celsius, in July - plus 19.6 degrees Celsius. The highest wind speeds are observed in winter and spring, which is the reason for frequent snow and dust storms.

In the past, the ecological situation in Omsk was very unfavorable. Since 2011, the city’s environmental development rating has increased significantly. This was the result of large-scale modernization of many large industries (including the Omsk oil refinery). Today, road transport is the main source of air pollution in the city.

The level of pollution of the Omsk rivers - Irtysh and Om - remains consistently high. Swimming in them is prohibited. While industrial effluents are becoming more environmentally friendly, sewers are releasing waste products including diesel fuel and petroleum products into the rivers. Dust raised by dust storms is also a serious problem for the city as it contains a lot of harmful substances including lead.

The city’s industry is based on oil refining, petrochemistry, chemical industry, mechanical engineering (production of aerospace equipment, armored vehicles, agricultural equipment). Omsk is a major transport junction - the Trans-Siberian Railway runs through the city from west to east, and the navigable Irtysh River crosses it from south to north. Omsk Airport offers regular flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Surgut, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Salekhard, Kazan, Krasnodar, Sochi.

The unfinished subway of Omsk has become famous in Russia thanks to its only one fully built station. Its construction began back in 1992. However, due to funding problems, the completion of the first line was postponed numerous times. In 2019, it was finally decided to permanently stop construction. For local residents, because of the long wait for the completion of the construction, the Omsk metro symbolizes unrealizable hopes, they talk about it with irony.

In Omsk, there are practically no buildings higher than 50 meters, according to this parameter it is one of the lowest cities with a population of over one million. 130 architectural monuments are concentrated in the central part of the city, almost half of the total number.

Main Attractions of Omsk

Dormition Cathedral - the largest church in Omsk located in the very center of the city. The original church was built in 1891-1898. In 1935, it was completely destroyed. In 2005-2007, an exact copy of the building was restored in its original place. This is one of the most beautiful buildings in Omsk. At night, the building is illuminated and looks especially majestic. Tarskaya Street, 7.

Irtysh Embankment - the main walking street of Omsk with a picturesque view of the Irtysh River. Built in the middle of the 20th century, the embankment was reconstructed in the 2000s. You can walk along the alley on foot, ride rollerblades or a bike.

Merchant Batyushkin’s Mansion (1902). This architectural monument is located on the Irtysh Embankment. It is also known as the Kolchak’s House because Alexander Kolchak, the Supreme Ruler of Russia, lived in this building in 1919. One part of the building is occupied by the registry office of the Central District of Omsk. The Center for the Study of the History of the Russian Civil War is also open here. Irtyshskaya Naberezhnaya Street, 9.

Omsk State Museum of History and Local Lore - one of the oldest museums in Siberia and Russia founded in 1878. In total, this museum has over 200 thousand various objects of cultural, historical and artistic value. The museum is especially proud of such exhibits as the cast-iron figures of the Chinese lions Shi-Tzu, presented to the museum from China in 1895, as well as the skeleton of a woolly mammoth almost 3 meters high. Lenina Street, 23?.

Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts named after M.A. Vrubel - one of the largest museums of fine arts in Siberia. It has collections of foreign and Russian art from antiquity to the present day. In total, there are over 22 thousand works by painters, graphic artists and sculptors, as well as more than 1.5 thousand rare folios.

Walking through the exhibition halls, you can admire the canvases of Shishkin, Aivazovsky, Surikov, Repin, Serov, Vereshchagin. The exhibition of rare icons dating from the 17th-20th centuries is of constant interest among visitors, as well as a unique collection of jewelry made of precious metals found in the Scythian and Sarmatian burial mounds. Two buildings of the museum are located at Lenina Street 3 and 23.

In November 2019, a new exhibition was opened in a historical building at Muzeynaya Street, 4 - the exhibition of art of the 20th-21st centuries. The Hermitage-Siberia Center is located here too - the first representation of The State Hermitage Museum (the second-largest art museum in the world) beyond the Urals.

Chokana Valikhanova Street - a pedestrian street located in the historic part of Omsk. The street is decorated with abstract architectural forms, flower beds, wrought-iron lanterns. The walking area ends with an observation deck with a picturesque view of the Irtysh River.

Museum of Kondraty Belov . The museum of this landscape painter born in Omsk can be found in a picturesque wooden house, which is considered one of the most interesting architectural monuments of Omsk. The exposition tells about the life and work of Kondraty Belov, as well as about the history of the building itself.

In total, this museum has about 700 exhibits. The permanent exhibition also includes works by Kondraty Belov’s son Stanislav and paintings by some other local artists. In addition, temporary exhibitions of contemporary Omsk artists are regularly held here. Chokana Valikhanova Street, 10.

Plumber Stepanych Monument - an unusual sculpture located in the center of Omsk, which you can literally stumble upon while walking along Lenin Street between the houses #12 and #14. Leaning out of the hatch, the plumber is depicted as realistic and life-size as possible. It is among the most photographed monuments in Omsk. There is a similar sculpture in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.

Lyuba Monument . This sculpture, located on the opposite side of Lenin Street from the monument to the plumber Stepanych, is especially loved by Omsk residents and tourists, who love to be photographed against its background.

This beauty in a lace dress with a neckline and a crinoline sitting on an openwork bench and reading a novel had a real prototype - Lyubov (diminutively Lyuba or Lyubasha) Gasford, the wife of the Governor-General of Siberia, who lived in Omsk in the 19th century and died at a young age due to illness. One of the streets of Omsk and the park are named in her memory. She is a local symbol of femininity and beauty.

Omsk Fire Tower - a picturesque architectural monument built at the beginning of the 20th century. Inside the tower there are museum expositions dedicated to the local fire brigade and the history of tower construction. Internatsionalnaya Street, 41?.

Park of Culture and Rest named after the 30th anniversary of the Komsomol - a popular place for walks, recreation and entertainment of Omsk residents and tourists, which has retained “the spirit of the Soviet era” in its name. Today, on an area of 73 hectares, several zones have been organized, various types of recreation are presented. There are walking alleys, ponds, water activities, for example, riding on hydro-scooters.

The ice town is open in winter, the Return of the Dinosaurs exhibition - in summer. The “House Upside Down” exposition is also popular with tourists. This park is a place for mass festivities, city celebrations and events. Maslenitsa, Christmas, City Day, and other holidays are celebrated here. Maslennikova Street, 136.

Natural Park “Bird Harbor” - a specially protected area located on the path of bird migration in the central part of Omsk. During autumn flights, up to 3 thousand birds stop here for rest. It is a great place to enjoy nature, walk along the eco-trail, and observe the life of birds. The park is situated in the floodplain on the left bank of the Irtysh River next to the Victory Park on Yeniseyskaya Street.

Omsk city of Russia photos

Pictures of omsk.

Bogdan Khmelnitsky Monument in Omsk

Lenin Monument in Omsk

Churches of Omsk

Chapel of St. George in Omsk

Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Omsk

Cathedral of the Nativity in Omsk

Sights of Omsk

Fountain with frogs in the park next to the main building of the Agricultural Academy in Omsk

Author: Alexey Pavlov

Church of St. Nicholas in Omsk

Exaltation of the Holy Cross Cathedral in Omsk

Author: Stanislav Vosinsky

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