Your excitement mounts as you begin your walking tour of the Moscow Kremlin – which means fortress inside a city. The citadel was commissioned by Ivan III and built on Borovitsky Hill in the late 15th century on top of the former Grad of Moscow. The 68.5 acre Kremlin complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The finest of the Moscow Kremlin’ five palaces is appropriately named the Grand Kremlin Palace. This magnificent structure replaced the estate of the Grand Princes. It was designed by managing architect Konstantin Thon and finished in 1849. Within its 410 feet length are five reception halls, nine churches, more than 700 rooms and 269,000 square feet of opulence. Once the home of tsars (Russian leaders before 1917), the Grand Kremlin Palace is now the official residence of the Russian Federation President. Private tours of select sections are available.
