The Kazan city observatory belongs to the same story of science and empire as the university, but its charm is in the details. Astronomers in the city have studied the sky for two centuries, and their work gave Kazan a reputation as one of the intellectual centres of Russia east of Moscow. The observatories that survive are small and old-fashioned, domes on top of university buildings, and they mark Kazan's place as a university town and as a bridge between Europe and Asia.
The rest of the city is worth the time. The old Tatar quarter, Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda, lies on the shores of Lake Kaban and has wooden houses with carved window frames, and a number of mosques, including the Marjani Mosque, a pale pink building of the eighteenth century. The Annunciation Cathedral in the Kremlin was built in the sixteenth century, and the leaning Soyembika Tower in the Kremlin is the city's emblem, with a legend about a queen who threw herself from it to avoid marrying Ivan the Terrible. The tale is more romance than record, but it is told with enthusiasm.
For riders, Kazan is the starting point of a ride westward along the Volga to the island town of Sviyazhsk, and to the Assumption Cathedral and Monastery, a group of buildings on a hill in the river, listed by UNESCO in 2017. The road runs through low hills, farmland and small villages, with a few bends and pleasant views of the Volga reservoir. Surfaces are generally decent, though they vary, and heavy trucks use the main routes. Wind off the water can be stiff.
Verkhniy Uslon, a town of a few thousand people on the opposite bank of the Volga, has shops and fuel. In Kazan itself, stations are plentiful on the ring roads. Take a lunch of Tatar noodle soup, called tokmach, or ask for a plate of baursak, little fried dough balls, with tea. Spring and early autumn are the nicest seasons. Always check current travel conditions and rules for visitors.