Pskov is one of the oldest cities in Russia, first mentioned in the chronicles in 903, and it has the look of a fortress town that has seen many sieges. It stands at the meeting of two rivers, the Velikaya and the Pskova, and the stone kremlin, known as the Krom, rises on the point between them, with the white walls and tall belfry of the Trinity Cathedral inside. The city lies close to the borders of Estonia and Latvia, and for centuries it was Russia's western gate, attacked by Livonian knights, Lithuanians, Poles and Swedes.
Its history is distinctive. For much of the Middle Ages Pskov was a republic, governed by an assembly called the veche and allied to Novgorod, until Moscow annexed it in 1510. The city's architecture, with its massive walls, small, thick-walled churches and distinctive cut-stone detail, is quite unlike that of Moscow, and the icon painters of the Pskov school developed a style of their own. In 1581, a Polish army under Stefan Batory besieged the city for months and failed to take it, a defense that is remembered with pride. Much of the old town was damaged in the Second World War, and it has been carefully restored.
Beyond the city is a landscape of low hills, lakes and meadows. Lake Peipus, to the west, was the scene of the Battle on the Ice in 1242, in which Alexander Nevsky defeated the Teutonic Knights, and the Pskov-Pechory Monastery, near the Estonian border, is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved in Russia, with a cave church cut into a sandy hill. Izborsk, with its ancient fortress, lies on the way. The road to these places is a pleasure, a gentle, quiet route through farmland and birch woods, with long views and little traffic.
The practical side is easy. Pskov has about two hundred thousand people, fuel stations and plenty of cafes, and it is a good base for exploring the area. The border with Estonia and Latvia is close, and the border zone has its own rules, so check what is required if you plan to go near it.
Walk along the wall of the Krom in the evening, and the river reflects the light on the white stone. The city is quiet then.