Ryazan lies on the high right bank of the Oka river, a few hours south-east of Moscow, in the broad farming country of central Russia. Its kremlin, with the white-and-gold Assumption Cathedral, a bell tower that was the tallest in Russia in its day and a cluster of old churches, stands on a bluff above the river, and it gives a sense of how the princes of this land lived. The original capital of the principality, now known as Old Ryazan, lay farther to the south-east, and it was destroyed by the Mongols under Batu Khan in 1237, an event that is still recalled as one of the terrible moments of the Russian past.
A good ride towards Ryazan takes the Oka as its guide. From Kolomna, a pleasant old town with its own kremlin and the famous pastila, a sweet apple confection, the road follows the river valley through meadows, birch woods and villages of wooden houses with carved window frames. The surface is mostly decent on main roads, though often patched, and the traffic is heavy with trucks on the federal highways. Side roads can be rough and dusty in dry weather, and muddy during the spring thaw in April, or in the autumn rains. Summer is warm and light, with evenings that seem endless, while winter is very cold, with snow and ice from November to March.
Ryazan is also a land of poets and soldiers. The poet Sergei Yesenin was born in the village of Konstantinovo, a short drive from the city, and the house museum and the meadows around it are a place of pilgrimage for lovers of Russian verse, who recite his lines among the birches. The Ryazan region is known too for its airborne troops, trained at the city's famous school. Food here is hearty, from fish pies and mushroom dishes to the creamy soups and rye bread served with sour cream, and in autumn the markets are full of apples, honey and pickled vegetables.
The city has a population of over half a million, so there are fuel stations, repair shops and hotels in good supply, especially along the main roads and on the approaches. Cash and a mobile connection are both useful, and you should check the latest travel advice and entry conditions well before you plan any journey. A walk along the embankment at dusk, as the sun sinks behind the river and the bells ring, is the best end to the day.