Once the capital of the Lower-Volga region, Saratov is now a modern city located in the center of one of the biggest provinces in Russia. Saratov was founded in 1590 in the heart of the Volga River Valley. Manufacturing and metal processing as well as agriculture determined its rapid development and by the late 19th century it had been a regional center of industrial and cultural importance. The city boasts a large number of buildings built in provincial modern, pseudo-gothic and Moscow baroque style of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century. Among the landmarks of modern Saratov one of the longest bridges in Europe (4,5 km long) should be mentioned. Saratov offers all the attractions of the megapolis - theaters, Russia's oldest functioning circus, several art galleries and museums, many fine cafes and restaurants, casinos, nightclubs, supermarkets, etc - but at the moderate prices of a small city.
