Kazan in two days, with a side trip to Sviyazhsk
Kazan sits where the Kazanka river meets the Volga, and it feels like two cities layered on top of each other: Tatar and Russian, mosque and cathedral, sometimes within the same wall. Two days is short, but it is enough to get a sense of the place if you keep the plan simple.
Day one: the Kremlin and the old streets
Start at the Kremlin in the late afternoon, when the white walls turn warm and the crowds thin out. Inside, the turquoise domes of the Kul Sharif Mosque stand a short walk from the Annunciation Cathedral. Look for the Söyembikä Tower — it leans noticeably, and there are at least three different legends about why.
From the Kremlin, Bauman Street runs downhill as a long pedestrian promenade. It is busy and a little touristy, but it is also the easiest place to try local food: echpochmak, a triangular pastry filled with meat and potato, and chak-chak, fried dough bound with honey. Buy the chak-chak in a small box; it travels well.
Day two: Sviyazhsk
Sviyazhsk is a small island town at the meeting of the Volga and the Sviyaga, founded in the sixteenth century as a wooden fortress for the siege of Kazan. Today it is quiet: a monastery, a few churches, wooden houses and a lot of sky. In summer you can get there by boat from the river port; otherwise it is about an hour by road.
Walk the island clockwise and finish at the viewpoint over the water. Bring a jacket — the wind on the river is stronger than it looks from the city.
Practical notes
The metro is small but useful for getting between the centre and the railway station. Most sights are walkable. For Sviyazhsk, check the boat schedule the day before; it changes with the season.