If you’re looking for day-trip inspiration, we’ve got a couple of suggestions. Sitting 25 miles away, Cheboksary is worth jumping in the car for. Monument of Mother ought to be at the top of your to-do list here. Chuvash National Museum and Museum of V.I. Chapaev are must-see attractions too. The locals will also likely point you in the direction of Yoshkar-Ola, 50 miles away. If you only see one thing here, make sure it’s Museum of the History of the Gulag. (But we’d also recommend Sapaev Mari State Opera and Ballet Theatre and Mari El National Shketan Drama Theater.)