Bolshaya Pokrovskaya is the main pedestrian street of Nizhny Novgorod's Upper Town — a long, slightly curved boulevard lined with 19th-century merchant mansions, theatres, and a constant flow of locals and visitors. The street runs south from the Kremlin through the heart of the old city and is the natural place to orient yourself when you first arrive.
The buildings along the street include some of the city's best-preserved 19th-century architecture — Empire-style facades, corner towers, and arcaded shopfronts. Scattered along the pavements are bronze sculptures of various theatrical characters (the Nizhny Novgorod State Academic Drama Theatre is on this street), which locals use as casual photo props. The street's cafes and bakeries are good places to take a break; the pedestrianised section runs for about 800 metres and connects to several side streets worth exploring.