The Nizhny Novgorod Cableway (Nizhnegorodskaya kanatka) crosses the Volga from the Upper Town to the town of Bor on the far bank, a journey of about 3.5 kilometres that takes around 12 minutes. It's one of the longest passenger cable cars in Europe over water, and the crossing gives you a sustained aerial view of the Volga — one of Russia's great rivers — that you simply cannot get from the ground.
The ride is cheap, runs frequently, and is used daily by commuters from Bor as well as by tourists. The gondolas are small and the wait can be long during rush hour, but at quieter times the crossing is genuinely spectacular. On a clear day you can see the city spread across both banks of the river, and in winter the frozen Volga below makes for an unusual sight. Bor itself is a small industrial town with little to recommend it beyond a cup of tea while you wait for the return car.