The embankment along the Tom River, below Resurrection Hill, is the city's main outdoor public space. In summer it fills with joggers, dog walkers, and couples, and small boats tie up along the bank. The view from the riverside looking up toward the old wooden houses on the bluff above is one of the characteristic Tomsk views — wooden gables and carved cornices against the sky.
The Tom is a substantial river at this point — wide, dark, and fast — and in spring the snowmelt brings dramatic flooding along its banks. In summer it is calm enough for small boats and occasional swimming on warm days. In winter the river freezes solid and locals sometimes walk or drive across on improvised ice roads.
The embankment is easy to reach from the centre and combines naturally with a visit to Resurrection Hill above. A walk from the embankment up through the wooden architecture streets to Lenin Square covers the core of historic Tomsk in about two hours at a comfortable pace.