The south bank of the Vologda River, running along the front of the Kremlin complex, is lined with 18th and 19th-century merchant houses that were the homes of the families who built Vologda's prosperity from the fur trade, the river trade, and later from the linen and butter industries. The embankment itself — a broad paved riverside promenade — is the main public space in the city centre.
Walking the embankment from the Kremlin gate east to the old bridge takes about 20 minutes at an easy pace, passing a sequence of different architectural periods: Baroque, Empire style, Classicist, and the more ornate forms of late-19th-century eclecticism. Several of the merchant houses have been converted into hotels; others hold regional government offices. The view across the river to the wooden residential streets on the north bank is the best way to grasp Vologda's urban character.