You can spend an afternoon browsing the exhibits at Novoduginsky Historical Museum named Vasily Dokuchaev in Novodugino. Take in the museums while you're in the area.
Before you take off to Novodugino on a whim, take the time to learn a few facts about it.
This town is located 130 miles (209 kilometers) west of Moscow, the nation's buzzing capital. Gagarin is a close-by notable area that's just 30 miles (48 kilometers) to the east.
A big part of traveling is meeting people, so why not make pals with a few of the 4,000 locals who live in this area of Smolensk Oblast?