The city of Kirillov was founded in 1397 when St Cyril (Kirill) of Belozero founded the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery here. Today the monastery is one of the best preserved examples of a northern Russian fortified monastery and the reason for visiting. You can combine a trip to Kirillov with Vologda and when in Kirillov you should try to also visit the nearby Goritsy Monastery and the UNESCO-protected Ferapontov Monastery.