Russia Travel Guide

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Top Things to See

The Kremlin and Red Square
The focal point of Moscow is Red Square, on one side of which is the Kremlin (www.kremlin.ru), surrounded by a thick red fortress wall containing 20 towers. Within its grounds, the Uspensky Cathedral (1475-79) contains three of the oldest Russian icons.

St Basil's Cathedral
Built in the mid 16th century, St Basil's Cathedral stands over the entrance to Red Square and is the ultimate symbol of Russia, with its colorful onion domes and fascinating icons. Ivan the Terrible reportedly blinded its architects following completion to prevent them creating anything more beautiful.

Lenin's Mausoleum
The founder of the world's first communist state can still be seen most days of the week. Look for the queues across Red Square and don't talk as you file past the waxy-green looking father of the Soviet Union.

Golden Ring
The ancient towns of great architectural and spiritual significance around Moscow are known as the Golden Ring. They are a rich collection of kremlins (citadels), monasteries, cathedrals and fortresses and well worth a day trip or two.

St Petersburg
Russia's most beautiful city is spread over 42 islands in the delta of the River Neva and is more Western in character than Moscow with its colorful Italianate architecture and wide boulevards. Peter the Great built the city in 1703 and it remained the capital of Tsarist Russia for 200 years.

The Winter Palace and the Hermitage
The neoclassical ensemble of Palace Square and the Winter Palace is the centerpiece to St Petersburg. The palace is also home to the world-class Hermitage Art Museum (www.hermitage.ru); its vast collection covers ancient Egyptian treasures and Picasso's Blue Period.

Yusupov Palace
Your jaw will no doubt drop at St Petersburg's gorgeously decorated Yusupov Palace (www.yusupov-palace.ru). Its rooms are sumptuously decorated in 19th-century style and include a gorgeous mini-theater. A waxwork exhibition also commemorates Rasputin, who was murdered here.

Nevsky Prospekt
Grand Nevsky Prospekt, dominated by the spire of the Admiralty Building, is St Petersburg's main thoroughfare and is lined by opulent buildings. These include the Kazan Cathedral and the stunning Church on the Spilled Blood, set back from the road itself along the Griboyedov Canal.

Imperial palaces
The extraordinary collection of Tsarist-era palaces on the outskirts of St Petersburg include Peterhof (www.peterhof.ru), a former summer palace of Peter the Great known for its beautiful cascades and fountains. The Grand Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo (www.tzar.ru/en) was built for Peter the Great's wife.

Russian wildlife
The Kursche Spit is a beautiful sand peninsula extending nearly 100km (63 miles) along the coast, and is a rich habitat for plants and animals. Near Vladivostok is the Ussuriysk Taiga, a unique habitat for plants of the pre-glacial period, as well as tigers, leopard, bison, boar and bears.

Volgograd
Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad, which stands at the confluence of the Volga and Don rivers, was the sight of WWII's most brutal battle. The Victory Museum celebrates the victory over the Nazis, and the whole city is a monument to the year-long battle that took place there. Tours to the battlefields are available.

Siberia
Siberia covers an area of over 12.8 million sq km (4 million sq miles), containing unimaginably vast stretches of marshy forest (taiga). This ‘sleeping land' possesses a million lakes, 53,000 rivers and an enormous wealth of natural resources.

The world's deepest lake
Lake Baikal is accessible from Irkutsk by hydrofoil during the summer. With a depth of 1,637m (5,371ft), it is the world's deepest lake and has a 2,000km (1,243 miles) shoreline. The purity of its water is maintained by millions of tiny crayfish and provides a habitat for a wide variety of fish.

Top Things to Do

Moscow nightlife
Nightlife in the city includes the world-famous Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater (www.bolshoi.ru) at Teatralnaya Square, which dates from 1824 and has an interior color scheme of red and gold.

Steam baths
A Russian banya (steam bath) is a true experience and an integral part of Russian culture. Banyas range from small homely affairs in someone's garden to lavish and expensive places for the wealthy to spend time with friends.

Skiing in the Caucasus
There is guaranteed snow throughout the season if you go skiing in the Caucasus and in the far eastern peninsula of Kamchatka. Cross-country skiing is popular in Karelia on two of Europe's biggest lakes.

The ‘Russian Riviera'
The ‘Russian Riviera' around Sochi on the Black Sea is a great place to relax. For generations this has been Russia's holiday hotspot and is now a home from home to the new generation of wealthy Russians seeking sun and sand.

Europe's highest mountain
The stunningly beautiful Caucasus contains Europe's highest peak, Mount Elbrus. At 5,642m (18,510ft), it straddles the border between Russia and Georgia to the south and is one of the most beautiful in the country. It's extremely popular with walkers and climbers.

The Switzerland of Siberia
The Altai region of southern Siberia rivals Switzerland for rolling hills, snowy peaks, flowers and pine forests. Despite the terrible cold of winter here, summer temperatures are warm and the air heady with the scents of its flowers, herbs and trees.

The volcanic Far East
Incredible Kamchatka, one of the most volatile and volcanic places on earth, is a great place to climb volcanoes. The Valley of the Geysers, its most spectacular natural marvel, can only be visited by helicopter but is one of the most exciting trips you can take.

The world's greatest train journey
Experiencing the real Russia by taking the Trans-Siberian Express is a trip of a lifetime. Trains are a comfortable, reliable and exciting way to see Russia; you can cover the entire length of the country from Murmansk to Vladivostok.

Fishing
The rivers of northwestern Russia, Siberia and the Far East teem with fish and offer an incredible variety of challenging fishing, including some of the world's largest and most aggressive freshwater fish.

Traveling the great rivers
Russia's vast rivers offer exciting cruising, kayaking and rafting. The Volga, Ob and Lena all have comfortable cruise boats trawling their length during the summer months, while the Altai is the best bet for adventure seekers.