With the world’s deepest lake and Europe’s longest river within its borders, Russia is the ideal country to be explored by cruise. The most famous of river cruise voyages within Russia is undoubtedly the Volga. When the Slavs emigrated from Kiev - marking the beginning of Russia as we know it - they chose the leafy forests around the Volga to settle in.
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Although it doesn’t boast the sheer number of architectural gems of St Petersburg or the buzz of Moscow, Russia’s 4th biggest city has for the past hundred years persistently kept popping up in international headlines. From the banal— its residents consume the most mayo (11kg/annum!) in the world— to the ground-breaking— the protests held in 2019 were one of the few significant civil movements in Russia at the time— to the heart-breaking— this being the place where the Royal family were murdered— Yekaterinburg has something for everyone.
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In the mere three hundred years that St Petersburg has existed it has played a whole range of roles. The richness of its history means that even born-and-bred petersburgers can’t claim to have seen all the treasures of this city - there’s simply too much to fit into a lifetime! From a visitor’s perspective this is both a blessing and a curse. Here, we’ve listed the best places to springboard your journey into St Petersburg.
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When visiting Moscow it can be far too easy to get stuck on the well-trodden tourist routes and never see anything remotely close to the real Moscow. To get a feeling of the rhythm of Moscow city and get to know the +10 million people who go about their everyday lives in Europe’s biggest city, take a step off the tourist trail and wander into the hipster corners and beautiful parks of this megapolis.
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To really get a feel of a city you have to step outside the normal tourist trail and dive in to the unreviewed and unlisted places waiting to be uncovered downtown. That is, unless you’re a non-Russian speaker, in which case exploring a city like Rostov without a rough guide would probably be fruitless as all the gems are generally tucked away in nondescript courtyards. So instead of wandering hopelessly round Rostov-on-Don, use this list of cool-and-happening places to springboard your journey in finding the real Rostov, Russia’s rap capital.
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Rostov has always been a city of strong, fearless and slightly ferocious people. In the 1570’s the city was established by the Cossacks and it remained their home for more than two centuries till the early 20th century when their tsarist loyalties forced them to flee from the Red forces. Then in the infamous 90’s, Rostov was taken over by the Mafia who set about making it Russia’s capital of crime. Thankfully, the only ‘strongmen’ you’ll see swaggering down Rostov’s streets today are the rappers who have kickstarted Rostov’s burgeoning music and alternative art scene.
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Today, St Petersburg’s libraries contain some of the world’s largest, oldest and rarest collections of books - both in Russian and foreign languages. These libraries are often housed in buildings as grand as palaces and are well worth a visit for the architecture and wood-paneled interiors alone.
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Golden leaves, mild temperatures, comparatively few people - there are many reasons why traveling to Moscow in the fall is a good idea. And who wants to explore anything when the air is thick and dense with heat and every step is a burden? Moscow is no exception in this case, so we’ve created a list of things that will compel you to move your next trip to Russia’s capital to September.
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St. Petersburg is so full of stunning wonders that you don’t even need to go anywhere special to make the most of your time. Nonetheless, it’s great to have some options that don’t eat a big hole into your budget. Here come the top six things you can do in Russia’s cultural capital entirely for free.
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You finally made it to Moscow, but soon realize that the city is quite expensive. Worry no longer, we’ve got you covered. Here comes a list of seven fun things to do in Russia’s capital all for free, without even having to take your wallet out of your pocket.
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What better season is there to travel than early fall? The summer’s warmth still lingers on and wintery darkness hasn’t completely descended yet. But most importantly, September is already considered low season, which means that many prices for museums, theater and more will be cheaper than in the previous months. In this article, we’ll give you a number of reasons why you should visit St. Petersburg in September and how to properly prepare for your trip.
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Celebrating New Year’s is all about the fizz, the fun and the glamour, the city lights shining and the champagne flowing. So, where better place could there possibly be to celebrate this momentous event, than in the biggest city in Europe – Moscow?
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Moscow truly is the beating heart of Russia and in the run up to New Year’s, visitors can really feel it thumping! Merry-makers from all over Russia come to see Moscow in all its shining glory. At a time when most northern cities go into dormancy, Moscow blossoms.
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Sometimes it seems as if Russians are a completely different species from the rest of us. In summer they hibernate en masse at their sleepy dachas, whereas in winter the cities turn into a hive of activity. It seems Russian’s take pleasure in having their behinds frozen off! No matter what the weather, you’ll find herds of rosy-cheeked Russians skiing through the city’s parks, dashing off to the theatre or taking the family out for a ride on vatrushkas.
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For that little prince or princess in your life, St. Petersburg truly is *the* fairytale city to whisk them away to for a week they will never forget. Every way you turn there’s a regal palace, magnificent cathedral or one-of-a-kind museum begging to be explored. St. Petersburg is also a lot more compact than the chaotic sprawl of Moscow, making it more short-leg friendly and it’s as flat as a pancake, which makes it ideal for zipping round on scooters (but not bikes— it’s way too dangerous!)
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Moscow truly is a mega-metropolis like no other. Its non-stop energy and sheer unorthodoxy is sure to enthuse any child with its rebellious, east-meets-west spirit. Just walking down Arabata Street— where ancient wooden storehouses are squashed against grey, soviet blocks which are then towered over by blingy high-rises— is sure to appeal to the childish disdain of all things orderly and conventional.
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