What is there to see in Russia?
Any visitor, who comes to see Russia, has to know the answer to one question: “What is there to see?” And while there are various beautiful places to visit, your choice will depend on your preferences and how much time you have. If your Russian girlfriend has not been to one of the places you’ll visit, it is always a good idea to take her with you as an interpreter and beautiful company.
Moscow
One should always start with the capital. The huge and powerful walls of the Moscow Kremlin are hiding an entire range of architectural art. There are definitely plenty of things to see including:
- The Red Square
- The Armory
- The Diamond Fund
- Lenin's Mausoleum
- Tsar Cannon
- Tsar Bell
- Minin and Pozharsky Monument
- St. Basil's Cathedral with its multicolored domes
If you stay in Moscow long enough, you should take a walk down the old Arbat street, which is one of the oldest still remaining streets in the city of Moscow. To explore the underground stations, one can take the subway and feel the underground winds created by the trains moving with the speed of 50 km (30 miles) per hour. To see the great panorama of Moscow, one should go to the Sparrow Hills (Vorobyovy Gory) – the highest point in Moscow and the most beautiful place in summer and golden autumn. Those interested in seeing the life of the Tsar family and Russian aristocracy can see estates of Kolomenskoye, Kuskovo, Ostankino, and Tsaritsyno.
Saint Petersburg
The next city to see in Russia should definitely be Saint Petersburg. This city is a living museum of Russian and European history. Every building, every channel and every street tell a beautiful story. Just visit the magnificent Hermitage, the amazing Peter and Paul Fortress (Petropavlovskaya Krepost), the beautiful St. Isaak's Cathedral (Isaakievskiy Sobor), Kazan Cathedral and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. To see and learn about all of these you will need at least one whole week. Take an extra week to explore the splendid palaces that can be found all around Saint Petersburg.
One of the most favorite places among tourists is the Yusupov Palace, where the mysterious death of Rasputin took place. Other noble palaces are the Menshikov Palace and Saint Michael's Castle. Peterhof is famous for its indescribable luxury and magnificent beauty. Tsarskoye Selo encloses a whole range of beautiful architectural monuments, including the dazzling Catherine Palace, Lomonosov, Gatchina, Pavlovsk and Strelna. All these suburban complexes are now available for the public to see and will not leave you disappointed.
Golden Ring of Russia
If you have enough time you should definitely take the Golden Ring of Russia tour, which includes the following old Russian cities:
- Vladimir
- Suzdal
- Sergiev Posad
- Uglich
- Rostov
- Yaroslavl
- Pereslavl-Zaleski
These cities carry the traces of ancient Russian history, going all the way back to the 11th and 12th centuries. Their monuments and historical relics are of great importance for the Russian people.
Volga River
The popularity of tours down the Volga River grows with every year. The beautiful banks and mild climate in summer makes them a great choice for couples who want to spend time on a romantic cruise.
Russian South
Russian South has always been a popular vacation destination for Russian people. However, after the Olympic games of 2014 the southern cities are growing even faster to accommodate the expected flood of visitors, and are now more open and adapted for tourists from other countries. One can visit Sochi, Anapa and Gelendzhik, which are located on the Black See, and have beautiful mountainous areas where sometimes skiing is possible even in summer.
Russian Health Resorts
Russia is famous for its beautiful health resorts:
- Kislovodsk
- Yessentuki
- Pyatigorsk
- Zheleznovodsk
- Nalchik
Many famous Russian artists, writers and political figures found their inspiration and cured their illnesses in one of these places.
After you learn about all the interesting places Russia has to offer, choosing a place to visit from this wide variety becomes the hardest thing to do. However, if you admire great and unique architecture, Moscow, Saint Petersburg and the cities of the Golden Ring of Russia should definitely be on your to-do list for a trip to Russia. But if you love beautiful, untouched nature, take a tour down the Volga River, go to the cities of Russian South and visit the invigorating Russian health resorts.