Russia, the world’s biggest nation, has everything, from cultural treasures to epic train excursions to vodka-fueled nightlife to charming old towns and rural countryside.

Classical and Modern

If you’re interested in seeing historic walled fortifications, sparkling palaces, and swirly-spired cathedrals, European Russia is the place to go. The two must-see cities in this region are Moscow and St. Petersburg, which house a wealth of historical artifacts, political power, and cutting-edge artistic expression. These metropolitan areas are conveniently close to quaint historic towns and villages, such as Veliky Novgorod, Pskov, and Suzdal, where the scenery, complete with onion domes and gingerbread houses, lives up to the romanticized portrayal of rural Russia.

Experiential and Creative

Whether you’re an art lover seeking fresh literary inspiration or an adventure seeker searching for new territory to explore, Russia has much to offer. Discover the rural homes where literary greats like Tolstoy and Pushkin once lived. You may ski or climb tall mountains in the Caucasus, trek or white-water raft in the Altai Republic, walk around Lake Baikal, or summit an active volcano in Kamchatka.

In the Unknown

You can’t just visit the major tourist attractions in Russia in the same manner you could in a smaller country because of the country’s size and diversity. Instead, Russia is made up of many independent regions, all of which need special treatment. Flying directly to a regional center like Rostov-on-Don, Irkutsk, or Yekaterinburg is more cost-effective than connecting to Moscow. The nation has a convenient network of hostels and hotels in the Western manner, and it is easy to arrange transportation (trains and planes) online, making it possible to plan a vacation of this kind on your own.

An Interesting Puzzle

We won’t sugarcoat anything; visitors to Russia will still have to deal with bureaucracy and the occasional pain and inconvenience, especially when venturing outside the big metropolitan centers. But suppose you can muster even a fraction of patience. In that case, you’ll be well rewarded: one of the greatest pleasures of visiting Russia is getting carried away by the enormous kindness of the people. Famous authors like Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Winston Churchill have referred to Russia as a puzzle. If you accept this paradox, you, too, will be overcome with love for Mother Russia.