Reveal Your Own Russia
Russia, a country of enormous social, political and geographic proportions, remains one of the great undiscovered destinations for travel in the 21st century. An incredible diversity of customs, culture and wildlife lies between the Gulf of Finland and the Pacific Coast’s Kamchatka peninsula.
Russia remains the biggest country in the world, covering an eighth of the Earth’s land area. Travelling 9,200 kilometres overland from west to east takes six days on the Moscow – Vladivostok train, a route that crosses a fascinating landscape across eight time zones. Due to its geographical position, Russian culture is a melting pot of Oriental, European and Asian traditions. This diversity is evident not only in its architecture and art, but in the character and lifestyle of its people. Even the two main cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg, are completely different in character. Moscow is an ancient capital of churches and monasteries.
Its heart, the Kremlin, brings you immediately to the 15th century, the time of grand princes and tsars, yet it is one of the most rapidly developing cities in the world, increasingly influenced by the West. St. Petersburg is an elegant city of palaces and grand estates that was founded by Peter the Great to become Russia’s 'Window to Europe'. Between these two remarkable cities lies vast countryside dotted with villages of small wooden dachas and, occasionally, country estates and historic monasteries.
The Golden Ring towns of Vladimir, Suzdal, Yaroslavl, Kostroma and Rostov were founded during the 12th and 13th centuries following invasion from the south and flourished as trade towns, though they were overtaken by Moscow in importance by the 16th century. Russia is a country of great composers, musicians, ballet dancers and artistic traditions. Concert halls such as the Tchaikovsky Conservatory are ever popular and the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theatres are among the most important ballet and opera stages in the world.
Countries
RussiaThings to do
- Hermitage Museum
- The Palace Square
- Cathedrals and Churches
- Watch the Bridges open during drawbridges tour
- Visit the Mariinsky Theatre
- Climb the Roofs of the City
- Peter and Paul Fortress
- The Admiralty
- See some peculiarities at the Kunstkamera Museum
- See the maquettes of Russia and St.Pete
- Petergof
Cuisine
- Russian food might not have the international renown of other, more widespread cuisines, but little-by-little, the foodie community is starting to uncover the true, delicious nature of traditional Russian food, and the unique, slightly eccentric and family-oriented philosophy that defines Russian food culture.
- Forget those outdated, Soviet-era inspired ideas about Russian cuisine as stodgy and unimaginative. The truth is, Russia has a long and rich culinary history. Russian cooking is full of fascinating regional variations, and cities like Moscow and St Petersburg are undergoing a modern-day gourmet renaissance.
- With more and more fine-dining restaurants gaining global acclaim and a melange of international influences becoming infused in the Russian culinary landscape, Russia is attracting food-obsessed travellers who seek something out of the ordinary and come away surprised and totally satisfied.
Costs
- Meal prices in Russia can vary, the average cost of food in Russia is EUR 20 - 25 per day.
- The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Russia is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
- The cost of a taxi ride in Russia is significantly more than public transportation. On average, EUR 30 - 35 per person, per day, on local transportation in Russia.
Visa
- The Russian consulates located in Europe take 3 to 10 business days for the visa processing. In addition, Russian visas issued by the consulates in Europe may have a five day 'waiting period' on entering Russia, i.e. the person can not travel to Russia for at least 5 days after the visa is issued.
- However, this rule is applied sporadically and largely depends on the local consul's decretion. If your travel plans are urgent, we strongly recommend you to contact the Russian consulate you plan to collect your visa at and make sure that your visa will be available in time.
Season to Visit
- June
- July
- August
- September
Typical Duration to Visit
- 04 - 08 days
Known For
- Epic Journeys
- Majestic Landscapes
- Arts and Crafts
- Imperial Grandeur
- Soviet Relics
- Literary Titans
- Religious Buildings
- Quirky Places and Experiences
- Multicultural Encounters
- Off the Beaten Track
Areas to Visit
- St Petersburg
- Moscow
- Lake Baikal
- Trans Siberian Railway