Russia
The Russia you hear about in the news is very different from the Russia you’ll see in person. It’s a vast and varied country — the world’s largest — spanning nine time zones from the Volga River’s birch forests and the grassy steppes to the serene countryside of Lake Baikal and Dachas along the Black Sea. Russia dazzles with its turbulent history and fascinating culture, full of amazing food and passionate conversations, of bold art and political intrigue, often fueled by a few homemade vodkas. Cosmopolitan restaurants and luxury hotels have created a buzzing post-communist nightlife and culinary scene, and performances at world-renowned venues such as the Russian National Ballet Theater are highlights of any trip. Alternatively, tread in the footsteps of literary greats, including Tolstoy and Pushkin, or climb an active volcano in Kamchatka.
One of the best ways to see the country is by train on the Trans-Siberian railway from Moscow or St. Petersburg across Mongolia to Beijing, China or Vladivostock in eastern Russia. Most people start with the capital cities, touring the Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square then going on to the majesty of Czarist Russia at Alexander Column and the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Golden-domed cathedrals can be found in the outlying “Golden Ring” cities such as Rostov Veliki, while beaches and ski slopes are a quick flight away. The magnitude of this country is astounding… Na Zdorovie!