Russia : Best Places to Visit in Russia

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Russia - the largest country in the world, has everything - from mountains to frozen lands, warm sads to valleys and other destinations to impress the visitors. If you are yet to visit the place, it’s high time to do that. The natural bounty and human endeavors will surely mesmerize you.
Here are the best places you should visit in Russia:

Lake Baikal

The high-altitude rift lake in Siberia - Lake Baikal is the deepest and oldest lake in the world. It has a depth of 1642 meters and it is as old as 25 million years. It is also the largest freshwater lake across the globe. Over 20% of the world’s freshwater is sourced from this lake.

Winter is the best time to visit the place as you can see up to 40 meters down into the water. You can also ski on the frozen surface of the water. However, if you are interested in island hopping, boat cruises, and kayaking, visit the place during Summer.

You can take a 5-hour flight from Moscow to Irkutsk - the distance between the two is 4325 km. Alternatively, take the trans-Siberian railway to Irkutsk. If you want to experience a luxurious journey, avail the Golden Eagle train.

Moscow

This place is connected via flight all over the world. Therefore, if you are visiting Russia, chances are that you will land in Moscow. Don’t consider it to be a connecting place to other parts of Russia and explore the glory of the city. It is the capital of Russia with full of magnificence, historical architecture, greenery, and so on.

A few must-visit places include Red Square, Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, State Tretyakov Gallery, Pushkin Museum, The Bolshoi Theatre, etc.

You can also explore the pedestrian-only shopping street at Stary Arbat. The shopping mall GUM will also fulfill all your shopping needs. Make sure to purchase porcelain relief, mosaic artworks, and crystal chandeliers. 

Satiate your appetite with pelmeni, borscht, blini, ponchiki, kasha, shchi, pirozhki, and more.
If you want to visit the place, land at Moscow Vnukovo airport. It is located 26.2 km away from the city.

St. Peterburg

If you seek to taste the historical grandeur of Russia, St. Peterburg is the perfect destination for you. You need to spend more than a day enjoying the beauty the city has to offer. It is the hub of fine art and intricate exotic designs. History is reflected all around the corner. Hop on a cruise and visit the imperial city across 300 km of canals.

With an overdose of gold and white colors, Moika Palace is a must-visit place. Here, Rasputin was killed. Nother neoclassical 19th-century cathedral - St. Isaac’s cathedral is yet another place to visit. Check out the second largest art and culture museum in the globe - The Hermitage Museum. Your day trip will be complete with a visit to Peterhof Palace, located 25 km outside of St. Petersburg.

There are lots of souvenir markets spread across the city including Konyushennaya ploshchad and Nevsky prospect. Try savory pancakes, borscht, shchi, Olivier salad, and pirozhki.

Pulkovo airport is the nearest airport to the city - located 15.8 km away from the city.

Altay

Inhabited by ethnic groups occupied with forestry and horse husbandry, Altay is a UNESCO world heritage site. Surrounded by natural reserves and lakes Altay mountains will offer a wonderful experience.

The place is ideal for outdoor lovers, hikers, climbers, trekkers, and kayakers. Other activities like cave exploring, diving, mushroom, and herb picking are also popular here. Once here, check out the Denisova cave - a significant place for prehistoric horses, artifacts, and bone fragments - dating back 50000 years. Belokurikha - a resort town - is the starting point for all your adventures.

Tolmachevo airport is the nearest one from Altay - located at 474.14 km distance. You can take private or public transport to reach the destination.

Sochi

Sochi is a summer beach resort town located on the Black Sea. With long stretches of sand beaches and pebbles - the place exhibits Stanistic architecture. Visit the place for the summer film festival Kinotava, outdoor markets, and spas. Mzymta - the longest river in Russia is a popular destination for rafting.

Caucasian state nature biosphere reserve is a UNESCO heritage site. It is located 50 km away from Sochi and spreads across 3000 square km to house unique species of fauna and flora including Persian leopard. Rosa Khutor ski resort is a favorite place for alpine skiing. The 2014 winter Olympic games were arranged here.

Some of the best shopping destinations include Ader market, art glass studio, MoreMall, plaza home mall, central market, fort art gallery, gorky mall, and mall city plaza. Sochi airport is the nearest airport to the city - 24.1 km away. Avail of a cab or public transport to reach the destination.

Olkhon Islands

Olkhon is one of the largest lake islands in the world. Covered with lush forests, steep mountains, and taiga, the place consists of local Buryats - a Mongolic group. You can explore places like coastal sand dunes, former soviet labor camps, and abandoned peschanaya village. The place is also famous for the walking trees - a striking phenomenon caused by strong winds that uncover the roots on the beach and offer an appearance of a standing person.

Pay a visit to the national history museum of Revyakin to chec out the lives in the islands during the Neolithic times.

Taste original cuisines in the place to satiate your appetite. Khuzhir is an airport on the island. You can land here to explore the village.

Russia is a beautiful place and it has lots of things to offer to people of different tastes. Whether you are an adventure enthusiast, shopaholic, or relaxing traveler - Russia can satiate whatever you crave. The warm-hearted people, historic grandeur, magnificent natural abundance, attractive shops, relaxing spas, yummy cuisines, and the stunning view will mesmerize you. Plan a trip today!