Siberia, Kamchatka, Altai and Baikal|
The Map
Russia spans 11 time zones. Its land ranges from the highest mountains in Europe to some of the lowest spots in the world, and from Arctic tundra to seemingly endless plains. Check the Russia Trivia Page
Moscow and St.Petersburg
Moscow
Moscow has changed more in the past decade than over the previous half-century. Once-empty shops have become expensive restaurants, designer boutiques and 24-hour convenience stores. Nightlife, which used to be restricted to cheesy singers at bad restaurants, has exploded into one of the most vibrant and decadent party scenes in Europe. Yet the most surprising thing about today's Moscow is its normalcy - after 10 years of massive upheaval, it has transformed itself into something resembling a typical European capital city. True, the city still has more than its fair share of venal expatriates, foxy young adventuresses and thuggish mafiosi in Versace suits. But you're just as likely to see young Russian professionals driving Japan or German cars, reading the Russian-language Cosmopolitan and ordering cheese-and-basil pizza on their mobile phones.
That said, a visit to Moscow isn't simple. Those who don't speak Russian will be challenged by communication difficulties - even deciphering the Cyrillic signs can be a chore. I think these hassles are worth tolerating, however. There's something invigorating about observing the city's breakneck sprint toward the future, especially while visiting its famous landmarks of the past.
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St. Petersburg
Any city that has changed its name three times in less than 100 years might appear to have an identity crisis. And so it does, but St. Petersburg's upheavals mirror that of its mother country. It frequently took center stage in the drama that was Russia in the 20th century, not to mention the tumultuous centuries that came before. The names of its places and people are almost a roll call of Russian history: the Winter Palace, the czars, Dostoyevsky, the Peter and Paul Fortress, Tchaikovsky, Lenin. The city remains essential for visitors who want to understand what came before and what's happening in the country now. Travelers will find much of interest on the streets and canals of Russia's most beloved and European-styled city.
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Golden Ring
The "Golden Ring" is the name of a tourist route popular with both Russian and foreign lovers of old Russian architecture.
Include a visit to one or more of the towns of the Russian Golden Ring as part of your personal Firebird Russian Travel Package
The Russian Golden Ring, winds in and out of cities and villagers in the North-Eastern part of what used to be the State of Muscovy. It is hardly circular but it certainly is "golden" in the sense that it is rich in historical relics and towns that are museums in themselves. These man made "stone records" of the past have witnessed historical events, the suffering and heroism of the nation. Golden Ring tourism is a popular activity for Russians as well as visitors.
In the late 60's Soviet experts began the serious work of restoring these masterpieces. With the reemergence of the the Church since the fall of the Soviet Empire, the work of restoration is going on all over Russia. Golden Ring tourism now offers a magical window into Russia's colorful history. Russia travel is enriched by a trip to the Golden Ring.
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Russian North and Nort-West
Northern Russia and inimitable in its beauty Karelia have been attracting the worlds attention. Vologda, Arkhangelsk, Kandalaksha, Murmansk, Petrozavodsk, Pskov and Novgorod are waiting you. Towards the end of the 15th century, Dionysius the Greek, took a walk - from Greece to the White Lake in the north of Russia (about 300 km east of St. Petersburg and about 350 km north of Moscow)! The purpose of this trip was to paint. Some of his icons can be seen in the Tretyakovsky gallery in Moscow and at the monastery at Ferapontov, not far from the White Lake: the monastery is restoring some of his outstanding frescoes.
Thanks to the remoteness of the region and thickness of the woods, this northern region has pretty much escaped the ravages of invaders and reformers. Here the monasteries and churches are constructed so that they are part of the landscape, and village lifestyle has hardly changed over hundreds of years. Spared from industrialization the environment has remained relatively unspoiled and the many lakes and streams boast clean water and an abundance of fish.
The Russian countryside is rich in forests, lakes and rivers but poor in fences and no-trespassing signs. Russian forests in the summer are full of wild berries and mushrooms that, with the help of a knowledgeable guide, can be picked and eaten while enjoying a good hike in the fresh air. Monasteries and churches give the landscape a magical quality full of surprises and beauty.
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Siberia, Kamchatka, Altai and Baikal
Siberia
As the vast evergreen forests of Russia's Siberian taiga extend southward toward Mongolia, the ground rises and the terrain becomes more varied. The border between Siberian Russia and Mongolia is a natural divide here, with rugged hills and mountains forming series of wrinkles between the sprawling Russian forests to the north and rolling grasslands to the south. About midway along this border, in a gigantic stone bowl nearly 600 km long and almost 80 km wide, lies almost one quarter of the all the fresh water on earth - Lake Baikal.
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Kamchatka Peninsula
One of the top attractions in Siberia is an excursion to the spectacular volcanoes and parks of this pristine peninsula. It's remoteness makes it difficult and expensive to reach, but if you're looking for unspoiled wilderness, Kamchatka is well worth the trouble.
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Trans-Siberian Railway
Russia's Trans-Siberian Railway has long been an almost mythic experience. It is the longest continuous rail line on earth, each run clattering along in an epic journey of almost ten thousand km over one third of the globe. For most of its history, the Trans-Siberian journey has been an experience of almost continuous movement, seven days or more of unabated train travel through the vast expanse of Russia.
A great part of the pleasure of such a trip is simply sitting back and watching the land go by. However, most travelers on the Trans-Siberian find that interaction with other passengers, both Russians and tourists, is what makes the trip an unforgettable experience. Today, with far fewer travel restrictions, it is possible to use the rail journey as the core of a more varied tour.
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