As soon as our distant ancestor stood on two legs, straightened his back and looked around, he began to travel. At first - to the line of sight from the members of his pack, then - further and further. Not only the desire to get food, but also curiosity helped a person to populate the whole Earth. And all this - think! - on foot or on primitive watercraft.
Travel is important, not destination
Sometimes one day spent in other places gives more than ten years of living at home. These are the words of Anatole France. It is difficult to disagree with them. You can go on a trip not only to see other cities, beautiful nature and meet new people. Traveling is a sip of new emotions, an unforgettable experience. And it’s not necessary to look for them somewhere very far away. After all, Russia is huge, it is a country of contrasts and a special mentality! It’s unlikely to see all the corners of our homeland. Where do tourists start?
The most beautiful cities
In Russia there are many unique cities with a long history. The ten most beautiful include St. Petersburg and Moscow, Kazan and Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Arkhangelsk and Kaliningrad. Red Square in Moscow is the main square of the country, the place of great events. Tourists have either visited it, or certainly want to get there. St. Basil's Cathedral, the GUM building, a monument to Minin and Pozharsky - you can talk about them endlessly. All these architectural monuments are under the protection of UNESCO.
Suzdal is the smallest city of the Golden Ring cities with a population of only 10 thousand people. By metric standards - a province. But with what a story! Suzdal appeared in chronicles before Moscow, was the capital of North-Eastern Russia, the spiritual center. But then he stepped into the shadows, and when he remained outside the railway from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod, he was completely forgotten. But this is its uniqueness. The small Kamenka river, wooden houses with carved platbands, shiny domes of ancient churches - as if you are in the past.
Tourists in St. Petersburg first go to Peterhof. Where else can you see 176 fountains, which also work without a single pump? Water flows into them by gravity from specially constructed channels, according to the principle of communicating vessels. The fountain complex is one of the best in the world, it was conceived as an answer to the Paris Versailles. But only in Versailles fountains work thanks to expensive equipment.
Peterhof cost more than a century, and he suffered the most during the years of World War II. They managed to evacuate a huge part of the decoration, but they did not manage to save the 4 main sculptures. The restoration of the palace complex continues to this day.
Lakes
You can fully enjoy the beauty of the lakes by choosing trips to Russia. In the Novgorod and Tver regions, the Seliger lake system will allow you to see all the splendor of nature. Fans of outdoor activities will be able to go diving, windsurfing, parachuting.
If you visit Baikal in early September, you can see an amazing riot of colors with which the taiga is painted in the fall. The unique lake of the planet will not leave anyone indifferent. Baikal omul and pine nuts will be remembered for a long time.
Instead of the Dead Sea, you can safely go to Lake Baskunchak, in the Astrakhan region. It is the same salty and lifeless. The unique composition of salts will also help to improve health. Another salt lake is Elton in the Volgograd region, on the border with Kazakhstan, the concentration of minerals in it is 1.5 times higher than in the Dead Sea.
A true paradise for scuba diving enthusiasts is the Orlyn Cave in the Perm Territory. This unique gypsum cave is filled with clear, clear water.
Mountains and cliffs
There are plenty of unique rock formations in Russia. In the Perm region, the amazing Kungur ice cave. Stunning stalactites and stalagmites immerse tourists in an ice fairy tale. A special highlight only convinces them of this.
The highest point in Russia is Mount Elbrus in Kabardino-Balkaria. You can go skiing and snowboarding here. The service, of course, is average, but the beauty and atmosphere of the resort are extraordinary. The highest mountains are adjacent to the turbulent mountain rivers, and the cleanest air will help relieve tension.
You can see the Lena pillars on the Lena River in Yakutia. These rocks are over 500,000 years old. Each pillar is a natural formation, similar to a medieval column.
Untouched nature
Traveling is not always comfortable and convenient. Choosing a travel route in Russia, you can stop at the extreme to see the wildlife. You should go to Kamchatka, in the Valley of Geysers. You can look at them only from a helicopter, being at a safe height. But from the top a great view of the real miracle of nature will open. The valley is a canyon of a volcano with flowering slopes, with many hot fountains spurting from the ground. Above the geysers are steam clubs and many rainbow stripes.
Weathering posts in the Komi Republic have rightfully become the hallmark of the Urals. This is our Stonehenge. There are 7 pillars in total, from 30 to 42 meters high. Many millions of years ago there were high mountains in their place, but strong winds gradually destroyed soft rocks, leaving these pillars of bizarre shape. The most desperate ones decide to see them, because to the nearest inhabited places - about 400 km.
Desert and sands
In the Trans-Baikal Territory, forty kilometers from the glaciers, among the snow-capped mountains, taiga and swamps, the desert stretches - Charsky Sands. This is the "cold Sahara", here you can not meet camels, but a herd of deer - easily.
Another sands - in the north-east of the country. This is the Curonian Spit in the Kaliningrad Region, a sandy peninsula that separates the freshwater bay from the Baltic Sea.
In Russia there is something to see. And even if not everywhere there is already a favorite of many European service. Huge distances make you spend a lot of time on the road. Often this scares tourists, and the beauties of Russia remain aloof from the usual routes. But the essence of travel in camp conditions feels better. Probably, a lifetime will not be enough to thoroughly explore his native country, its vastness is so vast. If the Spartan conditions are not terrible, you can go on a trip. This is a great opportunity to see the beauty of lakes and rocks, mountains and deserts, cities and wildlife. No country in the world has such a diversity of landscapes and climatic zones. And remember: travel is the only thing that you buy becomes richer.