The Volga

To experience Russia only from the land, however, is to miss a central feature of its character, for river travel has always stood at the heart of Russian life.

The main artery of the Russian heartland has always been the 3700km-long River Volga (Europe’s longest river), which slowly meanders from Yaroslavl, north of Moscow, all the way down to Volgograd, from where a tributary runs off to the Caspian Sea. The Volga-Don Ship Canal links it with the River Don, bound for the Azov Sea. Cruisers and steamships ply the Volga’s waters, the most interesting section is between Volgograd and Rostov-on-Don. Towns en-route include Kazan, one of the oldest Tatar cities in Russia, which features a limestone Kremlin and mosques; and Lenin’s birthplace, Ulyanovsk, full of memorable sites. Volgograd, previously known as Stalingrad, is best known for the decisive and protracted battle fought here during WW II. After Stalingrad the Soviet forces advanced almost continuously all the way to Berlin. The city has since been built from scratch. There are extremely interesting museums and monuments here. Now Volgograd is a prosperous commercial and industrial centre.

The Altai Mountains

Altay Mountains is one of very few places on Earth where during the past millennium a lot of ancient monuments were kept almost in their original look. Naturally combining with the environment they create the unique historical-cultural landscape. Travel to Altay Mountains and remember that Altay in substance is an outdoor museum – one of the most ancient districts of the human being’s habitation on the Asian continent. Here the evidences of the peoples’ activities from previous periods are remained; up till now one can see numerous monuments of Scythian, Old Turkic and other cultures. Every year different scientific expeditions happen on the republic’s territory. Their aim is to study the peoples’ history that used to live in these blessed valleys at one time. In Moscow museum of History and in St. Petersburg’s Hermitage unique burial discoveries that do not have world’s analogues are on display.  Altay Republic abounds with numerous lakes and rivers. The main river Katun starts from mountain glaciers and in 20 kilometers away from Biysk conflows with the Biya River that flows from the  – another Altai’s place of interest. The Biya is famous for its crystal pure water and which makes on the world’s biggest river the Ob.   Altay Mountains is a miraculous and very beautiful region about which a lot of lyrical words have been written. European tourists who enjoy  adventure travel, and look for tourism  in Russia are greatly attracted by these places and always call Altay Mountains “Siberian Switzerland” owing to striking similarity of Altay Mountains and Swiss Alps. Wild and primitive nature untouchable by civilization is the reason why people all over the world come here tired from obsessive benefits of our time. Altay Mountains are often compared with Tibet. According to a lot of legends somewhere here there is the entrance into the mystic Shambhala country – White Water land so called by Altay Old Believers – the country of touching to Enigma, knowledge of truth and heart’s opening.  Altay Mountains are marvelous in all seasons striking by the variety of nature contrasts. If in summer they look like a colored carpet abundant with multicolored tones, in autumn the mountains are covered with yellow-orange fire of leaves above which appear the snow peaks that sparkle like diamonds. 

Lake Baikal

Baikal is a beautiful lake located in the South-Eastern part of Siberia. It is the deepest freshwater lake on the earth and the largest reservoir of fresh surface water. Baikal is famous for the unique clarity of its waters and the diversity of flora and fauna. Besides, Baikal Lake has been the important holy place of Asia for many centuries.

It is especially good (and just a "must") to visit Baikal if you're taking a Trans-Siberian train. This train stops in Irkutsk and rather than sitting in the train for 6 days waiting Moscow (or Beijing), you can hop off the train in Irkutsk and make a trip to Baikal Lake. The experiences you will get there will be incomparable to anything else. 

This remarkable lake is a one of Asia’s holy places. Peoples through over the centuries prayed to the lake and believed in its power. You can still see at the lake the unique carvings and parts of the ritual buildings of the tribes that gone thousands years ago. Baikal serves as a boundary for two Russian provinces – Buryatia Republic (south-east shore) and Irkutskaya oblast (north-west shore). The south-western part of Baikal is more touristic, however north-eastern part is almost deserted – few inhabitants and almost no tourists.  Baikal was added to the World Heritage list by UNESCO in 1996.