Essential Travel Itinerary: Russia

Just evoking the name will always bring to mind its sheer size. The country covers one 1/8th of the Earth's landmass and counts 11 timezones. Any traveller will have Moscow and St. Petersburg on their itinerary. Both have shared the title of capital city consistently throughout Russian history. And history really comes alive in places like the Hermitage Museum, Peterhof Palace and the Peter and Paul Fortress. The entire Red Square and Kremlin complex testify to the country's modern history and political muscle it wields. The Bolshoi Theatre is the one of the world's most prestigious settings for opera and ballet. 'The Golden Ring', is a complex of cities located North of Moscow dominated by monasteries, cathedrals, and churches. All with traditional, onion-domes of course. Kazan is a beautiful, central Russian city with deep Tatar roots, as seen in the motif of its own Kremlin and places of worship. Sochi is the largest Russian resort town, and ironically exhibits a Mediterranean climate. Its consistently being developed and attracts large numbers for its beaches, surrounding natural landscape and exciting nightlife.