Tour description
We’ll visit two cultural hotspots, both of them astonishing; Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Red Square in Moscow
We’ll meet in Moscow, where Red Square is a good place to start exploring. It’s the scene of so many important historical events, where war victories have always been celebrated, where coronations have been performed, and where during the Cold War the Soviet Union paraded a few of the nuclear weapons that they would ultimately decommission as relations thawed.
Historical monuments and impressive art
The Kremlin contains the city’s oldest historical monuments and cathedrals. Ivan the Terrible’s Basilius Cathedral is situated just near the Kremlin on the Red Square (on completion the architect’s eyes were gouged out so he could never design anything so superb again). But it’s not just churches because everywhere you turn you’ll see the finest examples of ancient Russian architecture. Meanwhile, for the art lovers, there is the Pushkin museum (a collection of European art with much of its strength being in its collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art) and the Tretyakov gallery (an excellent collection of worldwide famous masterpieces and iconic Russian artists).
Famous metro network
The metro network of Moscow is one of the world’s most economical and heavily used, and you’ll find it great to get around the city. It is well known for its wonderfully ornate stations which make it something of an underground museum. You’ll be able to take a boat ride along the Moscva River to give you a great view of it and a real understanding of the capital’s layout. And we’ll go to see the famous Arbat, one of the oldest streets in Moscow and along which lie what were once the mansions and villas of many of the long-gone nobility (not that Moscow hasn’t seen the evolution of its 21st century equivalent, though they’re mostly in the mafia). In the evenings you’ll have the opportunity to try out one of the many trendy bars, restaurants or theatres.
Peter the Great
On day 4 we’ll take the comfortable night-train from Moscow to St. Petersburg, the cultural capital of Russia lying on the river Neva. Peter the Great built his ‘city of dreams’ here on islands joined together by approximately 200 bridges. The centre of the city is crowded with beautiful historical buildings and fairytale cathedrals topped by colorful spherical domes. If you have no definite plans it is worthwhile simply wandering through the streets, along the river and canals, because vestiges of the city’s history are everywhere you go and there is always something interesting to see.
Hermitage in St. Petersburg
The Hermitage, one of the world’s most famous museums, houses an enormous collection of drawings, paintings, statues and unique artifacts, and a visit to this museum would definitely be a highlight of your trip. You might also enjoy attending a Russian Orthodox Church service since they are often very moving experiences. Or, instead, you could wander through the Nevskii Prospect’s beautiful palaces. The days of bread queues are over, and you’ll find every kind of department store, designer shop and restaurant! You can also visit the Tsar’s residence at Peterhof, modeled on Versailles.
On day 8 we’ll say our farewells and head for home.