top spots

	MOSCOW - BIG SMOKE  The sprawling, energetic capital of Russia. Home to the illustrious Red Square and the Kremlin - the place where all Russian roads lead to and from which most political power emanates. Visit the eerie mausoleum of Lenin, march the pavement as the Russian soldiers do and step inside the postcard perfect St Basil’s Cathedral. Moscow is glittering, grey, beautiful and somewhat bleak. As never before in the lifetime of its people, Moscow is a city of excitement and opportunity.
	PSKOV Just 30kms from Estonia and one of the oldest towns in Russia, ancient and historical Pskov has great village charm. Dotted with picturesque 15th and 16th century churches and quaint country cottages by the river. On a grander scale there are merchant mansions and a medieval citadel that is truly impressive. From within rises the 280m tall Trinity Cathedral, founded in 1138 and rebuilt in the 1690s; a firm favourite amongst our passengers.
	PECHORY Just beyond Pskov, Pechory is a little village settlement set among bubbling brooks and lush green meadows famed for its brightly coloured monastery. This still-working cloister offers the chance for us to enter the tranquility and view the church. Often we are able to explore the pechory’s spiderweb of dark spooky caves, where some 10,000 monks, benefactors and others bodies are vaulted and laid to rest..
	ST PETERSBURG City of tsars, grand palaces, Venetian-like canals, a cutting-edge bar and club scene, the shopping on Nevsky Prospekt and amazing attractions; St Pete’s is where you will most feel Russia’s European influences and aspirations. No trip to St Pete’s is complete without viewing the world-famous Hermitage Collection, spending an evening at the ballet and a great night out at one of the many lively pubs, cafes and nightclubs.
	VLADIMIR The city that gave way to Moscow as Russia’s capital. Boasting two of Russia’s most ravishing buildings and an interesting main street, Vladimir offers the feel of a real provincial town in the heart of the Golden Ring. Among many other attractions, the City boasts three UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Golden Gates, Vladimir’s unofficial symbol and the Assumption and St. Demetrius Cathedrals.
	YEKATERINBURG Here, you can straddle the Europe/Asia boundary marker and it is the first major stop in Asian Russia on the famous Trans-Siberian train line. Named after Saint Catherine, the namesake of Tsar Peter the Great’s wife Empress Catherine I, Yekaterinburg is gateway to the Ural Mountains and a great place to get away for an active break. In winter there is dog sledding or ice fishing and in summer, you simply must take a hike through the lush taiga forests.
	SUZDAL Officially protected from the strangulation of 20th-century development, Suzdal is loaded with protected buildings such as the kremlin and cathedral. The town rose in prominence as a religious centre with numerous monasteries and a remarkable ratio of churches to citizen, at one point, forty churches for four hundred families. A visit to Suzdal offers many fine examples of old Russian architecture, village life, streams, meadows and picturesque charm.
	TALLINN Located by the Gulf of Finland and a short hop from St Petersburg lies Tallinn, charming capital of Estonia, with a medieval Old Town, a jumble of medieval walls and turrets, needling spires and winding, cobbled streets full of cafes, bars and shops. A must see is the Toompea (Cathedral Hill), the seat of the central authority: first the Danish captains, then the Swedish and Russian governors, today the Estonian government and many embassies.

Tailor-made Top spots
	Church of St Dimitry on blood The favoured city of Ivan the Terrible, historical Uglich’s most famous site is the Church of St. Dimitry on Blood. In 1591, Ivan the Terrible’s 10 yr old son, Tsarevich Dimitry, was found dead with his throat cut in the palace courtyard. Suspicion immediately fell on the tsar’s chief advisor, Boris Godunov. With the real Dimitry dead a string of false Dimitry’s (False Dimitry I, II and III) all tried to grab the Muscovite throne. The church itself boasts a stunning red facade in contrast with star-studded, teal blue cupolas and the interior is just as delightful.
	Pechersk Lavra - Caves Monastery Found 3km south of where Kiev stood in 1051, the Caves Monastery was Kyivan Rus’ first monastery. Spread across wooded slopes above the Dnipro river, it’s a unique array of gold domed churches, underground labyrinths lined with mummified monks and elegant monastic buildings turned museums, one which has a hoard of Scythian gold to rival that of the Hermitage in St Petersburg. It’s the single most fascinating and extensive tourist site in the city and is worthy of a full day’s sightseeing.
	St Sophia Cathedral in Kiev An outstanding architectural monument of Kievan Rus’. Built in Byzantine style in 1017, to honour Prince Yaroslav’s victory over the Pechenegs, a rival tribe from the east. It is named after the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul and retains many wonderful golden mosaics and frescos from the 11th century and representations of Yaroslav’s family. Today, it is one of the city’s best known landmarks and the first Ukrainian patrimony to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.
	Karelia Carved out by a glacier thousands of years ago, located in the northwest upon the shores of the Onego and Ladoga Lakes, Karelia boasts a fascinating and beautiful back drop created by hills, lakes, rivers, forest and steppes. The rich, lush landscape makes it possible to enjoy outdoor leisure and a variety of active pursuits. Hike, bike ride, sail, white water raft, swim, horse ride or pamper yourself in one of the many health spa and retreats. Virgin woods, superbly clean lakes and pristine rivers makes Karelia, perhaps one of Russia’s best kept hideaways.