Top 10 Most Beautiful Places To Visit In Russia

Top 10 Most Beautiful Places To Visit In Russia. Photo KnowInsiders

It’s no surprise a country as vast as Russia has a lot of top-of-the-bucket-list travel destinations. Truly, this is a country of immense natural splendour. From ancient mountain ranges to ocean-sized lakes, from remote rugged wilderness to picturesque countryside, here are top 10 most beautiful spots to visit in the world’s largest nation. The list is selected by KnowInsiders.

1.Saint Petersburg

2.Moscow

3.Sochi

4.Altai

5.Peterhof

6.Lake Baikal

7.Olkhon

8.Golden Ring

9.Kamchatka

10. Kenozersky National Park

1.Saint Petersburg

St. Petersburg is a city with a long and eventful history and is one of the best cities to visit in Russia. In 1611, the town was born under the name Nyens and steadily grew in size and prestige. As regimes rose and fell around the great city, it was renamed again and again until it arrived at its present name, St. Petersburg.

Another cultural jewel, St. Petersburg, was founded in 1703 by Tsar Peter the Great and is now one of Russia’s most popular places to visit. It is governed as a federal city, and there are so many magnificent places to see and so many things to do that it will leave you breathless for a moment. In the best way!

Make sure to visit the Hermitage, museum of art and culture. It has now become a symbol of the city, as it is filled with impressive collections of paintings and millions of other items. One of the most comfortable ways to reach this city is to take a train from Moscow to St. Petersburg.

Take your time while visiting this grand country. You will need it. With the number of places to see and visit, this trip will surely be one of the most mind-boggling ever. So grab your passport and an itinerary; Russia awaits!

2.Moscow

Photo Global GrassHopper

Since most international flights arrive or at least stop in Moscow, it's worth planning your trip so you at least have a few hours to explore the city. Russia's capital is a magnificent mix of greenery, stunning architecture, and lots of historical reminders of times gone by.

Visitors to Moscow usually start exploring in the center, where the Kremlin, Red Square, and the colorful St. Basil's Cathedral are located. The shopping mall GUM, with its glass and steel roof, is also a popular destination—even by tourists who can't afford the luxury brands sold here—and a great place to try authentic Russian food.

Even if museums are not your thing, Moscow has some amazing options, including The State Tretyakov Gallery (which houses only Russian art); the Pushkin Museum (for more international collections); and the Kremlin Armory Museum for a look into some unique items, such as the ivory throne of Ivan the Terrible and gold-covered imperial carriages. The Bolshoi Theater, one of the largest ballet and opera theaters in the world, is also worth a visit if you can get tickets.

Some of the best things in Moscow require some walking to be properly explored, such as the pedestrian-only shopping street Stary Arbat and the boardwalk along the River Moskva.

Moscow's Metro stations are a work of art in themselves, decorated with porcelain relief, crystal chandeliers, and unique mosaic artworks that make these places basically look like subterranean palaces.

3.Sochi

Photo Lonely Planet

A summer beach resort town sitting right on the Black Sea, Sochi offers long stretches of pebble and sand beaches, imposing examples of Stalinist architecture, a summer film festival known as Kinotavr, and plenty of spas and outdoor markets to please all budgets and tastes. The longest river in Russia, Mzymta, cuts through Sochi before it empties into the Black Sea, and it's a very popular destination for rafting.

The 3000-square-kilometer Caucasian State Nature Biosphere Reserve, just 50 kilometers from Sochi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to a number of unique species of flora and fauna, including the endangered Persian leopard.

The nearby Rosa Khutor ski resort is another favorite destination during winter and a world-class alpine skiing area—the 2014 Winter Olympic Games were hosted here.

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4.Altai

Altai is a Russian republic in southern Siberia whose terrain Altai is perhaps the most beautiful region in Russia. This wilderness area is nearly untouched, and the natural beauty is perfectly breathtaking. Altai is filled with glaciers and glacial lakes, as well as therapeutic hot springs.

Both sightseers and health seekers love this wilderness area for its undefiled natural offerings, this is a wonderful unspoilt place in Russia which is perfect for backpackers to explore.

5.Peterhof

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Peterhof might be home to a university and a major Russian watch manufacturer, but this relatively small city's call to fame is the Peterhof Palace. Originally designed and built in the early 1700s for Tsar Peter the Great in a style that resembles the Palace of Versailles, the palace grounds cover an area of almost 4000 hectares.

There are 173 garden fountains around the palace—some, like the Grand Cascade fountains, with special features that activate water jets when people get close. The lower gardens, designed in French formal style, offer marble statues, shaded walking paths, and even an aviary pavilion.

The Grand Palace itself is a masterpiece of architecture, with majestic colors (there are gold details everywhere), art imported from Asia and the Far East, walls covered in authentic Chinese silk, and a massive ballroom covered in gilded carvings. The palace contains 10 separate museums, which hold art, furniture, and palace items from the 18th century.

6.Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal, which lies close to Mongolia in southern Siberia, is the earth’s oldest freshwater lake. It’s also the deepest and largest one by water volume: Lake Baikal contains around 23% of the world’s fresh surface water. Hike around the lake to enjoy the crystal clear waters and beautiful nature or stay in nearby Irkutsk and discover the city’s exciting history and fascinating architecture.

7.Olkhon

One of the world's largest lake islands, Olkhon is covered in steep mountains, lush forests, and taiga. The island is in Eastern Siberia and has a small permanent population that consists mostly of local Buryats, a Mongolic indigenous group who believes the island to be a powerful spiritual place.

Tourism has become a growing industry on Olkhon Island, with visitors coming over to explore places such as the coastal sand dunes and the abandoned Peschanaya Village and former Soviet labor camp nearby.

This area is also famous for its "walking trees," an unusual phenomenon that causes strong winds to uncover tree roots on the beach and gives them the appearance of a standing person.

There are several semi-urban settlements on the island, with Khuzir being the largest and the one offering homestays for visitors who want to stay over. The village also houses the small but interesting National History Museum of Revyakin, which chronicles life on the island as far back as Neolithic times.

8.Golden Ring

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The Golden Ring is a series of cities that are considered the foundation of Russia’s formation and culture. For travellers especially interested in Russian history, a trip through some of these wonderful cities is a must-see in Russian. A few good ones, to begin with, are Yaroslavl, Vladimir, and Suzdal.

Many of the sites within these cities are UNESCO protected because of their value not only to Russian history but to world history in general. Many of the structures date back to medieval times and beyond, so visitors to the area can get an experience of what life was like long ago. If you visit any cities in the Golden Ring, be sure to tour a few museums and monasteries as well.

9.Kamchatka

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Kamchatka is a volcanic peninsula in Russia’s Far East, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk. The volcanoes are already impressive on their own, and you can see them without even leaving the peninsula’s capital Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. For a real adventure, head over to the Valley of Geysers, a 4 km wide and 8 km long canyon that hosts more than 40 geysers as well as thermal springs. Scenic views can also be taken in at Avacha Bay - the second largest bay in the world. Here you’ll find the “Three Brothers,” a massive rock formation sticking their noses out of the water. Legend has it that three mighty brothers used to protect the local inhabitants from dangerous waves. After they had fulfilled their duty, they turned into stone to serve as eternal guardians for the bay.

The adventurous will love gorgeous Kamchatka, a large peninsular landmass in the north of Russia. Although Kamchatka which lies in far eastern Russia, between the Sea of Okhotsk on the west and the Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea on the east, is rather isolated, it continues to draw travellers because of its imposing volcanoes, steaming craters and ethereal landscapes.

Between interesting buildings, strange geological formations, and numerous natural wonders, there is always something to discover in Kamchatka and it’s easily one of the most beautiful places to visit in Russia.

10. Kenozersky National Park

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Situated in northwestern Russia, Kenozersky National Park is this popular place to visit in Russia for tourists. Surrounded by acres of lush woodland and waterways. The beautiful park is dominated by the large Lake Kenozero and is much loved by walkers, cyclists, and organised tours.

Scattered around the park, tourists will encounter countless historical buildings, such as churches and monasteries, the majority built by the Novgorod people, who were the first inhabitants of this area. Quaint Russian villages line the edge of the lake and offer a fascinating insight into the historic local culture.

Since 2004, Kenozersky National Park has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, making it a key conservation area for ecosystems and species local to the area.

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