Travel to Russia without any tourist traps! Here you will find a list of the top 10 sights of Russia! Which highlights and attractions should you not miss on your holiday in Russia?
Russia, the largest country on earth, is also a breathtaking land of contrasts. In Russia you can find both absolute silence and solitude in the vast taiga, as well as the thriving life and magnificent buildings in the Russian cities.
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St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow
Everyone has probably seen the colourful onion domes of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow at some point in their lives. The colourful church next to the famous History Museum on Red Square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Kremlin, Russia's seat of government. Even the French Emperor Napoleon was so impressed by the "Christian mosque" that he wanted to take it with him to Paris.
Article: Basil's Cathedral in Moscow
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Christ the Saviour Church in Moscow
The Church of Christ the Saviour on the banks of the Moskva is the tallest Orthodox cathedral in the world. 12kg of gold leaf adorn the church's 5 massive domes, symbolising Jesus Christ and the 4 evangelists. The almost 80m high interior is decorated with ornate paintings and frescoes that lead the faithful to the 30m high main altar.
Article: Christ the Saviour Church in Moscow
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Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal can be seen as a symbol of Russia's endless vastness - it is the deepest and oldest lake in the world and is home to the world's largest supply of fresh water. With its breathtaking surroundings, Lake Baikal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From November to May it is completely frozen over and offers a picture full of ice-cold, bizarre beauty.
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Hermitage in St. Petersburg
It was Catherine the Great who once collected her art treasures here - today the magnificent Hermitage with its priceless exhibits is one of the most important art museums in the world. In its royal rooms, where the Russian tsars once lived, around ten times as many exhibits can be admired as in the famous Louvre in Paris.
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Catherine Palace in Pushkin
Not only Catherine the Great, but numerous other empresses and emperors before and after her were responsible for the creation of the majestic Catherine Palace in Pushkin. It is located about 25km south of St. Petersburg and impresses its visitors with its idyllic gardens and the stunning Amber Room.
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Trans-Siberian Railway
Absolute solitude and a hint of the grandeur of Russia are offered by a journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway. The longest railway line in the world stretches over more than 9,000 kilometres from Moscow to Vladivostok. Along its 80 stations, it brings its passengers closer to the wildly romantic Russian taiga between 89 cities.
Article: Trans-Siberian Railway
St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod
After the cathedral of the same name in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, St. Sophia's Cathedral in Novgorod is the second oldest Russian Orthodox church in the world and, together with the entire Old Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Under its 38m-high dome, it houses a library with 5,000 volumes and the world-famous Bronze Door of Płock.
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Kljutschewskoi Nature Park in Kamchatka
The landscape of Kamchatka at the easternmost tip of Russia consists of a wild symbiosis of fire and ice. Glaciers and volcanoes lie close together here, forming the most volcanically active region in the world. In the Kljutschewskoi Nature Park, named after the largest volcano in Europe and Asia and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the mighty power of the earth's interior can be experienced up close.
Article: Kljutschewskoi National Park in Kamchatka
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Church of the Resurrection in Kolomenskoye
The Church of the Resurrection is the oldest preserved building in Kolomenskoye in the south-east of Moscow. It was built in honour of the birth of the Tsar who later became known as Ivan the Terrible. Even at first glance, its unusual architecture is striking, dominated by a 62m high lime-white tower.
Article: Resurrection Church in Kolomenskoye
Sochi
Since the 2014 Winter Olympics, the spa and bathing resort on the Black Sea has become world-famous. And it is indeed a seaside resort, because even if you wouldn't expect it from a Russian city, Sochi lies in the same climate zone as Nice in France. The longest city in Asia attracts visitors with palm beaches, buildings worth seeing and the largest aquarium in Russia.
