Best Russian Cities to Visit

Best Cities in Russia

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Last updated:
03.02.2022

If you are planning a trip to Russia, you will inevitably include some of the most amazing cities in your itinerary. We are excited to tell you more about the ones our clients love the most.

Famous Cities in Russia

The territory of Russia is so large that it's not that hard to assume how diverse Russian culture and traditions are. Being one of the richest countries in the world, Russia is also wealthy in beautiful places worth seeing, scattered across its infinite expenses. Here is the list of Russian cities popular among tourists.

Moscow [VIEW MAP]

It is no surprise that the list of the top-visited Russian cities is headed by the heart of the country, Moscow. This large metropolis is a sparkling whirlpool of the old and the new, housing thousands of attractions of particular travelers’ interest.

To see the classic beauty of Moscow, tourists usually head to the Red Square as it is one of the most photogenic spots of the Russian capital. This highlight features the majestic Kremlin, the onion-domed St. Basil's Cathedral, and the GUM department store, often wearing some fancy decorations.

Apart from that, to get a better vision of what Moscow is like, any traveler's agenda should include the Patriarch Ponds Park and the pedestrian Arbat Street with a huge number of nice cafes and summer terraces. If you are an art lover, it's a must to have a tour around the iconic Tretyakov Art Gallery and to watch an opera or ballet performance in the Bolshoi Opera Theater.

Top Moscow Sights:

  • The Moscow Kremlin
  • St. Basil's Cathedral
  • The Red Square
  • The State Tretyakov Gallery

St. Petersburg [VIEW MAP]

Legendary St. Petersburg, often referred to as the Venice of the North, can compete with Moscow for the title of the most beautiful city of the country. The former capital of the Russian Empire has incorporated the best traditions of Russian art and culture.

Most of the city center of contemporary St. Petersburg is an example of outstanding architecture. The fantastic Hermitage Museum, the Peter and Paul Fortress complex, Mariinsky Theater, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, and the Cathedral of the Savior on Blood stand at the top of unmissable places travelers desire to discover during their St. Petersburg tour.

However, the gems of the Northern Capital of Russia are not limited by the territory of the city. For a touch of royal atmosphere, city guests head to the impressive Catherine's Palace in Tsarskoye Selo or to the royal Peterhof Palace Complex, famous for its picturesque parks and fountains.

Top St. Petersburg Sights:

  • State Hermitage Museum
  • Savior on the Spilled Blood
  • Peter and Paul Fortress
  • Catherine's Palace

Kazan [VIEW MAP]

Russia is a land of diversity which is home to numerous nations and cultures. One of the brightest examples of such multinationality is the Republic of Tatarstan with the capital in magnificent Kazan. The city is located on the confluence of Europe and Asia, the west and the east, and amazes travelers with its unique atmosphere.

Nowadays, Kazan is a developed urban center that boasts fantastic architecture and national traditions. While in Kazan, each traveler’s itinerary can’t do without visiting the ancient Kazan Kremlin, the multicolored Temple of All Religions, dedicated to people of a different faith, as well as Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral. All in all, Kazan is a great city where ancestors’ customs harmoniously intertwine with contemporary structures and modern tendencies.

Top Kazan Sights:

  • Kazan Kremlin
  • Temple of All Religions
  • National Museum of the Republic Tatarstan
  • Kul Sharif Mosqoe

Ekaterinburg [VIEW MAP]

Set east of the Ural Mountains, the city of Ekaterinburg is a great destination for history lovers as it has managed to maintain its identity due to the impressive number of beautiful churches, old mansions, palaces, and parks.

If you are somehow familiar with Russian history, you should visit the symbolic landmark of Ekaterinburg, the golden-domed Church on the Blood, which was built on the site of the notorious Ipatiev House where the former Emperor Nicholas Romanov and his family were executed.

Apart from that, a traveler can visit Ekaterinburg's numerous museums as well as the Rastorguev-Kharitonov Palace, the Novo-Tikhvinskiy Monastery, and the Metenkov House of Photography. To get the best panoramas, you may head to the 52nd floor of the skyscraper "Vysotsky" and observe the remote corners of the city from the bird's-eye view.

Top Ekaterinburg Sights:

  • Lake Shartash
  • Central Park of Culture and Recreation
  • Burial Site of the Romanovs - Ganina Yama
  • The Church on Blood in Honour of All Saints

Sochi [VIEW MAP]

In any case, Russia is not only about history, and, moving to the south, you'll have a chance to see the country from the other side. Warm sea, sun-drenched beaches, blossoming trees, top-ranked resorts… all these can be found in Sochi.

Beach at Sochi

Sochi is the most popular resort-city in Russia. One of the main advantages of the city is that, without going far away, you can visit all climatic zones, from subtropical to cold arctic. Sochi is the only Russian resort where it is possible to bask on the sun in front of the sea and go skiing to the mountains in one day.

The nature of the region simply stuns travelers with its rocky canyons, roaring waterfalls, dense forests, mountain rivers, labyrinths of countless caves, and dizzying skiing trails. Moreover, the host of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sochi, provides various entertainment and sports opportunities, that are impossible to miss.

Top Sochi Sights:

  • National Park Sochinskiy
  • Former summer residence of Stalin
  • Tiso-Samshitovaya Roshcha - ancient riverside forest

Irkutsk [VIEW MAP]

Irkutsk is an ancient Siberian city, the oldest buildings dating back to the 18th century and are built in a unique style - Siberian or Irkutsk Baroque. The town has preserved the city's stone buildings and monuments of wooden architecture. Nearby is Lake Baikal.

Like most Siberian cities, Irkutsk appeared on the map of Siberia in the middle of the 17th century. It was founded as a winter quarter at the mouth of the Irkut River. Irkutsk developed and grew rapidly on significant colonization and trade routes connecting the European part of Russia with China, Mongolia, and the Russian Far East. Nowadays, Irkutsk is among the largest regions of the Russian Federation and has the status of one of the seven cities with a unique historical and cultural heritage.

Irkutsk

Vladivostok [VIEW MAP]

Vladivostok, located in Russia's East, is a gorgeous city, surrounded by mountains and bays. Vladivostok is the largest port on the Pacific Ocean and the last stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Moreover, this city has an exciting neighborhood: North Korea and China are just a few steps away from Vladivostok.

In addition to theaters, museums, and concerts, the city offers many cultural attractions for all tastes. In general, Vladivostok is an excellent and convenient variant for those who'd like to explore the Asian lands of Russia and continue the adventure to some distant destinations of the East.

Vladivostok

Novosibirsk [VIEW MAP]

Novosibirsk is a million-strong city, the heart of the Siberian Federal District, which has long earned the unofficial title of Russia's "third capital." It is located in the southeast of the West Siberian Plain, in the valley of the Ob River. It is a vast, rapidly developing business, shopping, and cultural center. In terms of growth rates, it surpassed even New York, Chicago, and Tokyo, for which it was included in the Guinness Book of Records.

Novosibirsk is cosmopolitan: representatives of more than 80 nationalities peacefully coexist on its territory. And it is also a city of science and culture: the Akademgorodok built here is impressive in its scope, and the local Opera House is the largest in Russia at all. Getting to know beautiful temples and fascinating museums, unusual monuments, and many other attractions will turn your vacation into an exciting journey.

Novosibirsk

Ulan-Ude [VIEW MAP]

Ulan-Ude, a city with an unusual name for Russia, is located in the southern part of eastern Siberia, in Western Transbaikalia, and is the capital of Buryatia. One of the approximate translations of Ulan-Ude's name from the Buryat language may sound like "red noon." Interestingly, the famous Lake Baikal is located in relative proximity to the city, just 100 km to the west - this alone can arouse the interest of tourists. In addition, both the town and the lake are surrounded by a picturesque plateau with hills overgrown with taiga forest.

Interestingly, the capital of Buryatia is one of the eight so-called pairs of antipodes cities in the world. It means that Ulan-Ude is located on a diametrically opposite point of the Earth to the South American Puerto Natales, located in Chile.

Ulan-Ude

Kaliningrad [VIEW MAP]

Kaliningrad is amazing. There are incredibly Soviet areas here, which bring melancholy and despair. On the other hand, there is typically burgher, albeit somewhat shabby quarters, which are so pleasant to walk through, remembering the city's past. There is an unreal maritime museum, a miraculously restored Fish Village, a fantastic Cathedral with the grave of the same Kant, and, of course, the great, beautiful, precious Curonian Spit, which is a couple of hours' drive from the city center. Initially, there was no single city here: three completely independent settlements.

Konigsberg's name was a fortress that stood separately on Prussian soil. It was she who gave the name to the united city. On July 4, 1946, the Kaliningrad Region was formed, and Konigsberg was renamed Kaliningrad. Today Kaliningrad (population about 425 thousand people) is the largest city and capital of the Kaliningrad region, an administrative and industrial center.

Kaliningrad

We hope you had fun getting to know the most amazing cities in Russia! There are plenty more than the top 5 that we discussed, so if you haven't found your dream city, let us know and we will help you plan your trip.