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Moscow to Kazan by Train, Plane, Car or BusTo get from Moscow to Kazan you have four real options: the overnight train (11–14 hours, from ₽1,650 in a seated car up to ₽4,000 in a kupé compartment), a plane (1h 25min flight from Moscow’s three airports, from around ₽3,500), a car on the new toll motorway M-12 “Vostok” (810 km, about 8 hours, […]
Things to Do in Kazan: 18 Must-See Places (with Map)Kazan is one of those cities that feels like a magic trick. 720 km east of Moscow, right where the Volga and Kazanka rivers meet, you’ll find Orthodox domes and minarets standing a stone’s throw apart, signs in both Cyrillic and Tatar script, and vodka next to chak-chak on the same table. It’s the capital […]
The Kazan Kremlin: A Practical Guide for the Perfect VisitThe Kazan Kremlin has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000 and, in my opinion, one of the most surprising corners of Russia. It’s the only Tatar kremlin in the country and a place where, within barely 100 metres, the huge Kul Sharif mosque coexists with the Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation. Entrance to […]
Moving to Russia in 2026: The Good, the Bad and What You Need to Decide FirstMoving to Russia in 2026 is still possible. Hundreds of foreigners are doing it every month under Decree 702 on shared values, and migration legislation is being actively reshaped. But between “I’ve got the visa” and “I have a functional life in Russia” there’s a huge gap almost nobody talks about. This article is that […]
Drawbridges of Saint Petersburg: 2026 schedules and how to see them on a night cruiseSaint Petersburg is the city of bridges. Every night, from 10 April to 30 November, twelve drawbridges rise over the Neva to let through the ships connecting the Volga with the Baltic. The show lasts a couple of hours, is completely free and, if you combine it with the White Nights, it becomes one of […]
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour Moscow: How to Visit, Hours and MassesThe Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is the tallest Orthodox church in the world, the official seat of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’, and one of the must-see stops in the Russian capital. Its history is astonishing: it has been a cathedral, a ruin, the planned base of the tallest skyscraper on Earth, […]
Palace Square in St. Petersburg: What to See, How to Get There and Where to EatIf there’s one square you absolutely have to set foot on in St. Petersburg, it’s Palace Square. Here you’ll find the Winter Palace, home to the Hermitage Museum; the imposing Alexander Column in the center; the General Staff Building with its triumphal arch; and peeking out to the west, the golden spire of the Admiralty. […]
Best Places to Enjoy Panoramic Views of Moscow: Where to Go UpMoscow is one of the cities in the world where going up to a viewpoint really pays off. It’s got Stalinist skyscrapers, the tallest TV tower in Europe, a natural hill on the banks of the Moskva River, open-air observation decks above 350 meters and free platforms right in the city center. In this guide […]
The Best Tours from Murmansk: Activities by SeasonThe Kola Peninsula, with Murmansk as its capital, offers one of the most complete and affordable Arctic experiences on the planet. Northern lights, husky sled rides, reindeer encounters in Sami villages, whales in the Barents Sea, hiking in the ancient Khibiny mountains, alpine skiing beyond the Arctic Circle… and all at prices well below the […]
How to Get to Murmansk: Flights, Trains and Land Border CrossingsGetting to Murmansk isn’t complicated, but it pays to know your options before you start booking. The fastest way is to fly to Moscow or Saint Petersburg and connect with a domestic flight to Murmansk (2–2.5 hours). If you have time on your hands, the overnight train from Moscow or Saint Petersburg is a beautiful […]
Northern Lights in Murmansk: When, Where and How to See Them in 2026Murmansk is, alongside Tromsø in Norway and Rovaniemi in Finland, one of the three best places on the planet to see the northern lights. It sits at 69° north, right under the auroral oval, and from late August through mid-April the sky lights up almost every clear night with curtains of green, purple and red. […]
Holidays and celebrations in Russia in 2026 and 2027If you’re planning a trip to Russia in 2026 or 2027 , you’ll want to know the official public holiday calendar before locking in your dates. In 2026 Russians get 12 consecutive days off between New Year and Orthodox Christmas (from 31 December 2025 to 11 January 2026), and in 2027 the New Year break […]
The Peter and Paul Fortress: practical guide to visit it in 2026The Peter and Paul Fortress is the place where St. Petersburg was born. Peter the Great laid the first stone here on May 27, 1703, on a small marshy island full of hares (Zayachy Island, or “Hare Island”), and from that moment on everything that is the city today grew around it. That’s why, if […]
The Seven Sisters of Moscow: a 2026 Guide to Stalin’s SkyscrapersMoscow’s Seven Sisters of Stalin are the seven skyscrapers Stalin had built between 1947 and 1957 so the Soviet capital could compete with New York on the skyline. Today they house a university, two hotels, two ministries and two residential buildings. You’ll spot them scattered around the centre and the west of the city: huge, […]
Guided Tours in Moscow: How to Book and Pay with a Foreign CardVisiting Moscow is still a fascinating experience, although the international situation has changed the rules of the game for foreign tourists. The big Western platforms like GetYourGuide, Civitatis or Viator stopped operating in Russia back in 2022 and haven’t returned yet. That said, there are still several practical and safe ways to enjoy guided tours […]
Guided Tours in St. Petersburg: How to Book and Pay with a Foreign CardSt. Petersburg remains one of the most impressive cities in Russia, but booking guided tours from abroad has become much harder since 2022. Western platforms like GetYourGuide, Viator and Civitatis no longer operate in Russia, and the old AllTours.app has stopped offering tours in the country. The good news is that there are still reliable […]
What to See and Do in Saint Petersburg in 1, 2, 3 or 4 Days: ItinerariesSaint Petersburg is the most European city in Russia and the most visited by foreign tourists. In this guide I lay out the whole trip for you: ready-made itineraries for 1, 2, 3 or 4 days, with hours, prices updated for 2026, which museums are open and which are closed, what each ticket actually costs […]
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood: visiting tips, prices and hoursThe Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is, alongside the Hermitage, what most travellers picture when they think of St. Petersburg: those five multicoloured onion domes that look straight out of a Russian fairy tale. The church stands on the exact spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881, and its interior holds […]
St. Petersburg Metro and Public Transport in 2026: Fares, Cards & TipsGetting around St. Petersburg is more than just moving from point A to point B — it’s part of the adventure. Underground there’s a metro with stations that look like palaces; above ground, buses, trolleybuses and trams run through the historic neighborhoods; and for quick hops there are the ride-hailing apps. It’s a cheap, efficient […]
Saint Isaac’s Cathedral: tickets, prices and opening hoursSaint Isaac’s Cathedral is the most imposing church in St. Petersburg and an absolute must if you’re visiting the city. In this article I’ll walk you through what’s worth seeing inside, how much a ticket costs in 2026, why you can simply buy it at the box office with no fuss, and why climbing to […]