It comes as no surprise that Russia, a country considered to be the largest in the world and beating its closest rival by a huge margin, is a mystery to most people. With an area spreading over 10.5 million square miles, the most people know is what they have studied in textbooks; the Tsars and their bloody rule, Mongolian invasions and the horrifying tales of their looting and Marxists lead revolutions. This is a very narrow view of a country that by sheer mass of its border qualifies as one of the most versatile destinations in the world. However, before embarking on your adventure across Russia, remember to look for the best bargains in airfare as there are quite a few available options.

o Moscow- Russia’s gigantic capital. It has numerous tourist attractions for those that crave for a bit of adventure.
o Irkutsk – this popular Siberian city is located at a distance of merely an hour of the breathtaking Lake Baikal on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
o Kazan – for those traveling after a bit of research on Russian history, this capital of Tatar culture offers immense attraction and is in the very center of the Volga Region.
o Saint Petersburg – the city boasts of containing one of the world’s best museums, the Hermitage. This historical city is also home to a unique open air museum, its city center. All this makes St. Petersburg a popular choice amongst tourists.
o Sochi – hosts to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, this is Russia’s favorite Black Sea beach resort. It is a virtually unknown destination but that will change drastically after the Olympics.
o Volgograd – once known as Stalingrad, it is the sight of the final deciding battle of World War II. A huge war memorial is erected here to commemorate those that lost their lives.
o Lake Baikal – or as is affectionately called the “pearl of Siberia” it is arguably the world’s deepest and biggest lake. 25-30 million years old and home to 2500 animal species it is the perfect destination for those who enjoy nature and crave it.
o Trans-Siberian Railway – seen by some as the longest train track in the world, a tour aboard the train means going all around Asia as well as a good part of Europe.

Several of the travel restrictions imposed specially during the Cold war were lifted in the 1990s making it possible to get a true flavor of the picturesque country. The Siberian town of Ulan Ude is a must see. The restored Tibetan Buddhist Monastery is located here.

Traveling to Russia is quite easy. With over 70 international airports, getting a flight that matches your schedule is no problem. Due to the competition between airlines, cheap airfare is easily available. Daily flights are available to Moscow and St. Petersburg from all over Europe as well as North America and the U.A.E.

There has been a new trend in the behaviour and approach of modern Russia towards foreign tourism. Once hostile to the curious visitors, it now accepts them with open arms.

One of the most popular destinations in Russia is The Golden Ring – a few ancient cities and towns to the north-east of Moscow which form a circle. They are often referred to as “open air museums” and boast unique Russian architecture of the XII-XVII centuries: old churches made of white stone, ancient fortifications, mysterious monasteries. These towns are among the most picturesque in Russia and are definitely of great interest to anybody looking to explore the Russian history and culture. If you are staying in Moscow for a couple of weeks, the towns of the Golden ring, situated relatively near (about 3-5 hours by car, coach or train), can be a nice change from the hectic big city. In the smallest towns of the ‘Golden Ring’ you will to see quieter, more peaceful life, experience provincial way of Russian life with some artefacts of the Soviet era. There is no exact list of the Golden Ring towns, sometimes you can see a list of 12, sometimes of 11 or 13. So if you are planning a trip along the route of the Golden Ring, you can either choose what you want to see yourself – if you are travelling on your own, or rely on your guide. In any case, you will surely see the main attractions. The ‘classical’ route begins in Moscow and goes through Vladimir, Suzdal, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Rostov Velikiy, Pereslavl-Zalesskiy and Sergiev Posad. I have been to a few Golden Ring towns and cities but happened to have spent more time in Suzdal (about 226 km/ 140 m north-east of Moscow). Suzdal is a small ancient town first mentioned in the chronicles in 1024. During the Tatar Yoke in 1236-1259, Suzdal was partly destroyed and raided by the Tatars. Due to the vulnerable location, close to the enemy’s settlements, Suzdal was losing its strong position to Moscow. Nowadays, it is a quiet little town with a 19th century provincial feel – wooden houses, sleepy streets, geese and goats strolling freely near ancient walls of monasteries and churches.

To me the highlight of my visit to Suzdal was the open air Museum Of Wooden Architecture where one can see sample of traditional Russian wooden buildings – houses, churches, windmills, – most of which are built without a single nail! Also, I was thrilled to walk the streets that I saw so many times in Russian films – Suzdal’s sights are very popular with filmmakers when they need to portray the old Russia. So, if you plan to visit Suzdal too, keep in mind that it is quite a popular town, so it’s better to book a hotel there as early as possible in advance, but don’t worry much as it’s not a big problem to find a place to stay in Suzdal. Also, if you need a visa to Russia, you should obtain it before you travel.