Which city has the most tourists? The most interesting cities in Russia: rating, attractions. Where to stay in Smolensk

THE CITY SHOULD BE CONVENIENT FOR TOURISTS

I watch with interest how opponents of the city’s transformations begin to whine that “Moscow is not for tourists, but for Muscovites” and “for whom is all this being done anyway?” For tourists too. Countries and cities spend huge amounts of money to attract tourists. Because tourists mean money, tourists mean new jobs. And the city should be convenient for tourists!

Russia does not know how to work with tourists. The share of income from tourism in our country is no more than 1.5% of GDP, when in global GDP this figure is about 10%. We still don’t have a normal taxi service at any airport in the capital, so that you can get out and without hesitation board an official city taxi, which will take you home at a fixed rate. Our service sector is not developed; it is dangerous and inconvenient to walk around the city. St. Petersburg and Moscow are still somehow reaching out and accepting the people, but outside the capitals there is general darkness.

I did a little calculation of the income from tourism in different countries, and this is what happens.

As you can see, we are very far behind developed countries. Despite the fact that we have huge tourism potential! Gorgeous nature, cuisine, historical cities, art. Russia could host 10 times more tourists.

Tourism is great incentive for the development of the city. The reason for this is the growth of small and medium-sized businesses. Demand creates supply, and in places where there is a large tourist flow, locals do not miss the opportunity to open small hotels and hostels, coffee shops and bars, souvenir shops and various entertainment venues. New jobs appear, the employment rate increases, people earn more and spend more, tax revenues to the budget increase, and the city develops and prospers.

But there is one thing: in order to attract tourists to the city, you must first create comfortable and interesting conditions for them. This is exactly what is a big problem in Russia. Nobody wants to create tourism infrastructure, restore monuments and monitor the quality of service. Nobody wants to build normal roads and develop air traffic so that it would not be so difficult for visitors to get to resorts and tourist centers. Nobody wants to cancel the visa regime for countries with a high level of outbound tourism. Americans, Chinese, Germans, British, Italians, French and other nations that lead in terms of spending on foreign trips still have to apply for visas to Russia. And at this time, residents of Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru and Guatemala can easily come to us without visas, but they don’t need it at all.

The number of tourists directly depends on how comfortable, accessible and interesting a particular country is for them. On this moment Russia is uncomfortable and inaccessible for tourists. According to the World Economic Forum in 2015, Russia took 45th place in the ranking of countries in terms of attractiveness for foreign tourists. In the global flow of tourists, the share of trips to Russia is only 2–3%. And this share is not increasing for the reason that Russia lacks high-quality infrastructure for normal recreation - this is directly stated in official reports.

But what can we say about foreign tourists, when even the Russians themselves prefer to go on vacation abroad. Yes, in 2015, domestic tourism increased by 20% due to the collapse of the ruble and bans on travel to Turkey and Egypt. But the following year it began to decline again as Russians began to return to Turkey. Russian resorts and tourist cities They cannot compete even with cheap holidays abroad. The reason for this is low quality transport infrastructure, insufficient number of good inexpensive hotels and cafes, lack resort infrastructure, undeveloped domestic flights and much more.

But let's return to foreign tourists. And here I want to give a few numbers for clarity. In 2016, foreign tourists spent $212 billion in the United States, $119 billion in China, $65 billion in Spain, $46 billion each in France and Germany, and $32 billion in Japan. How much do you think they spent in the huge and beautiful Russia? Just 11 billion dollars. And now estimate how much money our country could earn if it had comfortable and comfortable cities, restored architectural monuments, developed infrastructure, convenient tourist routes and normal transport connection.

So make comfortable and convenient cities. And if someone starts telling you that we don’t need tourists, that we don’t need to make pedestrian streets, know that this is the enemy of Russian cities.

A website for tourists has compiled a rating of Russian cities that are the most profitable and most beautiful for a weekend trip on Valentine's Day, February 14, which in 2015 falls on a Saturday. When calculating the budget for the cost of a vacation for two, the following parameters were taken into account: one night’s stay in inexpensive hotel, dinner for two in a restaurant (two courses and a glass of wine), a visit to a museum, exhibition or a romantic excursion around the city.

Kazan, budget - 2430 rubles

Why go: walk along the small streets of the Kazan center, sit in a cafe on the pedestrian Bauman street, eat delicious Tatar delicacies and ride on the Kazan trolleybus for lovers. It is easy to recognize: it is pink, and on the side there is the inscription: “The trip that became destiny.”

Places for lovers: The leaning tower of Syuyumbike is one of the main attractions of Kazan. According to one legend, it was built by Queen Syuyumbuk in memory of her deceased husband. There is a local legend that if you touch its wall with your forehead and make a wish, it will come true.

Budget:

Hotel: 1400 rubles
Dinner for two: 730 rubles
Total: 2430 rubles per day

Arzamas (Nizhny Novgorod region), budget - 2480 rubles

Why go: take a walk around one of the most comfortable cities in Russia, go to the museums of Maxim Gorky and Arkady Gaidar, rub the paw of the Arzamas goose, for which the city has always been famous, and make a wish. Arzamas is located 112 km from Nizhny Novgorod.

Places for lovers: the colorful World of Antiquities museum, the Ferris wheel in the local park named after A.P. Gaidar with a view of the Tesha River and the impressive size of the Resurrection Cathedral.

Budget:

Hotel: 1670 rubles
Dinner for two: 610 rubles
Total: 2480 rubles per day

Kungur (Perm region), budget - 2500 rubles

Why go: get into a real museum city, where entire merchant streets with beautiful buildings XVIII-XIX centuries.

Places for lovers: Kungurskaya ice cave- one of the most famous Ural attractions, with grottoes decorated with ice crystals. It is the seventh longest in the world; at the bottom of the cave there are 70 underground lakes. Tours of the cave are available all year round, and laser shows are held throughout the day.

Budget:
Hotel: 1700 rubles
Dinner for two: 600 rubles
Excursion for two: 200 rubles
Total: 2500 rubles per day

Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo region), budget - 2510 rubles

Why go: get to the house-museum of F.M. Dostoevsky, who often visited this city founded by the Cossacks in the 17th century, take a ride on alpine skiing- in the small villages of Kurtukovo, Listvyagi on the outskirts of the city or in the Sheregesh resort a few hours away.

Places for lovers: Kuznetsk Fortress Museum. Lovers believe that if they touch the stone of happiness, which is located on the territory of the fortress, they will live happily ever after. And if you leave a coin, then the family will have great wealth.

Budget:

Hotel: 1390 rubles
Dinner for two: 820 rubles
Excursion for two: 300 rubles
Total: 2510 rubles per day

Yalta (Crimea), budget - 2520 rubles

Why go: take a walk along the seashore, go to the house-museum of A.P. Chekhov, to spend a weekend in the silence of a provincial town, quiet in anticipation of tourists.

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Places for lovers: Lock bird home and Nikitsky Botanical Garden, where roses bloom even in winter. In addition, in Yalta there are several monuments for lovers - the bronze “Lady with a Dog” with the writer Chekhov, the Love Bench on the embankment under the plane tree, where, according to legend, Yesenin and Isadora Duncan met.

Budget:

Hotel: 1060 rubles
Dinner for two: 900 rubles
Excursion for two: 560 rubles
Total: 2520 rubles per day

Murom (Vladimir region), budget - 2550 rubles

Why go: find yourself in a town with a thousand-year history, in the homeland of Ilya Muromets, take a walk along the Oka embankment and reach the beautiful cable-stayed bridge across the river, which was built in 2009.

Places for lovers: The most romantic legend of this city was the love story of Peter and Fevronia, the princes of Murom, who lived in the 13th century. They were canonized in the 16th century and are revered as patrons of family and marriage. Their relics are in the Trinity Monastery of Murom.

Budget:

Hotel: 1650 rubles
Dinner for two: 700 rubles
Excursion for two: 200 rubles
Total: 2550 rubles per day

Rostov the Great (Yaroslavl region), budget - 2570 rubles

Why go: get to one of the oldest cities in Russia on the shores of Lake Nero. In summer, the small Rostov Kremlin is filled with numerous groups of tourists, and in winter, here you can calmly wander around the territory of a beautiful, albeit fading architectural monument.

Places for lovers: the shores of Lake Nero, from where beautiful views of the surrounding monasteries and the Rostov Kremlin open.

Budget:

Hotel: 1800 rubles
Dinner for two: 570 rubles
Excursion for two: 200 rubles
Total: 2570 rubles per day

Svetlogorsk (Kaliningrad region), budget - 2580 rubles

Why go: freeze on the shore Baltic Sea, for example, on the main embankment of the city - the Promenade. And then bask in one of the local cafes overlooking the sea and walk through the beautifully preserved ancient quarters of the former Prussian city of Rauschen.

Places for lovers: cable car, launched in 1983, however, it works with varying degrees of success. The Hermann Brachert House-Museum, where the writer Thomas Mann once rested, and even earlier, the great storyteller Hoffmann lived.

Budget:

Hotel: 1300 rubles
Dinner for two: 1080 rubles
Excursion for two: 200 rubles
Total: 2580 rubles per day

Rostov-on-Don (Rostov region), budget - 2580 rubles

Why go: catch the sun in the southern capital of Russia, take a walk along the main street - Bolshaya Sadovaya, buy generous sweets at the local bazaar.

Places for lovers: the Rostov-on-Don embankment named after Fyodor Ushakov and the left bank of the Don, where there are many restaurants, a botanical garden, a park with a children's railway.

Budget:

Hotel: 1600 rubles
Dinner for two: 780 rubles
Excursion for two: 200 rubles
Total: 2580 rubles per day

Pyatigorsk (Stavropol Territory), budget - 2600 rubles

Why go: try the famous mineral water at one of the oldest Russian resorts and visit memorable places poet M.Yu. Lermontov - Lermontov's grotto, his house-museum and the site of the poet's duel.

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Places for lovers: You should definitely visit Lake Proval and the Aeolian Harp gazebo on Mount Mashuk.

Budget:

Hotel: 1500 rubles
Dinner for two: 900 rubles
Excursion for two: 200 rubles
Total: 2600 rubles per day

Vyborg (Leningrad region), budget - 2830 rubles

Why go: get to the Vyborg Castle - the main attraction of the city and look at beautiful view from St. Olaf's Tower.

Places for lovers: Mon Repos Park (a rocky landscape park on the shore of the Vyborg Bay, a national historical, architectural and natural museum-reserve). It is worth visiting the sculpture alley next to the Hermitage-Vyborg Museum (a branch of the St. Petersburg Hermitage) and looking at the sculpture of Cupid and Psyche.

Budget:

Hotel: 1790 rubles
Dinner for two: 840 rubles
Excursion for two: 200 rubles
Total: 2830 rubles per day

St. Petersburg, budget - 2950 rubles

Why go: St. Petersburg museums and theaters, restaurants and bars, modern hotels, embankments and parks are the most successful settings for a romantic weekend.

Places for lovers: Kisses Bridge on the Moika. According to legend, the longer the kiss on the bridge lasts, the stronger the feelings of the lovers will be.

Budget:

Hotel: 1000 rubles
Dinner for two: 1250 rubles
Excursion for two: 700 rubles (to the Hermitage Museum)
Total: 2950 rubles per day

Sergiev Posad (Moscow region), budget - 2960 rubles

Why go: for the sake of beautiful views and walks around the picturesque town near Moscow around the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

Places for lovers: In addition to Orthodox shrines, Sergiev Posad is home to the famous Toy Museum. And 20 km from the city is the Abramtsevo estate of the philanthropist Savva Mamontov, where many artists stayed and where the paintings “Alyonushka” by Vasnetsov, “Vision to the Youth Bartholomew” by Nesterov, “Girl with Peaches” by Serov were painted.

Budget:

Hotel: 1700 rubles
Dinner for two: 960 rubles
Excursion for two: 300 rubles
Total: 2960 rubles per day

Staraya Russa (Novgorod region), budget - 3000 rubles

Why go: for the sake of one of the oldest cities in Russia with healing mineral springs. To get to another house-museum of F.M. Dostoevsky, where the writer’s family vacationed in the summer and where a significant part of The Brothers Karamazov was written.

Places for lovers: in the Spassky Cathedral of the former Spaso-Perobrazhensky Monastery there is an interesting local history museum. And on the bell tower of the monastery there is Observation deck, which offers a pleasant view of the old city.

Budget:

Hotel: 2050 rubles
Dinner for two: 650 rubles
Excursion for two: 300 rubles
Total: 3000 rubles per day

Pechory (Pskov region), budget - 3010 rubles

Why go: get to the majestic Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky Monastery on the outskirts of the city and walk around the city center, which, thanks to its proximity to Estonia, has retained the European spirit.

Places for lovers: It's worth finding a nice street lamp memorial. The lantern itself, the candle with a flame, the twisted lamppost, and the touching pair of sparrows were made by local blacksmiths.

Budget:

Hotel: 2080 rubles
Dinner for two: 730 rubles
Excursion for two: 200 rubles
Total: 3010 rubles per day

Sochi (Krasnodar region), budget - 3120 rubles

Why go: spend the most varied weekend - skiing in the morning, and have dinner overlooking the sea to the sound of seagulls.

Just a few years ago, the word “vacation” was certainly associated with distant overseas countries, comfortable hotels, as well as tiring flights and considerable financial expenses.

Today, more and more Russians spend their holidays in the vast expanses of our homeland. After all, in Russia there are so many picturesque corners, historical cities, architectural and cultural monuments that many have never even heard of.

Which Russian cities attract tourists more than others? We bring to your attention a unique rating:

1 place- Saint Petersburg

It’s not for nothing that this city bears the name “ cultural capital" It contains the best examples of world architecture from different eras: Kazan Cathedral, Peterhof, Winter Palace and much more. In the Hermitage you can admire a unique collection of paintings. The attention of young people will be attracted by a large number of nightclubs and unusual restaurants. You can find inexpensive and decent housing in this city quite quickly by entering the phrase “hotels in St. Petersburg search by metro” into a search engine.

2nd place- Moscow

This is the political and historical center of our homeland. It will pleasantly surprise you with the intersection of modernity and antiquity. The tour should start from Red Square. Be sure to visit St. Basil's Cathedral, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Lenin's Mausoleum, climb the Sparrow Hills and, of course, look at the Kremlin. In Moscow, you can unwind on various excursions, run through fashion stores, and visit all kinds of establishments Catering, exhibitions, cinemas, etc. And Orekhovo hotels will delight guests of the capital with excellent service and affordable prices.

3rd place– Kazan

The most popular place for tourists it is the famous Kazan Kremlin.

4th place- Ekaterinburg

Ekaterinburg is loved by intellectual tourists. Here great amount libraries, theaters, museums.

5th place– Kaliningrad

This land has long been famous for its beautiful amber jewelry. The main attraction of the city is the Cathedral.

6th place- Nizhny Novgorod

The mixture of cultures in this marvelous city attracts tourists from all over Russia (Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, stone cathedrals, futuristic planetarium, medieval-style monasteries).

7th place– Samara

In Samara, you should definitely try the most popular products of this city: chocolate, vodka and beer.

8th place– Krasnoyarsk

In the unique reserve of world significance "Stolby" there are granite formations that attract climbers here.

The lion's share of foreigners does not consider Russia as a place to visit, but in vain. The country clearly leads in natural wonders and is not far behind the majority European countries in terms of architectural monuments, is the undisputed leader in the number of objects cultural heritage. We invite you to consider the tourist rankings of Russian cities and appreciate with your own eyes the wealth of one of the greatest empires.

10.

This city can be placed both on the first and on last place in the ranking of leading tourist cities Russia, depending on everyone's personal preferences. Barentsburg offers extreme tourism for people with high incomes. Groups are delivered by icebreakers, including the legendary Yamal, or by air through Norway (no visa required). This territory belongs to both Russia and Norway, as well as the rest of the world.

Barentsburg is a city of miners, the fruit of ambition communist party. Here is the northernmost bust of V.I. Lenin in the world. Many buildings are decorated with socialist mosaics. What is noteworthy: there is a school, a clinic, a store, a post office, and the Internet. People never get sick from ARVI - viruses and microbes do not survive here due to low temperatures.

Prices are expensive. Barentsburg Hotel - a Soviet-style hotel with a decent renovation inside, offers double rooms from $130/day. The price for a week-long tour (hotel, snowmobiles, meals, excursions) starts from 1.5 thousand US dollars per person, this price does not include flights to/from Norway.

9.

Here you can meet shamans with iPhones, rocks, Baikal omul, the local history museum named after. N. M. Revyakina. The main thing is the unique landscape and nature. Special energy. Tourists disembark both on foot and by personal transport from ferries that arrive here with enviable regularity. Olkhon is the place where a person best separates himself from the fast flow of city life, stopping to comprehend and contemplate life. There are no scatterings of Michelin-starred restaurants, almost no roads, no noise, little illumination. There are a lot of sincere people, nature, air and, most importantly, freedom.

In the vicinity of Khuzhir there are three hotels: the branded Baikal View with a swimming pool - from 5 thousand rubles, the Daryan Estate with a bathhouse - from 1.5 thousand, and the Olkhon camping hotel with a shower, which is open until 22:00 - from 3 thousand. Quad bike rental – 1 thousand rubles/hour. Shaman services - from 500 rubles to infinity. Khuzhir is the most expensive city, popular among foreign tourists.

8.

Vladivostok does not have a large number of attractions, there are no objects World Heritage. But. This is the final and/or starting station of the Trans-Siberian Railway - a particularly popular tourist destination in Russia among foreigners.

Separately, the city deserves to be in the ranking of the most popular tourist destinations Russia. Here it is worth visiting: Popov Island - a unique untouched corner of nature with a marvelous landscape, the Golden Horn Bridge, the seaside safari park - a place where you can meet the rarest Amur tigers. Special attention should be focused on the developed restaurant culture and Far Eastern cuisine, which has no analogues. Vladivostok is easy to recognize by the abundance of Japanese cars on the streets. This is the place where divers should visit. A large amount of underwater fauna and marine attractions are concentrated here.

Hostels – from 400rub/night. Hotels – from 2.5 thousand. Not the most cheap city Russia.

7.

One of the most important cultural and economic cities in Russia, where tourists from all over the world flock, it deserves seventh place in the ranking. Nizhny Novgorod founded by the Grand Duke of Vladimir, Yuri Vsevolodovich, in 1221. And three hundred years later a stone Kremlin was built, which no one took for 500 years. Nizhny Novgorod is recognized largest city river tourism Russia in the federal ranking.

In the evenings, tourists flock to Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street, where attractions and musicians meet. The area is filled with lights and fun, with bars and restaurants buzzing until the early hours. During the day, guests see the historical architecture of the streets, fortifications, and monasteries, rich in eight hundred years of history.

Prices are affordable. Behind Double Room in a decent hotel you will have to shell out 2 thousand rubles. The hostel will cost 250 – 700 rubles/bed. The price for entering the Kremlin is 150 rubles.

6.

The capital of the Republic of Tatarstan attracts tourists with the original Russian architecture of fortifications and merchant buildings, and Orthodox churches. The city was ranked third in Europe and eighth in the world according to Tripadvisor's ranking of the fastest growing tourist cities. The Kazan white stone Kremlin is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here you can taste many types of fish from the Volga basin, which are prepared in any local restaurant.

You can stay overnight in a hostel for less than 300 rubles, in a hotel for 1500 or more. An excursion to the Hermitage-Kazan, which is located on the territory of the Kremlin, will cost 250 rubles.

5. Belokurikha

Mountains, forest, clean air, natural water, thermal springs– this is Altai. All the beauty of this region, unique on the planet, is concentrated in Belokurikha. This is a resort city of federal significance, where the Chinese, Kazakhs, people from Far East Russian Federation, Europeans. This is the place where people come either to be treated with mineral waters, or to create nature, taking a break from the hustle and bustle.

The resort has several ski lifts, about four slopes, excluding children's slopes, there is a small water park at the sanatorium, the number of hotels will satisfy any demand. Security forums are held here regularly wildlife, including UNESCO - “Siberian Davos”. You should definitely visit the maral farms, where red deer are bred.

Prices are at a very affordable level. An apartment for 3 – 5 beds will cost 0.8–2 thousand per day, a hotel room – from 1 to 3 thousand rubles. Renting cottages is in particular demand - from 2 thousand rubles for a house with a sauna, small swimming pool, Internet and other benefits.

4. Derbent

It is considered the most ancient city in Russia, if you do not take into account the Crimean Kerch. Derbent is located in the Republic of Dagestan on the shores of the Caspian Sea. This place is located between three cultures: Islam, Christianity and Judaism, which is reflected in the smallest details of the old city, part of which and some individual buildings are recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage of Humanity.

There are many hotels and mini-hotels here to suit every taste and budget, you should definitely check out local cuisine. There are several museums of different types. Derbent is one of the few monuments of Persian culture and military glory. Still, the main attraction is the way of life of the local population and their hospitality.

The price tags are at a very affordable level, you can stay in a hostel for 200 rubles per night, in a mini-hotel for 3 thousand and more.

3.

Moscow is always mentioned when listing the leading cities on the planet: New York, London, Tokyo, Dubai and so on. But only in Moscow there lives such a number that cannot be found in most countries of the world, the most record-breaking according to Forbes. The city is drowning in expensive cars, hotels, boutiques, showrooms. Life here does not stop for a minute; all restaurants, nightclubs and bars are open until the last visitor. Foreign tourists give priority to St. Petersburg and Moscow, leaving out other cities in their ranking of Russian cities.

What to see in Moscow: foreign tourists walk along Red Square, where a huge ice rink, in May the largest military parade in the post-Soviet space takes place, but the most attractive place for foreigners is the mausoleum where Lenin was embalmed. The Tretyakov Gallery and the State Museum are always crowded visual arts. The sights of Moscow do not end there, but are just beginning.

2.

Among the advantages: a huge number of world museums, architectural monuments, a huge number of recreational areas around the city. St. Petersburg can also safely be called the tourist capital of the Russian Federation. Every year up to 3 million foreign tourists and the same number of compatriots arrive here.

What to see in St. Petersburg? - all: the Hermitage - one of the richest museums on the planet, Peterhof - the royal court with gilded fountains, St. Isaac's Cathedral, Peter and Paul Fortress, Nevsky Prospekt and so many other things, there’s not enough ink to list. This city is unique and compares favorably with other Russian cities in its pronounced architectural ensemble literally every street, drawbridges, river canals, white nights.

Pricing in St. Petersburg is affordable; there is a huge number of hostels, where a bed costs from 200 rubles per night. A hotel room will cost 3–50 thousand rubles/night. The high, stable flow of foreign tourists and the greed of businessmen have made St. Petersburg one of the most expensive cities for tourism in Russia in the ranking.

1. Sochi

Among the advantages: ski slopes, mineral water, beaches, bars and restaurants, modern architecture, many sports facilities, Olympic village.

A subtropical climate prevails here. The city is located on the Black Sea coast. The backdrop for the wealth of hotels, restaurants and residential developments became Caucasus Mountains. WITH late autumn open the doors ski resorts Krasnaya Polyana. Some local residents They grow tangerines, which have a unique and pleasant taste.

Pricing in Sochi for high level. The cost of living starts from 1000 rubles per day and ends at infinity. A four-room apartment with a decent renovation will cost 4 – 6 thousand per day, a “Standard” double room in a hotel on the first line will cost at least 4 thousand.

Sochi is a Russian city, leading in terms of the influx of tourists from neighboring countries and the CIS, first in the ranking thanks to developed infrastructure and service. Sochi won the championship only thanks to demand among compatriots; foreigners rarely come here.

Mother Russia is still great, not only in it big cities, but in some villages you can find something little-explored with great historical value, not to mention recognized attractions. The main flows of foreign tourists are directed to Moscow and St. Petersburg, because the infrastructure is better developed here than anywhere else, and there are so many attractions that it can take weeks to get acquainted with them. In addition, in the capital's hotels, the service is close to European standards, and prices are even higher than them. But other places in Russia are also becoming increasingly popular.


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1. Moscow

First of all, tourists go to the capital and are interested in the culture of the host country. The best way to get acquainted with it is in museums, and there are over 400 of them in the capital. Apartment museums of various celebrities or museum-reserves are also popular. Foreigners also strive to visit the famous Tretyakov Gallery. The most authentic photographs can be taken in the Kremlin and Red Square. You can often meet foreigners on Arbat, Tverskaya Street and Theater Square.

2. St. Petersburg

The second largest Russian city is one of the most beautiful in the world, so the flow of tourists here continues unabated. For example, in 2015, 2.8 million foreigners and 3.7 million Russian tourists. The city is located at the mouth of the deep Neva River, which flows into The Gulf of Finland. St. Petersburg has the status of an independent subject of the federation on a par with Moscow. He's not like the others Russian cities, at least its historical center. The heart of the city was the Winter Palace, which stretched 200 meters along the Neva River. Catherine II built the Hermitage building next to it, where various works of art were brought. In our time, the Hermitage has absorbed the Winter Palace itself, and in total it includes 5 buildings, the exhibition area of ​​which is second only to the Louvre. In the historical part of the city there are many buildings in the neoclassical and baroque styles. There are also many different churches in St. Petersburg. More than 100 kg of gold leaf were used for the dome of the amazing St. Isaac's Cathedral, and the Kazan Cathedral located on Nevsky Prospect is somewhat reminiscent of the square with St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Is there some more Peter and Paul Cathedral, in whose Imperial tomb all Russian emperors are buried, with the exception of Peter II and Ivan VI. In 1998, the remains of Nicholas II and members of his family were transported here. Drawbridges across the Neva have become the symbol of the city, and riding along the canals and rivers of the city has become good entertainment.

3. Krasnodar region

Krasnodar region has become perhaps the most popular holiday region in Russia. It contains many of the most popular resort cities: Sochi, Adler, Anapa, Gelendzhik. Not far from here is sunny Abkhazia with the magnificent Lake Ritsa and pristine nature. Sochi is the most popular, but that’s why expensive resort region, it was noticeably transformed for the Winter Olympics. The country's largest aquarium is also located here. Also at the disposal of vacationers is a huge (50 hectares) arboretum and Riviera amusement park. It’s also worth mentioning the many waterfalls and caves, dolmens and mountain rivers.

4. Golden Ring of Russia

This is the name of a whole route, invented back in Soviet times and connecting several ancient cities of Central Russia, rich in architectural and historical sights. Over the years, traveling along the Golden Ring has only become more popular. The route initially included 8 cities, but now their number has increased. It covers five regions: Moscow, Vladimir, Ivanovo, Kostroma and Yaroslavl. Trips are organized all year round.

Yaroslavl

This city is the largest of all those included in the Golden Ring route. It is included in the list of World Heritage Sites formed by UNESCO. Urban development took shape in the 17th-18th centuries and serves as an excellent example of the mutual influence of the culture and architecture of Russia and Western Europe.

Vladimir

This city is a famous Russian historical and cultural center, one of the pearls of the Golden Ring. Together with Murom, it is one of the oldest cities central Russia. This city-museum has preserved unique monuments dating back to the 12th century: Uspensky and Demetrius Cathedrals, as well as the Golden Gate - they are protected by UNESCO. There are even hospital bank buildings and shopping complex belong to ancient architectural monuments.


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Kostroma

Kostroma was included in the " Golden ring"Because of the ancient Ipatiev Monastery and unique urban development. The hero of the Russian-Polish War (1609 - 1618) Ivan Susanin was born in Kostroma. They decided to make it the birthplace of the Snow Maiden. Kostroma is an ancient jewelry city - a third of all domestic jewelry is made in its district.

Suzdal

This is the smallest of the cities included in the Golden Ring. But this small old Russian town also has a lot of architectural attractions (the Kremlin, monasteries, temples), as well as good hotels. Suzdal is like Russia in miniature - here priceless fragments of ancient Russian culture coexist with a provincial outback.

5. Baikal

The deepest and most full-flowing lake on the planet - Baikal is located in Irkutsk region Eastern Siberia. Travelers from all over the world flock to it. Olkhon Island is especially popular here - it is the only inhabited island on Lake Baikal. A large flow of tourists who come to these regions strive to get to the famous medicinal properties thermal springs of Talaya. The part of Baikal separated by Olkhon is called the Small Sea and is especially lively. Even experienced tourists are impressed by the view of the luxurious Ukovsky waterfall, the powerful stream of which rushes into the gorge from a 50-meter height. The shores of Lake Baikal are replete with caves and picturesque bays.

6. Kaliningrad region

The former Königsberg, and now Kaliningrad, experienced a mixture of European and Russian culture and it is no coincidence that it is one of the most beautiful cities Russia. It has a huge number of monuments, museums and temples. IN Kaliningrad region especially famous is the Curonian Spit, which now has the status national park. This is a very long (almost 100 km) narrow sand spit, divided between Russia and Lithuania. Lithuanian and German tourists love to relax on the endless beaches of the Curonian Spit. There is a unique “dancing forest” here, in which the trees resemble snakes crawling out of the ground. Scientists have not yet found an explanation for this strange phenomenon.


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7. Karelia

This is a region with incredibly beautiful and diverse nature. There are over 60 thousand lakes in Karelia, the largest of which are Ladoga and Onega. Very popular routes among travelers amazing islands Kizhi and Valaam. The latter are laid walking routes, walking along which you can admire the amazing nature, see the life of the rare inhabitants of the island and the monks of the local monastery. In Kizhi there is a museum of Karelian architecture, its best examples are protected by UNESCO. The Kivach Nature Reserve is very interesting; water cruises to Karelia, starting from St. Petersburg, are popular.

8. Kazan

Relatively recently, the capital of Tatarstan became one of the popular tourist cities of Russia, this was facilitated by the actions of the city authorities aimed at its improvement. This was also helped by the holding of the Universiade in 2013, which was preceded by careful preparation of the city. Today's Kazan is in many ways similar to European cities. Its main attraction is the Kremlin. Historically, Orthodox and Islamic cultures are closely intertwined in the city, so here the mosque coexists peacefully next to the Orthodox church. Many Kazan families profess different religions, and spouses can be of different nationalities.

9. Nizhny Novgorod

This famous city on the banks of the Volga has long been an important economic and cultural center of Russia, also attracting the attention of foreign tourists. In the center of the city there is a stone Kremlin, built at the beginning of the 16th century; there are also many historical buildings of the 18th-20th centuries, monuments of Russian wooden architecture. From the upper city embankment you can clearly see the confluence of the majestic Volga with the faster Oka.


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10. Altai

Altai is one of the most beautiful corners not only of Russia, but also of the rest of the world. Its endless mountain landscapes, glaciers, lakes, caves and turbulent mountain streams amaze with their grandeur. There are excellent conditions for water and ski holiday or descents into mysterious caves. Among other attractions of Altai, Mount Belukha is especially popular among travelers - highest point Altai and Siberia, Denisova Cave. UNESCO has taken under protection an entire area - the “Golden Mountains of Altai”, which includes the Katunsky and Altaisky reserves, Sailyugemsky national park, the Ukok Plateau and Lake Teletskoye - one of the 15 deepest lakes on Earth. The city of Belokurikha has been repeatedly recognized as the best Russian resort.

11. Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria

The three small North Caucasian republics seem destined for active tourism. They have mostly mountainous terrain, so centers of domestic mountaineering are located here. Thousands of climbers dream of conquering the two-headed majestic Elbrus alone. But Mount Cheget is considered more difficult in terms of climbing. There are many mountain lakes and caves. Particularly popular Blue Lakes, Lake Tambukan, the Tsar's Crown waterfall, Honey Falls, Guam Gorge and the Devil's Gate pass.

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