#14 best destination in the world
Church of the Savior on Blood
- #6 of the top 25 landmarks in the world
- Built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was fatally wounded by political nihilists in 1881
- Built from 1883-1907
State Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace
- #5 of the top 25 museums in the world
- Museum of art and culture, with 3 million items
- Contains the largest collection of paintings in the world
- Founded in 1764
Saint Petersburg
- Was the capital of Imperial Russia from 1713-1918
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Kremlin and Red Square
- Fortress inside a city
- Includes 5 palaces, 4 cathedrals, and the Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers
- Was used from 1922-1991 by highest members (presidents, premiers, ministers, etc.)
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Kazan Kremlin
- Historic citadel built under Ivan the Terrible on the ruins of the former castle of Kazan khans
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Curonian Spit
- Thin, long, curved sand-dune spit
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Novodevichy Convent
- Cloister of Moscow
- Virtually intact since the 17th century
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Saint Basil’s Cathedral
- Church that is now a museum
- Built from 1555-1561 under Ivan the Terrible
- Commemorates the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan
- Was the city’s tallest building until 1600
Peterhof Grand Palace
- 1720s palaces and gardens sometimes referred to as the “Russian Versailles”
- Built under Peter the Great
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Saint Isaac’s Cathedral
- Largest orthodox basilica in the world
- Dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great
Moscow Metro
- Rapid transit system opened in 1935
- First underground railway system in the Soviet Union
- Park Pobedy station is one of the world’s deepest metro sections
The Motherland Calls
- Monument-ensemble “Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad”
- One of the tallest statues in the world
- Tallest statue of a woman in the world
- Built in 1959
Costs
all flights $1,954
food $26/day x 20 days = $525
hotel $22/day x 19 days = $418
tickets (all attractions) $61
TOTAL for whole itinerary $2,958
