Санкт-Петербург – Валаам – Мандроги – Кижи – Горицы – Ярославль – Кострома – Нижний Новгород – Казань

St. Petersburg is the Northern capital, built on the coast of the Gulf of Finland.

Population: ~ 5,350,000 (as of 2018).

Time: Moscow time.

Saint Petersburg is popular among tourists all over the world. This is the starting point of many routes, both large liners that make cruises on the Baltic Sea, and river ships.  Saint Petersburg is a modern city with a rich history. Its embankments, palaces, temples and parks remind of the majesty of imperial Russia. And many architectural monuments keep traces of the siege of Leningrad — for example, on the columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral you can see the chips that were left after the shelling.

But, of course, tourists are attracted not only by history. This is one of the most picturesque Russian cities, our Venice. St. Petersburg is especially popular during the White nights - from late May to mid-July. In these months, it does not get dark here, which means that you can walk almost all night! Another nightly entertainment is bridge lifting. Since the Neva is a navigable river, several bridges are lifted across it so that motor ships can pass under them. Also, once in St. Petersburg, we advise you not to miss the opportunity and go on a trip along the canals to admire the city from the water.

At whatever river station you are, it is better to go down to the metro and go to the center. In the metro, pay attention to the closed-type stations: you are separated from the train by a wall, you can get into the cars through special doors. One of the most beautiful stations is "Mayakovskaya".

Taking a metro to the station "Nevsky Prospekt", you will get to the heart of the city, on its main pedestrian area. We advise you to start your walking journey from here. You will cross the Griboyedov Canal and the Moika River, admire the solemn colonnade of the Kazan Cathedral, feel the atmosphere of Nevsky Prospekt, with street musicians and open cafes, and reach the Admiralty. To the left of it, on the bank of the Neva River, the famous "Bronze Horseman" is situated, and next to it — St. Isaac's Cathedral. In good weather, we recommend climbing its colonnade — there are several hundred steps leading up, but the view is worth it. This is one of the best viewing platforms in the city! The Palace Square and the Hermitage are to the right of the Admiralty where a huge number of valuable exhibits are collected: from ancient Egyptian mummies and medieval knight armor to paintings by the greatest artists.

The Spit of Vasilievsky Island with Rostral columns is not far from the Hermitage, the columns are decorated with sculptures in the form of ships prows. From here you can enjoy a picturesque view of the wide Neva River and its beautiful embankments. The Northern Capital has many popular suburbs. Most often, it is suggested to go on an additional excursion to Peterhof, the former imperial residence, which was supposed to surpass Versailles. Here you can see the Grand Palace, a giant park decorated with various fountains and sculptures.

Valaam is the largest island in the Ladoga Archipelago.

Time: Moscow time.

The Valaam Archipelago is an amazing combination of history and strict northern beauty, which makes the place attractive for tourists. You can get here by helicopter or by water: motor ships go to the island, and from St. Petersburg you can even get to Valaam by high-speed vessels of the Meteor type.

Valaam is located in that part of Lake Ladoga, which is famous for skerries — rocky islands, whose shores are cut by narrow bays and the journey to Balaam  is extremely picturesque. The history of Balaam is characterized by various events: it belonged to both Russia and Finland, and experienced a flourishing and decline. Now it is a popular tourist destination, which is visited by more than 100,000 travelers every year.

First of all, Valaam surprises travelers with its landscapes: rocky shores with viewing platforms, a fabulous dense forest with hiking trails and clear lakes that reflect the trees. And all this — in the middle of the endless Lake Ladoga. The main attraction is the monastery with a majestic cathedral, designed for 3,000 people. You can enjoy a picturesque view of the surrounding area from the walls of the monastery, and below there is a garden with apple trees, plums, and even pineapples in the greenhouses!

During the tour, travelers can also see the monasteries, although guests of the island will only be able to get to one of them: the Resurrection, built of bricks that were once produced on Valaam. Monastery pies are popular. Gourmets are also advised to pay attention to the cheese, which is made on a local farm. On Valaam, you can also buy handicrafts made of Karelian birch or shungite, a rare rock, and pillows stuffed with juniper.

Mandrogi is a small village on the bank of the Sviri River, located between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega.

Population: ~ 50 (as of 2017).

Time: Moscow time.

Mandrogi is one of the most popular stops on cruises in Karelia. You have a choice here: You can stay on the beach, try local pies and kebabs. Or you can go on a tour of a stylized Russian village, with elegant houses, stables, craft workshops and an unusual museum. Tourists also love the Handicraft Settlement, where you can watch how the craftsmen work: they cast candles, sculpt them from clay, weave them from birch bark and make decorations using flowers. There are also musicians who play ancient instruments.

Kizhi is an island in Lake Onega, which is famous for its open-air museum.

Time: Moscow time.

Kizhi is not accidentally called the pearl of Karelia. This small island attracts tourists not only from all over Russia, but also from other countries.One of the special features of Kizhi is its isolation, you can get here by helicopter or by water. Kizhi is traditionally included in most cruises in Karelia, and for a short excursion you can go from Petrozavodsk.

Kizhi is an open-air museum, where 68 buildings are collected, many of them are included in the UNESCO Heritage List. The island's hallmark is the famous multi-headed churches, built without a single nail. It's hard to believe now, but only a century ago the churches of Kizhi were white — like the classical churches of Yaroslavl. During the restoration, it was decided not to cover the tree with any paint, in order to preserve its natural beauty. If you think that there are only two attractions on the island, you are mistaken. There are many architectural monuments here, which seem to transport us to the mysterious world of Zaonezhye. One of the oldest wooden churches in our country: the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus is among them.

Despite the fact that the island is relatively small, it surprises with a variety of excursions. You can pay attention to the main attractions of the island or walk through the villages, which allow you to look at the life of the northern peasants. Or learn more about the kizhanka boats that were built by local craftsmen. Strong, stable boats were a necessity for them, who lived in the middle of the huge Onega Lake. The fame of kizhanki quickly spread around the area, and people began to come here for miracle boats. You can go shopping and buy magnets with the image of local churches, and Zaonezhskaya embroidery, and amulet dolls that are made right in front of your eyes. If you walk along the shore-pay attention to the coal-black stones. You may find shungite, a very rare rock. It is easy to verify its authenticity, shungite is extremely fragile and easily breaks.

Petrozavodsk is the capital of the republic and, within the framework of administrative divisions, it also serves as the administrative center of Prionezhsky District, even though it is not a part of it. As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the city of republic significance of Petrozavodsk — an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the administrative divisions of the Republic of Karelia. As a municipal division, the city of republic significance of Petrozavodsk is incorporated as Petrozavodsky Urban Okrug.

Vytegra was first mentioned in 1496 as Vytegorsky Pogost (Вытегорский Погост). Since 1710, it was known as Vyangi ,  located at the confluence of the Vytegra and the Vyangi Rivers.

Population: 10,488 (2010 Census)

Time: Moscow Time.

In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by Peter the Great, Vyangi was included into Ingermanland Governorate (known from 1710 as Saint Petersburg Governorate). In 1715, a shipyard was founded on the Vytegra River upstream from Vyangi, which remained in operation until 1847.

In 1773, Vyangi was chartered and renamed Vytegra and in 1776 Vytegorsky Uyezd was established as one of the uyezds of Olonets Province in the newly established Novgorod Viceroyalty. A sequence of administrative reforms followed. In 1781, Olonets Oblast was transferred to Saint Petersburg Governorate, and in 1784, it was transformed into an independent administrative unit, Olonets Viceroyalty. In 1785, Vytegorsky Uyezd was abolished and merged into Pudozhsky Uyezd. In 1799, Olonets Viveroyalty was abolished and divided between Novgorod and Arkhangelsk Governorates. Vytegorsky Uyezd returned to Novgorod Governorate. In 1801, Olonets Governorate was established, and Vytegorsky Uyezd became one of its several uyezds.

In 1922, Olonets Governorate was abolished and Vytegra was transferred to Petrograd Governorate (later Leningrad Oblast). On August 1, 1927, the uyezds in Leningrad Oblast were abolished and Vytegorsky District with the administrative center in Vytegra was established as a part of Lodeynoye Pole Okrug of Leningrad Oblast. On September 23, 1937, it was transferred to newly established Vologda Oblast. During World War II, Finnish troops occupied the western part of Oshtinsky District and in October 1941, prepared an advance to Vytegra. The Finnish advance was stopped by the Red Army, but the occupation continued until June 1944. Vytegra was under threat for these two and a half years, but was never occupied.

Population: 312,310 (2010 Census).

Time: Moscow Time.

The origin of the word «Cherepovets» is a subject of much debate among the local historians. According to one version, the city supposedly received its name from the word "skull". In antiquity, a pagan sanctuary was there in honor of the god Veles on the hill at the confluence of the Sheksna and Yagorba Rivers. The top of the hill was called the skull. Another version suggests that the word «Cherepovets» originates from the name of the tribe «Ves», who inhabited the Sheksna's banks. According to this version, "Cherepovets" in the language of local indigenous Veps means «Veps' fish hill».

Yaroslavl is one of the oldest Russian cities, the unofficial capital of the Golden Ring of Russia.

Population: ~ 609,000 (as of 2018).

Time: Moscow time.

Yaroslavl, which recently celebrated its millennium, is one of the most popular tourist cities. According to the legends, at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl, Russian Tsar Yaroslav the Wise killed a bear and ordered to found the city. During its long history, Yaroslavl was both an inconspicuous city on the border of the principalities, and one of the cultural and commercial centers, and even (for a short time) the capital of our state. In memory of its former greatness, Yaroslavl has preserved a huge number of architectural monuments that are included in the UNESCO Heritage List. There are more than 800 of them — it is not surprising that the city is called an open-air museum. During a visit to Yaroslavl, you should pay attention to the Church of St. John the Baptist in Tolchkov, depicted on a bill of 1,000 rubles. And also visit the Volkov Drama Theater — the oldest in our country. Young travelers may be interested in the Yaroslavl zoo.

Kostroma is a part of the Golden Ring of Russian towns; it is located at the confluence of the rivers Volga and Kostroma.

Population: ~ 277,000 people (2018 Census).

Time: Moscow time.

The city was first recorded in the chronicles for the year 1213, but some historians believe it could have been founded by Yury Dolgoruky more than half a century earlier, in 1152. Since many scholars believe that early Eastern Slavs tribes arrived in modern-day Belarus, Ukraine and western Russia AD 400 to 600, Kostroma could be much older than previously thought. The city shares the same name as the East Slavic goddess Kostroma.

Like other towns of the Eastern Rus, Kostroma was sacked by the Mongols in 1238. It then constituted a small principality, under leadership of Prince Vasily the Drunkard, a younger brother of the famous Alexander Nevsky. Upon inheriting the grand ducal title in 1271, Vasily didn't leave the town for Vladimir, and his descendants ruled Kostroma for another half a century, until the town was bought by Ivan I of Moscow.

Gorodets is one of the oldest Russian cities on the Volga River.

Population: ~ 30,000 people (2017 Census).

Time: Moscow time.

Every year Gorodets is visited by more than 500 thousand tourists. Most of them arrive on cruise ships.The town was founded in 1152 by Prince Yury Dolgoruky (also the founder of Moscow) as a large fortress on the Volga River, the first Russian fortress in today's Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. It was a starting point for numerous campaigns of the princes of Vladimir and Suzdal against Volga Bulgaria. In 1216, Yury II of Vladimir was dethroned by his brother and exiled here. In 1239, the town was burned to the ground by Batu Khan's army. In 1263, Alexander Nevsky died in Gorodets on his way back to Novgorod from the Golden Horde. His son, Andrey, made the town his chief residence. A famous medieval icon-painter, Prokhor, was born there. In the mid-14th century, the town was overshadowed by the neighboring Nizhny Novgorod but continued as the third largest town of Nizhny Novgorod Principality until 1408, when Edigu razed it to the ground. For two following centuries the town was known as Gorodets Pustoy (i. e., "Gorodets the Empty"). Some chronicles state that its entire population moved slightly downstream and resettled at Salt-on-Gorodets (today's Balakhna). By the 19th century, Gorodets was revived as a prosperous village settled by Old Believer merchants and reputed for its decorative handicrafts, such as wood carving and painting. In 1875, the Nizhny Novgorod writer A. S. Gatsisky described Gorodets as a major center of trade in grain and wooden kitchenware. In 1922, Gorodets becomes a town again, as well the administrative center of Gorodetsky Uyezd (later, Gorodetsky District). Between 1948 and 1959, the dam of Gorky Hydroelectric Station (now Nizhny Novgorod Hydroelectric Station) was built a few kilometers upstream from Gorodets, and along with the station a new industrial town, Zavolzhye, was built on the right side of the Volga.

Nizhny Novgorod is an ancient city on the Volga River.

Population: ~ 1,259,000 people (2018 Census).

Time: Moscow time.

Nizhny Novgorod was founded on Volga and Oka rivers in 1221. Nowadays, it is a popular cruise stop.This is one of the few cities in Russia where the Kremlin has been preserved. Moreover, Nizhny Novgorod is included in the list of one hundred UNESCO cities of historical and cultural value. In total, there are about 600 attractions in the city: both ancient architectural monuments and modern ones are among them. Originally the name was just Novgorod (“Newtown”), but to distinguish it from the other, older and well-known Novgorod (Veliky Novgorod) to the west, the city was commonly called “Novgorod of the Lower lands”, or “Lower Newtown”. This land was named "lower” (nizhniy) even though it is actually higher in altitude than Veliky Novgorod, because it is situated downstream of other Russian cities such as Moscow, Vladimir and Murom.

Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka rivers, covering an area of 425.3 square kilometres.

Population: ~ 1,244,000 people (as of 2018).

Time: Moscow time.

Kazan was founded in the late 13th century by the Golden Horde. In 1438, Kazan became the capital of the Khanate of Kazan. In 1552, Kazan was captured by Ivan the Terrible and became a part of Russia. The city was seized and largely destroyed during Pugachev's Rebellion of 1773–1775, but was later rebuilt during the reign of Catherine the Great. In the following centuries, Kazan grew to become a major industrial, cultural and religious centre of Russia. In 1920, after the Russian SFSR became a part of the Soviet Union, Kazan became the capital of the Tatar ASSR. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Kazan stayed as the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. Kazan is renowned for its vibrant mix of Tatar and Russian cultures.In 2015, 2.1 million tourists visited Kazan, and 1.5 million tourists visited the Kazan Kremlin, a World Heritage Site. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the right to brand itself as the "Third Capital of Russia".In 2009 it was chosen as the "Sports capital of Russia",and it still is referred to as such. Kazan hosted the 2013 Summer Universiade, and was one of the host cities of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.