You’ve got a week or two to travel. You want to visit somewhere unique. Somewhere with great culture, art, maybe some theatre. You want beautiful architecture, friendly people, yet you don’t want to bump into another tourist every two feet.
Because you’ve landed on this blog, you have probably thought about a visit to Russia.
If you are like me, you will probably enjoy Russia for all of the reasons I did:
- It’s off the beaten tourist path.
Nearly everyone who has ventured to Europe has done London, Paris, Milan. If you poll your family, friends, acquaintances, probably most of them will not have been to Russia. It’s not to say you won’t find crowds in the tourist areas. The Hermitage museum can be as busy as I’ve ever seen the Louvre. Train tickets, especially for the high-speed routes, need to be booked well in advance. There are lines up to and over an hour long to ‘meet Lenin’ and see the Kremlin (government buildings and armoury).
But you can find yourself with a private moment in a beautiful park (Gorky park). You can relax with a coffee in the Red Square and never feel a server’s pressure to leave the table.
2. World-Class Opera, Ballet, Orchestra.
The theatre arts as we know them have been a part of Russian history for ever. Russian ballet is essentially the birth of the art form. Every single night of the week, 52 weeks a year, you could see a different performance, if you wanted to. Not only are the performances incredible, but the buildings are amazing. Serious money went into building these concert halls, and more than that, they have been maintained and well-cared for since.
The tickets can be very reasonably priced and you can even purchase them online, and in English. : http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/
3. History, History, History!
Whether you’ve studied in depth, or just listened to Rasputin back in the 80s/90s, you will surely recognize many names of Russian history. Alexander the Great, Rasputin, the Romanovs, Stalin, Ivan the Terrible, Lenin, Tolstoy, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Mendeleyev, Chekhov, Catherine the Great…
Russian history is long and complex but is full of royalty, opulence, betrayal, and it is easy to become fascinated with its past as you walk the streets that many others have travelled.
4. Palaces, anyone?
Centuries of tsars needed opulent places to live. Often based on French palaces of the day, you will be able to easily draw similarities between Peterhof Summer Residence and Versailles. Gold leaf is everywhere, and the brilliant brightly coloured buildings gleam, whether it is the middle of summer, or the dead of winter.
Be sure to visit Catharine the Greats Palace (and the famed amber room), Peterhof and Pushkin, if you have time. These are a short drive out of St. Petersburg, but definitely worth it!
5. Moscow Metro
You probably wouldn’t choose to go to Paris or London, just to hang out on the subway. In most cities, it is simple a way to get around the city away from the traffic. But in Moscow, there are actually walking tours that tour the subway system. Stalin was determined that the average Moscovian’s commute to work be one where they could be surrounded by beauty. The metro stations became unique with mosaics, tiles, bronzed statues, glittering chandeliers, palatial corridors and grand marble archways. One would almost believe you were in a museum. They are bright, extremely clean, and very efficient. There are remnants of Soviet times throughout the system.
While most of the language is written in Cyrillic, it is possible to maneuver your way through without speaking or reading the language. English is slowly becoming more common, especially in some of the more touristy areas and stations.
6. White Nights
Ideally, you will have chosen to visit Russia in the middle of summer (June/July). The days are very long, and even in the middle of the night, it is rarely completely dark. There is an air of celebration in the air, and many locals and tourists alike are out in the streets until very late. It is a unique way to see the nightlife of these cities. See my guide to St. Petersburg for more information about some special activities to do at this time of year.
Most of the buildings in the city centres are lit with accented lighting. Exploring the city after dusk is a very different, and very worthwhile experience!
7. In General, it is clean, and safe.
Not once in any of my three trips to Russia have I ever seen a beggar or a homeless/street person (or even a sign of them). On only one occasion did I see a piece of litter on the ground, and as I noticed it, a worker was headed to pick it up. There is no garbage on the streets, no litter in the subways, not even any cigarette butts around. I have no idea how they have managed to do this in a city of some 13-million people, but they’ve done it! Pride in the city is evident with the locals. The sidewalks are crack-free, the gardens and planters very well-tended and beautiful, and the grass in public spaces is always pristine. But here is the mystery….I’ve never seen anyone working to keep it this way!
Furthermore, and as a solo traveler, this is very important; I’ve never once felt unsafe in Moscow or St Petersburg. Despite my very basic Russian language skills, and extremely limited knowledge of cyrillic…
(side story about my terrible Russian skills: my last night in Moscow, I wanted to give away my metro card to someone who could use it. I had about 3 rides left, and I was leaving in the morning and had no need for it. I tried to approach a younger local by the station – younger people are much more likely to have a grasp of some English. Unfortunately, she didn’t. I kept trying to hand her my card, she kept telling me sorry, she didn’t understand. Finally, I pieced together this lovely sentence: “Tomorrow, I go, at St Petersburg. No metro tomorrow me. Thank you.” I think I also gestured leaving the city on an airplane. And said a few more thank you’s – my go-to word in any language. Finally she accepted the ticket when I placed it on her bag and called out a thank you”…best language barrier story ever!)
…I’ve never been approached late at night. I’ve never had someone ‘accidentally’ lean too close on the metro (not always easy at busy times!). I’ve never had my personal space violated, or never had anyone brush up against me. I’ve never had to, but I would never hesitate to ask a local for help, and locals try hard to make you feel welcome. While I always use my common sense when I travel, I am very confident that a solo woman could stumble out of a bar late at night, and walk back to her hotel, and not have any issues. (Not that I advocate this at all. But that is how safe it feels in the area).
I, like you, have probably heard the horror stories, of foreigners being hustled by police for money, being made to pay ridiculous fines, or extra ‘visa’ charges. But it has never happened to me, or anyone I know personally. Like any other city in the world, there is corruption, police to hustle obvious tourists for fines, tickets, or charges; but it is perhaps the horror stories that encourage the current Russian populace to strive for better.
8. Its Cheap!
On my last trip, I had to admit that price were starting to climb a little. But it can still be a very inexpensive holiday. I’ve never skimped on my hotels in Moscow or St. Petersburg, reasoning that I want to be close to the tourist areas/centre, and that a ‘brand name’ hotel might be more inclined to watch out for their solo female travellers. The last two trips to Moscow, I have stayed in Marriott Hotels, and I have paid 60USD/night, and similar in St Petersburg. Can you pay more/less? Absolutely. Some hotels go for 10 or less USD per evening and hostels are even more reasonably priced.
Depending on your meal preferences, lunch at a restaurant might cost you 5USD, and dinner between 10-15USD. An upscale place can be upwards of 50USD+, and you can grab basic meals and snacks at grocery stores for very inexpensive prices.
If you are apprehensive about the language barrier, short on time, or looking for in-depth explanations at various places, consider hiring a local guide. Several places will require you to have one (the Kremlin in Moscow), but others are optional, but very worthwhile. Most tourist attractions operate on two different prices; one for locals, and one for tourists. Frequently, they also limit the entrance times; separating locals and tourists. By using a local guide, you can obtain the local prices and be able to see and do far more in less time.
As an example, my last trip in St Petersburg, I travelled with a few apprehensive first-timers. We hired a local guide to take us to several places for one full day, and 3 half days. Her fee, and all associated costs, for 4 people, was 550USD. After our trip, we added up all the costs we would have paid ourselves, and our total was just under 400USD. For an extra 150$, we skipped every line (at the Hermitage, many palaces and exhibits). We had a personal tour guide to cover exactly what we wanted to know, and then gave us whatever additional information she felt was important. We never had to worry about language barriers. She negotiated every detail. Additionally, you are helping an entrepreneur develop their business.
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