13 Days in Russia and Estonia Cultural Tour

عن الوجهة: Moscow, the political, historical and economic capital of Russia, displays the country's most extreme contrasts. The old and the modern come together perfectly in this city of 10 million people. The Russian capital is today a dazzling metropolis whose sheer grandeur never fails to amaze. Take the metro from one of the ornate stations to get close to the city’s main attractions that are a symbol of the great and terrible past of the city. The remains of the Soviet state are scattered all around the city. Monuments remember fallen heroes and victorious battles, while museums attempt to analyse and synthesise the past. See Lenin and Stalin – off their pedestals – at the whimsical Art Muzeon. Step into the Socialist Realist fantasy at VDNKh. Descend into the depths of the Soviet system at Bunker-42 Cold War Museum. And remember the millions who suffered at the Gulag History Museum. Nowadays, many fun or clever retro clubs and cafes give their guests a taste of the Soviet experience. The very founding site of the city (and arguably, the country), the Kremlin and Red Square are still at the heart of Moscow – historically, geographically and spiritually. Among the city’s most recognisable sights are the almost cartoon-like onion domes of St Basil’s Cathedral that tower above Red Square, UNESCO gems that were built between the 14th and 17th centuries. Modern-day Moscow defies its grey Soviet past and has developed a hedonistic atmosphere and the sense that great things are once again happening here. Shopping for designer labels at frighteningly expensive boutiques has become a national sport, but Moscow is regarded as one of the world’s most culturally sophisticated capitals, with world-class institutions like the Bolshoi Theatre, the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. The city is also proud of its great writers, playwrights, composers, choreographers, and film-makers. Glitzy, historical and screaming hedonism, Moscow is truly beguiling.

عن الوجهة: Inextricably linked to the major events of Soviet Union, St. Petersburg cannot escape its imperial past. Physically, at least, St. Petersburg has been the city of the tsars since Peter the Great founded the city in a swamp and moved the capital here from Moscow in 1712 to provide greater contact with the West. Many of the major baroque and neoclassical buildings and well-designed streets and landscaped parks are the work of imperial French and Italian architects. St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city, is often called Russia’s Western Gate, and the City of White Nights. For a splendid overview of the city, climb the dome of St. Isaac’s Cathedral on Isaakievskaya square, a massive example of 19th century civic-religious architecture; its dome is covered in pure gold. Nearby, on Senate Square overlooking the Neva, is Falconet’s Monument to Peter the Great. Peter and Paul Fortress was founded by Peter the Great and was erected in just one year between 1703 and 1704 during the Great Northern War against Sweden. The fortress was never used to defend the city but it was used as a political prison under the Tsar. Inside the fortress is the main attraction for visitors: the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul containing the tombs of Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Nicholas II and other tsars. Nevsky Prospect is St. Petersburg’s main avenue and one of the best-known streets in Russia. The buildings along Nevsky Prospekt are a treasure house for art-nouveau-fans. Nevsky Prospect is also the city’s central shopping street and the hub of the city’s entertainment and nightlife. Even if the rest of the city were non-existent, the Hermitage alone would merit a week-long visit to St. Petersburg. Located in the magnificent, luxurious Winter Place, former residence of the tsars, this collection of art unquestionably ranks among the world’s finest. But before you immerse yourself in the art, take in the main halls where the tsar reigned and entertained, especially the awesome Malachite Hall, where the provisional Government held its last meeting before the revolution exploded around it. Cool and aristocratic St. Petersburg is a magnificent city with beautiful architecture everywhere. Often described as the Venice of the North, St Petersburg is a city defined by water. Whether you’re cruising the elegant canals, crossing one of the 342 bridges in the city, or just watching them being raised over the mighty Neva River at night to allow ships to pass through, you’re never far from water in St Petersburg.

عن الوجهة: تالينواحدة من أكثر مدن أوروبا سحرا ، تالين هي مزيج مثالي من العصور الوسطى والحديثة ، مع ممراتها الضيقة المرصوفة بالحصى المليئة بالهندسة المعمارية الباروكية ، والحياة الليلية البرية. أطلق على عاصمة إستونيا اسم "براغ الجديدة" ولكن هذه المدينة تبرز من تلقاء نفسها. تحتوي المدينة القديمة المدرجة في قائمة التراث العالمي على الكثير من عوامل التشتيت حتى لأكثر المسافرين إلحاحا. أفضل استكشاف سيرا على الأقدام ، المدينة القديمة المثيرة للذكريات في تالين مليئة بالقلاع والكنائس الأرثوذكسية الروسية والأديرة الدومينيكية. تشترك هذه الأحجار الكريمة التاريخية في الشوارع مع منازل التجار القديمة وقاعات الاجتماعات التي تعود إلى العصور الوسطى حيث يمكن للزوار مشاهدة السكان المحليين وهم يعرضون تقاليد حرفية عمرها قرون من نفخ الزجاج والنسيج والفخار ، ولماذا لا ، خذ هدية تذكارية غريبة إلى المنزل. في الليل تتحول المدينة القديمة. داخل جدرانه القديمة ، سيتمكن المسافرون من الاحتفال في النوادي الليلية المليئة بالبخار والصالات الفاتنة وحانات المغتربين ونوادي المثليين الملونة حتى الساعات الأولى من الصباح. خارج أحياء العصور الوسطى ، هناك الكثير لرؤيته. على أطراف البلدة القديمة ، تظهر منطقة جديدة ، مع فنادق جديدة لامعة ومكاتب والكثير من المطاعم والمقاهي والمحلات والنوادي الليلية. أي شخص يصل إلى تالين بفكرة مدينة رمادية قديمة من الكتلة السوفيتية سوف يفاجأ بهذا الأفق الجديد كما سيفاجأ بالنواة القديمة الساحرة. تالين فخورة بروحها القديمة ولكنها أيضا موضة إلى الأمام ونابضة بالحياة وملونة وثقافية وبرية.

عن الوجهة: Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia and Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual centre of the country, especially since it is home to the nation's oldest and most renowned university, the University of Tartu. The city also houses the Supreme Court of Estonia and the Ministry of Education and Research. MAIN TOURISTS ATTRACTION • Main building of the University of Tartu. • Old Town. • Town Hall Square. • Soup Neighborhood. Neighborhood where all of the streets are named after soup ingredients. • Former Soviet Airfield. • Ahhaa science center.