Kazan Cathedral (2, Nevsky Prospekt, Kazanskaya Square St. Petersburg) – built during the early 1800s, this cathedral was modeled after Basilica of St. Peter’s in Rome and was intended to be the country’s main Orthodox Church. After the Russians successfully defeated Napoleon, it became a monument to that victory. Like other churches, the Soviet authorities stopped […]
Hermitage Museum (Dvortsovaya Naberezhnaya, 34, St. Petersburg) – the collection of this museum includes more than three million works of art and artifacts of the world culture. Among them are paintings, graphic works, sculptures and works of applied art, archaeological finds and numismatic material. The main architectural ensemble of the Hermitage (located in the center of […]
Gorky Park (9, Krymskiy Val, Moscow) – this was a one-time amusement park that was transformed in 2011 (removing the outdated rides that were once there). Nowadays, sports & recreational activities such as aerobics, yoga and salsa dancing, can be found there, along with an open-air cinema. During the cold months, there’s an 18,000 sq. meter […]
Iglesia de Nuestro Salvador sobre la sangre derramada (2b Naberezhnaya Kanala Gribboyedova San Petersburgo): construida entre 1883 y 1907, esta es otra estructura bien decorada en Rusia, que consta de mosaicos increíblemente detallados, diseñados y creados por los artistas rusos más prominentes de los últimos tiempos. Siglo XIX (VM Vasnetsov, MV Nesterov y MA Vrubel). […]
Catherine Palace (Czarskoe Selo, St. Petersburg): this palace was named after Catherine I (wife of Peter the Great). Finished in 1756, the extravagance invested into this palace ranged from its size (1 km in circumference), to its exterior (with elaborately decorated blue-and-white facades, and trimmings laced with 100 kg. of gold). The palace’s interior is […]
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (ulitsa Volkhonka, 15, Moscow) – this huge cathedral is among the structures that dominate Moscow’s skyline along the city’s river. Russian ruler Joseph Stalin took down the cathedral, with plans to build a “Palace of the Soviets” (including a 100-meter statue of Lenin). With such plans never being realized, the […]
Gumböle Golf GG (Gumbölentie 20, Espoo) – located 25 minutes northwest of downtown Helsinki (via Route 1), Golf Digest magazine rated this course as being one of the top 5 courses in Finland. Along with the course, there’s also a pro shop, a restaurant, a private meeting room, saunas, golf simulator, as well as a […]
Serena Water Park (Tornimäentie 10, Espoo) – this is a great place for the entire family to enjoy the tropical warmth year-round — with terraced pools, massaging whirlpools, waterslides and a unique sauna section carved from the bedrock. There’s also the Black Hole pipeslide — featuring sound and light effects. Outdoors, there are carpet slides, […]
Sea Life Helsinki – this facility has an array of underwater sea life, ranging from sharks, to piranhas, sea horses, octopuses, clownfish, turtles, and other sea creatures. Admission: €16 (adult 15 year or older), €11 (children 3-14), free for children under 3 years. Hours vary. See Sea Life’s website for an updated schedule and other […]
Saunas at Rastila (Karavaanikatu 4, Helsinki) –saunas are a deeply ingrained part of Finnish culture, so it’s no surprise that such facilities can be found throughout Helsinki. Rastila Camping Helsinki (located in the outer reaches of the city — just 17 minutes away from downtown) has three cozy saunas that can be rented: two small […]