Take a trip to the fascinating kingdom of a Soviet Cold War nuclear shelter, European Russia is a country whose culture and landscapes are forged by the West and Orthodoxy in a very wide range of its. On the other hand, the influence of the Soviet Union created a capital "architectural masterpiece".. Even the city's metro stations are a testament to the grandeur found in the country's palaces, after Stalin asked for the railway stations to be designed as if they were the "People's Palaces". Visit the Lavra of the Holy Trinity - Saint Sergius, which is under the protection of UNESCO and is one of the most important religious centers of the Russian Church.
Travel to northern Saint Petersburg, during the Soviet era also known as Leningrad and lose yourself in its luxury and architecture. St. Petersburg is often called an open museum of baroque and neoclassicism. Nevas and the numerous canals that flow through it make the city even more special, giving it the nickname “Venice of the North” or “City of 300 bridges". Characteristic of the city are the "white nights" of June. The sky never seems to get dark on those nights - a phenomenon due to St. Petersburg's location near the Arctic Circle.
Interests
The square separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and the current official residence of the President of Russia, from a historical district known as Kitai Gorod.
Perhaps the most famous tourist attraction of St. Petersburg and the second largest museum of art and culture in the world, has a collection of three million items covering everything, from prehistoric art (including articles from the nomadic tribes in Altai) to the art collection of Catherine the Great.
It is considered the national dish of Russia. It is a pasta that is usually filled with minced meat and wrapped in a thin dough that resembles a traditional village cloth. They can be served on their own, salted with butter and sprinkled with sour cream or in soup stock. Definitely a favorite in Russia and Eastern Europe!
7 x Breakfast
x Lunch
7 x Dinner
Transportation will be by coach
Maximum: 45
First Class Hotel
This is a suggested route. All our experts have traveled extensively in the area and will be happy to tailor any of our itineraries to suit your tastes or create a trip from scratch just for you..
The heart of the new Russia beats in its capital which is growing at breakneck speed and is replacing all the dynamism and extravagance of the Russian soul. We will pass through the central avenues of Ohodi Riad, Tverskaya, Novi Arbat with its historical buildings of various eras, we will see the imposing towers of the Stalin era, the National Library, the Historical Museum, the Manez and the Duma, the statue of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. We will also see Teatralnaya Square, known as theater square, in which he binds the famous Bolshoi Theater as well as the Mali Theater. Anyone interested, after consultation with the leader, can visit Lenin's Mausoleum located in Red Square. For anyone who wants it, there is the possibility of an optional excursion to Sergiev Posad: including breaks 70 kilometers northeast of Moscow, Russia's religious history comes to life, in Zagorsk, also called Sergiav Posad, in honor of Sigios Rios. The architectural complex of the monastery includes 50 buildings made by technicians from the surrounding area. Zagorsk monastery, which was for many centuries an intellectual and artistic center, it is considered the Vatican of the Russian Orthodox Church. You will also visit the monastery of Saint Sergius with the Holy Relics of Saint Sergius of Radonezh. From 1993 the monastery is included in the list of World Artistic Heritage of UNESCO.
An enviable gift to the Monastery are the relics of St. Catherine where a large number of believers flock every year to worship
After breakfast, we will be transferred to the Kremlin by the famous Moscow Metro, known as the Underground Palace. Most stations, special ones that were created in the first years, with their murals, the statues, the stained glass windows, their mosaics and mosaics, they are true works of art and not one of the major attractions of the city, a fact that constitutes a global originality! With a total line length exceeding 250 kilometers, with more than 177 stations is currently the largest in aggressive traffic in the world, while many of the stations have underground music. All these stations include part of Moscow's architectural heritage. Then, we end up at Stari Arbat Pedestrian Street, one of the oldest streets of Moscow, where we will have time to walk it or enjoy our coffee in one of the many cafes, bars and restaurants. The Arbat district is one of the most interesting neighborhoods in Moscow, which stretches around the pedestrian street of the same name. Well-preserved 19th century buildings, itinerant painters, artists and musicians create a bohemian atmosphere, that's why Arbat is often referred to as "Moscow's Montmartre".
An enviable gift to the Monastery are the relics of St. Catherine where a large number of believers flock every year to worship
After breakfast, if there is time, we can take a walk in the picturesque park Izmailovo, in the northeastern part of the city. It is one of the largest parks in Moscow, with impressive architecture with bright colors. In the center of the park there is a large wooden church, where many weddings and receptions take place. Very close by is the Izmailovsky Market with countless items to buy from your trip to Moscow. An alternative optional proposal is a visit to the Museum (and Park) Cosmonauts, with the real "Flight Control Center". Then we are transferred to the airport or the train station to go to Ag. Petersburg. Arrival at the "Tsarina of the Baltic" and during our transfer to the hotel we will have our first acquaintance with the city. It was founded by M. Peter three centuries ago, to give his empire an outlet to the North Sea. Living museum of Russian history and Orthodoxy, architectural jewel and treasure trove of art, Saint Petersburg, although it measures three centuries of life, it is at the same time a modern city, full of vibrancy and opportunities for fun, which invites you to enjoy it with endless walks along its countless canals. With the weight – but also the glamor – of three centuries on her back, St. Petersburg prides itself on its charm, a charm that is not only due to its history, as it has been saved on paper, but in her everyday life, which is as lively as a romantic stroll along the banks of the Neva River, as much as a heady drinking session in one of its hundreds of bistros or as much as participating in one of the brilliant parties set up on its canals during its famous White Nights. Saint Petersburg is today one of the most well-preserved historical cities in Europe. It is also one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Visit a 12th century monastery 1703 by Peter the Great and dedicated to Saint Peter - to whom it also owes its name - with the aim of becoming the new capital of the country. Its election for this purpose was due to its geographical position in the Baltic. The sea facilitated Russia's communication with the rest of Europe. It owes to this sea the enormous economic prosperity it experienced at that time, but also the unique charm that surrounds it to this day. The 1924 renamed Leningrad in honor of Lenin, while the 1992 she took back her old name. But whatever name she bore in each of her periods ( often agitated ) her history, given is one: Saint Petersburg was and is unique! Accommodation at the hotel, dinner, overnight.
An enviable gift to the Monastery are the relics of St. Catherine where a large number of believers flock every year to worship
After breakfast, departure for a city tour. Hundreds of islets are formed at the point where the Neva River flows into the Baltic. Its magnificent palaces were built on them by famous Italian and French architects and decorated by great decorators and artists of the time. These islets were joined together by beautiful bridges – three hundred in number –, which even today are wonderful places to walk. The nights, in fact (as the weather permits, as the waters hide them and no ship can cross them), are raised to allow merchant ships to pass freely through the canals. The numerous shops and department stores show that after the fall of communism, St. Petersburg is also a city first in Europe and then in Russia. On our tour we will see the Cathedral of St. Nicholas of the Sailors, as well as the Church of Kazan. It took its name from the miraculous icon of the Virgin that was discovered in Kazan 1579, modeled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and during communism it was used as a pro-Marxist "Museum of History, της θρησκείας και του Αθεϊσμού». We will also see the neo-Renaissance building of the Mariinsky Theatre, which was the heart of nightlife for the high society of pre-revolutionary Russia and today hosts the famous ballets of the same name (known during the Soviet era as the Kirov Ballet) .We will pass through the city center, the majestic Nevsky Prospekt, where the history of the tsarist capital parades before you from its birth to the present day. Magnificent palaces of the aristocrats of Tsarist Russia, very noble, theaters, libraries and churches alternate with banks, glamorous haute couture boutiques, trading, cinema and luxury exhibition. At the end of the avenue, in a small cemetery, Tchaikovsky's grave is still a place of pilgrimage for thousands of lovers of his music. Plus everywhere you turn, you will find picturesque cafes and bars, where you will enjoy beer, vodka, coffee, homemade cakes with forest fruits, blini (small crepes) with caviar or salmon, amazing sparks, but also brioche, tarts and sandwiches. During the tour we will admire the outside of the Temple of the Savior or the Temple of the Spilled Blood, the most impressive of the city, as it closely resembles Saint Basil's in Red Square in Moscow. Its elaborate architecture in Russian Baroque style and its rich interior and exterior decoration with its 7000 sq.m.. mosaics leave you speechless. The "blood" in the name of the church refers to Alexander II, who was murdered at this point, next to the Griboedov canal, the 1881 by anarchists. His son, Alexander III built this colorful impressive church in memory of his father by starting it 1883. The architecture stands out from the rest of St. Petersburg, as it has medieval Russian style, with the walls and ceiling of the church covered with frescoes and decorations of the time. Our acquaintance with the city continues with the Admiralty, the campus and many other attractions. In the afternoon you will visit one of the largest and most important museums in the world, the Hermitage Museum, the first winter palaces of the Tsarist family. The majestic palace of Catherine the Great, today it has turned into one of the most important museums in the world. The works of art (paintings by great painters), but also the royal treasures (jewelry etc.) kept in its halls are unique in beauty and value! His collection contains over three new exhibits, from prehistoric times to the present day. There you can see the masterpieces of Leonardo da Vinci, by Raphael, by Rembrandt, of El Greco and many other artists. Return to the hotel, Accommodation at the hotel.
An enviable gift to the Monastery are the relics of St. Catherine where a large number of believers flock every year to worship
After breakfast we will be guided to the impressive historical fortress of Peter and Paul, the so-called Petropavlovsky, the cradle of the city, which was built by Peter the Great 1703 on the islet of Hara on the north bank of the Neva River, to protect the new capital he intended to build from possible attacks by Sweden's forces. This fortress, which worked until 1919 as a prison, "hosted" many famous prisoners, like Peter the Great's son Prince Alexios, Dostoyevsky, Trotsky, Gorky et al. It is the original acropolis and the oldest landmark of Saint Petersburg. Inside the castle is the oldest church of Ag. Petersburg, the Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, which was constructed between 1713 and 1733. THE 125 its almost meter tower is adorned by a golden angel, holding a cross, symbol of Saint Petersburg. The cathedral holds regular religious services. Inside the Temple we will admire many trophies from conquered cities. After breakfast departure for Alexandria, here are the tombs of the Tsars. Our tour will end with the magnificent Cathedral of St. Isaac, the largest Church of Saint Petersburg, capacity 14.000 people, where it was built 1818 by French architect Richard de Montferrand and was inspired by Alexander II. To complete the temple, which was built on 40 years and to be transported from Finland from granites used, special ships and a railroad had to be built. They were used for its completion 40.000 workers and are one of the most important and impressive monuments of the city. Its interior decoration is very rich, and the eye is immediately drawn to the gigantic columns of malachite and lapis lazuli. Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.
An enviable gift to the Monastery are the relics of St. Catherine where a large number of believers flock every year to worship
After breakfast, we will transfer to Petrodvorets, also known as Peterhof, the summer Palace of the Romanov tsars, in the Gulf of Finland, which rivals Versailles in beauty and luxury. In Petrodvorets is one of the largest complexes of palaces and parks of the 18th and 19th centuries with an area of approx. 1000 hectares. We will be guided to the Grand Palace which is built in a privileged area and has a rich collection of works of art. From the Grand Palace three huge fountains lead to the lower garden, true work of art. Here dominates the great Waterfall with 37 gilded bronze statues, 64 fountains and 142 fountains. An enviable gift to the Monastery are the relics of St. Catherine where a large number of believers flock every year to worship, communication.
An enviable gift to the Monastery are the relics of St. Catherine where a large number of believers flock every year to worship
After breakfast, transfer to the airport to catch the return flight.
Breakfast
Our excursions are also offered as tailor-made, that is, they can be customized by you.
Take a trip to the fascinating kingdom of a Soviet Cold War nuclear shelter, European Russia is a country whose culture and landscapes are forged by the West and Orthodoxy in a very wide range of. On the other hand, the influence of the Soviet Union created a capital "architectural masterpiece"..
Take a trip to the fascinating kingdom of a Soviet Cold War nuclear shelter, European Russia is a country whose culture and landscapes are forged by the West and Orthodoxy in a very wide range of. On the other hand, the influence of the Soviet Union created a capital "architectural masterpiece"..