16 amazing places in Russia everyone should visit

1. Shantar Islands (Khabarovsk Territory)

This archipelago in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is famous for its stunning nature. In 2013, in order to preserve its pristine beauty, the islands were turned into a national park.

There are many waterfalls, rivers, lakes, colorful rocks and wild animals on the Shantar Islands. If you have long dreamed of seeing a moose, bear or seals - go here. And while traveling to the islands, you can swim in the open sea with whales and killer whales.

Most of the year, the archipelago is covered with ice, which melts only in the second half of summer, so it is better to go to the Shantar Islands at this time.

2. Lighthouse Egersheld (Primorsky Territory)

The lighthouse appeared on the extreme mainland point of Vladivostok - Tokarevskaya cat - at the end of the 19th century. At first, it was an ordinary luminous sign, and in 1910 a full-fledged lighthouse was built in its place - a high round white tower with a red roof and a signal lamp.

Framed by the blue sea, Egersheld looks amazing. But it is worth visiting it not only for the sake of the building and photographs against its background. It is imperative to climb onto the observation deck of the lighthouse and marvel at the scenery: on the left, it overlooks the Russky Island, and on the right, the endless sea.

3. Reserve "Stolby" (Krasnoyarsk Territory)

This national park is famous for its rocky outcrops - the massifs of rock that remained after the destruction of the surrounding rocks. There are more than a hundred of such pillars, towering like stone giants, over the taiga, on the territory of the reserve.

Krasnoyarsk "Stolby" occupies a huge area - 472 km², but only one seventh of these spaces are open to tourists. Here you can just walk and enjoy the views or go rock climbing.

This reserve is located just 30 minutes from Krasnoyarsk. You can stay in the northern city in a hotel or hostel, but it will be more convenient to rent an apartment for rent. On service Avito Real Estate you can rent, including online, a room, apartment, cottage. Usually, in short-term housing, there are things that may not be in the hotel, or you will have to pay extra for using them.

For example, in this one-room apartment in an elite residential complex in Krasnoyarsk, you can stay together. The rental price includes bed linen, towels, wireless internet. The apartment has a washing machine, iron, hairdryer and a kitchen equipped with everything necessary for cooking.

4. Yarovoe (Altai Territory)

Every summer the population of this Russian city increases by several thousand people. This is because it is a balneological resort. The main point of attraction here is Lake Bolshoye Yarovoe, famous for its curative mud and brine (concentrated salt solution).

Another interesting lake near Yarovoye, in the village of Bursol, is Burlinskoye. It is so salty that you can stay on the water without any effort. And in the summer months Burlinskoe is also pink. The unusual color is still a mystery: probably, brine shrimp living in it give its water.

5. "Archeopark" (Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug)

Cultural and tourist complex at the foot of the Samarovsky glacial outlier. The main attraction of the Archeopark is the sculpture park. Walking through the complex, you will see bronze mammoths, wolves, bison, woolly rhinoceroses, cave lion, big-horned deer, horses and beavers. In the evening, the figures are highlighted and look especially magical.

On the territory of the "Archeopark" there is also an archeological monument "Samarov gorodok": it is believed that once there was a residence of the Khanty prince Samara.

6. Kola Peninsula (Murmansk region)

An ideal place for those who dream of seeing the northern lights. Thanks to the clean air, pristine nature and remoteness from city lights, this amazing phenomenon can be seen in all its glory. The best time for this is from September to March.

If you can't catch the Northern Lights, don't be discouraged: the peninsula itself is strikingly beautiful. There you can see numerous lakes, forests, rivers and even the Kuzomenskie sands mini-desert.

And also on the Kola Peninsula are the Khibiny - picturesque low mountains that are covered with snow for most of the year. You can come here for skiing or snowboarding from November to June.

7. Lake Baskunchak (Astrakhan region)

Salt lake on the territory of the Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky nature reserve. The area of ​​Baskunchak is more than 100 km², but the depth is quite shallow: the lowest point is only 3 m. The water level changes in during the year: in the spring, when the snow begins to melt, the lake fills up, and in the summer it dries up almost completely and turns into white plain.

The water in Baskunchak is oversaturated with salt: 300 grams per 1 liter - almost like in the Dead Sea. And under the salt crust of the lake there is curative sulphide-silt mud. You can swim here, but be careful: it is not recommended to wet your head. And after such spa treatments, you are invited to take a shower by the lake - albeit for an additional fee.

8. Divnogorye (Voronezh region)

The steppe plateau and the architectural and archaeological reserve of the same name are two hours' drive from Voronezh. On the territory you can see 48 archeological monuments from the late Paleolithic era to the Middle Ages.

Divnogorie owes its name to the chalk outcrops in the form of pillars located here, which the locals aptly called the Divas. On the territory of the plateau there are more than 700 species of plants; about 25 species of rare insects live here.

If you are going on vacation but do not want to leave your pets at home, no problem. Often in housing that is rented by the day, the owners are allowed to move in with cats and dogs. You can stay with fluffy pets, for example, in this one-room apartment in Voronezh.

Check if pets are allowed on Avito Properties easy. Landlords indicate this in the ad in the "Additional" column.

9. Curonian Spit (Kaliningrad region)

For its incredible flora and fauna, the Curonian Spit is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This nature reserve stretches for 96 km along the Baltic Sea: its territory is roughly divided in half between Russia and Lithuania.

On the Russian side, there is the Curonian Spit National Park with six hiking trails. The most famous of them is the "Dancing Forest": walking through it, you will see curved pine trees. Their trunks have long been deformed - according to one version, because of the caterpillars of a wintering sprout butterfly - and now look like trees from a fairy tale.

Most of the Curonian Spit is covered with forests, which are home to hundreds of species of birds and mammals. And there are also sandy beaches with access to the Baltic Sea and the freshwater Curonian Lagoon.

10. Vyborg (Leningrad region)

An hour's drive from St. Petersburg there is a small city, which is definitely worth going to at least for a day. Vyborg was founded in the 13th century by the Swedes and became part of Russia (then the Russian Empire) in 1721.

The city inherited a medieval fortress, town hall, clock tower and other ancient buildings from the Scandinavians. If you dream of visiting old Europe, but can't get a Schengen visa in any way, Vyborg is ideal.

Another amazing attraction of the place is the Mon Repos landscape park: a dense forest, sheer cliffs, lakes, caves - all this is within the city limits.

11. Ruskeala (Republic of Karelia)

A beautiful mountain park close to the Finnish border. It is worth coming to Ruskealu at any time of the year to enjoy the northern nature and see the main attraction - a marble quarry filled with groundwater. You can admire them both outside and inside, looking into the cave.

Ruskeala is suitable for extreme recreation: go down the zipline, try bungee jumping, ride an ATV in summer or snowmobiles in winter. There is also a cafe on the territory of the park with traditional Karelian dishes, including cream soup.

12. Nevyanskaya tower (Sverdlovsk region)

Nevyansk is a small town in the Sverdlovsk Region that is well worth visiting to see the Russian version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The building with a height of 57.5 m was erected here in the 18th century by order of the businessman Akinfiy Demidov.

It is not known exactly why the Nevyansk tower is tilted, the main version is that it was built on purpose. The name of the building's architect is a mystery. According to legend, after the completion of the project, Demidov went up to the balcony with this man and asked if he could build something like that again. When the architect responded positively, the entrepreneur pushed him down.

Nevyansk is a city with a population of about 23,000. Finding a hotel in it is not easy, but renting an apartment is much easier. Avito Real Estate has several convenient housing options within walking distance of the main local attraction. For example, it only takes 20 minutes to get to the tower from this spacious studio.

To find housing for a short time in any, even the most secluded corner of Russia, point to Avito Properties location, dates and maximum rental price: this way you will immediately see all suitable options. And you can see how convenient the location will be on the interactive map, which contains all the ads.

13. Kungurskaya cave (Perm region)

A large and beautiful ice cave on the outskirts of the city of Kungur. Its length is 5,700 m, 1,500 of which are equipped for tourists. In the Kungur cave you can see stalactites, stalagmites, ice grottoes, underground lakes with clear water.

The interior decoration of the object was formed over 10-12 thousand years. Over its long history, the cave has been overgrown with myths and legends. For example, it is believed that dishonest people see the mysterious White Caver in the Meteor Cave. And if you break your knee on the steps of "Ladies Tears", you can successfully get married.

14. Valley of lotuses (Krasnodar region)

Lotus is a water flower that you don't expect to see in Russia. Nevertheless, there are places in which it grows. One of them is located in the village of Strelka near the city of Temryuk.

The Lotus Valley appeared there thanks to the experiments of Soviet scientists. The hydrobiologist Trotsky planted flowers in 1938 - most of them did not take root, and the botanist Shekhov continued his attempts in the sixties - successfully. Since the seventies, the valley has been delighting villagers and tourists with beautiful flowers and a pleasant aroma.

The lotus blooms here from July to August, so you need to go to see the valley in summer. The main thing is not to pick flowers for memory - they will still wither before your eyes in a couple of minutes.

15. Ogoy Island (Irkutsk Region)

A large elongated island on Lake Baikal. People have never lived on Ogoy. Its inhabitants are gophers, pikas, snakes, gulls and larks. There is almost no vegetation here either, but it is worth getting here to look at the snow-white Buddhist Stupa of Enlightenment: it was erected at the highest point of the island in 2005.

Naturally, when traveling to Lake Baikal, one does not need to be limited to Ogoy alone. Take a look at Cape Khoboy (it is located next to the island), Cape Sagan-Khushun, Shamanka rock and other amazing places on the shores and surface of the lake.

16. Nikola-Lenivets (Kaluga region)

A unique art park near the village of the same name in the Kaluga region. Here, objects of modern art are located in the open air and wonderfully organically fit into the living nature, complementing the landscapes.

The village of Nikola-Lenivets became the art center thanks to the artist Nikolai Polissky. He came here since 1989 to paint, and in 2000 he decided to do land art - to combine art and nature. His first such project was "Snowmen", and the "army" of about 200 snowmen was sculpted by Polissky himself, together with local residents.

In 2006, the artist created the Archstoyanie festival, which is now attended by artists from Russia and other countries. Over the years of the park's existence, more than 100 art objects have been created on its territory. Now in the permanent exhibition of "Nikola-Lenivets" there are more than 30 works of contemporary art, and the collection is replenished annually.

* According to a study conducted by OOO Foreitor for OOO KEH eKommerz in August 2019.