Russia offers vast opportunities for both photographers and travelers.

Our main goal is to tell you about lesser-known sites of incredible beauty.

Also we’ve made the list of classic destinations.

Indeed, the country is so large that you can discover even well-known places from unusual angles. It isn’t the Royal Arch Loop in the Grand Canyon that has been shot from all possible sides. Russia has stored up for you plenty of new opportunities and discoveries!

Contents:

I. Most Beautiful Places to See in Russia – Breathtaking places in Russia

Yakutia (Sakha Republic)

The Urals

The Caucasus Mountains

The Sayan Mountains

The Altai Mountains

II. Most Beautiful Places to See in Russia – Best-known sites in Russia

Lake Baikal

The Kamchatka Peninsula

III. Most Beautiful Places to See in Russia – Classic destinations

Saint Petersburg

Moscow

The Golden Ring of Russia

1. Most Beautiful Places to See in Russia. Yakutia (Sakha Republic)

Yakutia is an immense land that lies both in Siberia and Far East of Russia. The better part of Yakutia is located within the Arctic Circle.

As the world’s largest federal subject, Yakutia is also ranked among less-populated ones.Few inhabited localities are situated so far from one another that it makes the area perfect for ecotourism and photography tours!

Masterpieces created by the nature of Yakutia are little-known in Russia, and are completely unheard in the rest of the world.

The Kolyma Highway holds a special place in Yakutia. A few years ago the highway was opened for a year-round use. This route was built by inmates of the infamous Gulag (during the USSR’s Stalinist era) at rapid-fire pace that is uncommon even in modern days. The surroundings of the Kolyma Highway are so picturesque that it’s impossible to travel through the route without many stops and visits to the most interesting sites!

Oymyakon that lies not far from Yakutsk is the real Pole of Cold. The officially recorded lowest temperature is -67.7°C. The maximum temperature difference is more than 102°C.

Best time to visit: from June to the middle of September. In winter tourists come to Yakutia to experience the world-lowest temperatures (for inhabited localities).

The nearest airport is located in Yakutsk.

‘Must see’ places: the Kolyma Highway, Oymyakon (the Pole of Cold), The Kisilakh Mountains, the Lena Pillars, the Indigirka River, the Moma River, Momsky ice-slick, the Chersky Range, unique villages inhabited by the indigenous people of Yakutia.

2. Most Beautiful Places to See in Russia. The Urals

The Urals are known as a natural border between Europe and Asia. They belong to the oldest mountains on the Earth. They are relatively low because they have been influenced by water and frost for millions of years. Some regions of the Urals are quite wide. However, the mountains divide Eurasia into two principal parts.

The Urals have several parts, which are Southern, Middle, Northern, Subarctic and Arctic. Its nature combines numerous mountains, lakes, rivers, caves, steppes and hills. This area is characterized by frosty snowy winters and hot summers, while the local fall can be rightfully called “golden”.

There you can see how the Alpine-like landscapes blend into traditional Russian ones, and visit the places where you come across other people once in two or three months.

Best time to visit: from June to October, from December to January.

The nearest airports are located in Yekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk.

‘Must-see’ places: Taganay National Park, Zyuratkul National Park, Mount Narodnaya, the Dyatlov Pass, the Manpupuner rock formations, Yugyd Va National Park, Bashkiriya National Park, the Arakul Shikhan Mountains, Arkaim (reserve museum), Karabash, Chebarkul (the place where a meteor fell in 2013), Kapova Cave, Kungur Ice Cave.

3. Most Beautiful Places to See in Russia. The Caucasus Mountains

The Caucasus is a warm region associated with majestic mountains, seas, blue lakes and picturesque valleys.

Being the highest mountains in Europe, the Caucasus Range serves as a natural border between Europe and Asia.

The Caucasus is located on the boundary between moderate and subtropical climatic zones. The Caucasus Mountains have glacial covering. In summer the south of Russia turns into a sea resort, while in winter the Caucasus Mountains open their well-equipped slopes for skiers.

There are such territorial entities as Adygea, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, Krasnodar Krai, the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Stavropol Krai and Chechnya.

A peculiar combination of different landscapes, unique flora, ever-white peaks and over 2,000 glaciers looks like a real miracle. The locals who are famous for their hospitability and cordiality also give a great impression.

Best time to visit: you can come any time.

The nearest airports are located in Beslan (Vladikavkaz) and Mineralnye Vody.

‘Must-see’ places: Mount Elbrus, Dombay, Sochi, Krasnaya Polyana, Tkhach Nature Park, Teberdinsky Reserve.