IMPERIAL RUSSIA

Russia is a mysterious country and many tried to understand it but even Lev Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote about the Russian restless soul torn between oriental traditions and western civilization. To understand Russia one should get on a train and cross it from the West to the East. For this purpose the Trans-Siberian Railway will be perfect — the most famous railway in the world — the path to the heart of Russia. Thousands of kilometers from the shores of the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean — you will hear the beating of the iron heart, what it is silent about, what it is inspired by. Just trust the road and the country will reveal its unexpected sides. You will see Russia in all its historical greatness, in the mixture of cultures and fortunes, in the architectural splendor and extravagance unifying different people and religions. You start your journey is the ancient and mysterious Moscovia. Visit to the Moscow Kremlin which is a symbol of the Russian State, one of the greatest architectural complexes in the world, a treasure house of magnificent relics and monuments of art, walk along the Arbat Street, visit to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior will make this stop unforgettable. The journey continues and next stop is Kazan — the capital of the medieval Khanate of Kazan, the place which connected Christianity and Islam. Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk — each city conceals many secrets. It was here where the history of Russian State was made, history full of contradictions. Lake Baikal is one of the major highlights of the trip. In local legends it calls the sacred sea. It is located in the center of the Asia on the border of Irkutsk Oblast and Republic of Buryatia. It’s the deepest lake on the planet and the largest natural reservoir of fresh water. Ulan-Ude — another Russian city on this journey but people living there have different faces, religion, traditions and cuisine. They are native Siberians (Buryats). After that you will spend 3 very relaxing days on board of our train enjoying the scenery, tasty Russian cuisine, concerts of live music and table-top games. The last stop of the journey is Vladivostok. City tour around Vladivostok including main attractions of the city, lunch in a sea food restaurant and excursion to Russky Island by car are waiting for you. You’ll cross the two enormous bridges across the Golden Horn Bay and Eastern Bosporus Strait, the latter is the largest cable-stayed bridge in Russia. Now you have a chance to watch the large international business center, Far Eastern University’s campus, which has united Vladivostok’s four largest universities, view points to see local shores with fantastic hills, relict forests, beaches with picturesque coastal landscapes, azure bays.

• full board, tea/coffee on board throughout the day