Russia

Russia is by far the largest country on Earth, sprawling across eleven time zones and two continents, from the forests and rivers of European Russia to the vast Siberian taiga and the volcanic wilderness of the Pacific coast. Its natural scale is staggering: Lake Baikal, the deepest and oldest freshwater lake in the world, holding a fifth of the planet's unfrozen fresh water; the volcanoes and geysers of the remote Kamchatka Peninsula; the endless boreal forest; and the Arctic tundra and Caucasus Mountains, where 5,642-m Mount Elbrus is the highest peak in Europe.

A land of immense wilderness, great rivers, and dramatic seasons, Russia offers extraordinary nature for the intrepid, alongside a rich cultural heritage — though travel requires careful attention to current conditions and advisories.

Gaze into the depths of Lake Baikal (and cross its ice in winter), ride the Trans-Siberian Railway across the taiga, explore the volcanoes and geysers of Kamchatka, climb Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus, and experience the Arctic north. Access depends heavily on current travel conditions.

Summer (June–August) offers the mildest weather and access to Siberia and the far east; winter is long, harsh, and dramatic (and the time to walk on frozen Baikal). Spring and autumn are short. Always check current travel advisories for Russia.

Russia's wildlife includes the Siberian (Amur) tiger and leopard, brown bears, the unique Baikal seal (the world's only freshwater seal), reindeer, polar bears in the Arctic, and vast populations of birds and fish across its forests, tundra, and waters.

Russia spans an immense range of geology: the East European Plain, the Ural Mountains dividing Europe and Asia, the vast West Siberian lowland and Central Siberian plateau, the Caucasus (with Elbrus), and the volcanically active Kamchatka Peninsula on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Emerging from the medieval state of Kievan Rus and the Grand Duchy of Moscow, Russia grew into a vast empire under the tsars, became the Soviet Union in the 20th century, and re-formed as the Russian Federation in 1991. Its history, literature, and arts are world-shaping.

Russian culture is renowned for its literature (Tolstoy, Dostoevsky), music, ballet, and art, alongside the diverse traditions of its many peoples across a vast multiethnic land, from European cities to Siberian and Arctic Indigenous cultures.

Plan around the short summer for Siberia and the far east, or embrace winter for frozen Baikal; distances are immense, so allow ample time (the Trans-Siberian is a journey in itself). Check current travel advisories and visa requirements carefully before any visit.