St Petersburg -> Moscow -> Volgograd Corridor - where to visit?

[CornishDaddy]

we've are going to travel through Russia as part of our RTW trip, entering via St Pertersburg and leaving into Kazakhstan somewhere.

We are keen to do this leg, but aren't finding many highlights in the reading we are doing. Does anyone have any recommendations or highlights regarding this area?

Does anyone have a recommendation where to cross into Kaxakhstan? we will be driving right across to kygyzstan.

Thanks

[colebatch]

Well I thkn the 3 cities you mentioned are in themselves the biggest highlights ... St Pete, Moscow and Volgograd.

I would also check out Suzdal ... the old religious capital, full of monasteries ... and Kazan ... the capital of Tatarstan, which has a great Kremlin

[Tony P]

Peter and Mos I know well - both really, really OK places - full of vibrant life. Between the two, the lakes around Lake Seliger and the town Vyshnyi Volochek are worth visiting. Russia's Amsterdam and Venice - away from Peter.

Volgograd is just a plain 50s-60s city, but memorable for its WWII memorial gardens. Highly moving. A must for everyone to learn of the futility of war. And on the way there and back you learn that people are people - everywhere - the World over. And all we want is a peaceful life for ourselves and to leave a better place for the children.

Going further south, the flat lands to Astrakhan and the huge delta of the Volga were different. Then turning right towards the North Caucuses, the Bhuddist city of Elistsa is an amazing culture shock. The mountains down to the Black Sea are stunning.

Why, you may even see me there in August! I'll be there - again!!

[Chris D (Newcastle NSW)]

Oliver,

Just keep to the freeways and out of the side streets that way you will be through to Oz in no time flat and then you can start to do some real tripping and relaxing.

[motobelka]

come see Novgorod The Great - 300 km down on the Spb-Msk road. strange none of you guys mentoned it:confused1:
it's the place where Russia started 1000 years ago, with beautyful kremlin, with a gorgeouse Monument for 1000 years of cristening Russsia. and of course The Holy Sophia church - mother of all churches ( there are hundreds of smaller ones really). the city is a homeland for democracy in our country for the independent republic that existed here till Tsar Ivan the Great conquerred it and included it into his moscovite county. it's a place where the hords of mongolians stuck and never reached the city. it's a hometown for lord Alexsander The Nevsky - our national hero who headed the troops in the legendary battle on Chudskoe lake (against Sweden knights, who drowned mostly)
and so on so on so on
it's a fairy grownds really - full of ancient national spirit. as to me only town of Suzdal can compare - do not miss it either.

[CornishDaddy]

Well this thread alone has made me stay on target and hit Russia on our trip.

Not sure why I wasn't so good a t the research myself. been a bit busy recently and perhaps my focus has dropped.

Anyway thanks everyone for the tips, and if you have any more keep them coming.

Brilliant.