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Volga River Cruise Holidays
Volga River Cruises
Land of Superlatives
"Russia cannot be understood by the intellect, nor can it be measured by the common measure; it has its own particular form, you can only have faith in Russia." No doubt these words, in which the 19th-century poet Tyutchev described his native land so concisely and so accurately, will always ring true.
A journey on her great lakes and rivers reveals a different face of Russia, more ancient, more primitive, a vision drawn from old picture books. The sombre forests of the north line the edges of lakes so large that you lose sight of the shore. River banks are dotted with little wooden houses and churches topped with clustered onion domes.
Comfortable river cruisers ply between Peter the Great's "window on the West", St Petersburg, and the much older capital, Moscow, by way of the Neva, Svir and Volga rivers and the canals that connect them. You can travel in either direction, over 10 to 14 days. The journey takes you through the pine forests of Karelia to Europe's largest lakes, Ladoga and Onega. Each of these great expanses of water is adorned by a jewel from ancient times: the island of Valaam is the site of an imposing 14th-century monastery, and on Kizhi island you can admire a tour de force of Russian wooden architecture.
Along your route lie towns such as Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Uglich and Tver and—not far from Moscow—one of the most beautiful monasteries in all of Russia, Sergiev Posad (formerly Zagorsk), which today is considered to be the centre of Russian-Orthodox Christianity.
Don't be afraid to make friends with the locals. Even if you don't speak a word of Russian, a smile is understood the world over.
Connections - Elegant River Cruises
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