Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan. This city has a storied past because of its importance as a trade route and political center when it was the capital of the Khanate of Kazan. Because of its history, Kazan has a mix of Russian and Oriental culture.

Russia's history dates back to more than a thousand years, the country has numerous centuries old Orthodox churches, buildings and religious art. These may have underwent reconstruction, restoration and maintenance over the years, but these didn't lose significance. You'll get a glimpse of the country's vibrant past when you visit the cities included in the Golden Ring.


The Golden Ring consists of cities that were an important part of the establishment of the Russian republic in its formative years. If you want to learn more about the country's history, here are places to include in your itinerary.

Veliky Novgorod is one of the oldest cities in Russia and is also recognized as the birthplace of the country. It was in between Moscow and Saint Petersburg so I decided to include it in my itinerary. The city has a laid back vibe and is full of history.

I was in Krasnoyarsk for a day and a half, with the short time I had there I decided to visit Stolby Nature Reserve.

There are many palaces turned into museums in Saint Petersburg. These provide you with a glimpse of what life was like in the time of emperors and empresses. One of the places I decided to visit during my stay was Pavlovsk Palace.

Rostov Veliky is one of the Golden Ring Cities that I was interested in visiting. During my few days stay in Yaroslavl, I decided to visit it as a day trip.

I was in Moscow for a few days and was looking to kill time before my night train to Veliky Novgorod. I found out about the Tsaritsyno Estate after searching online and decided to just go.

The Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace is one of the most beautiful buildings (there are many) in Saint Petersburg. It's distinct color, design and grandeur make it stand out. It is also one of the most popular attractions in the city.

Sergiev Posad was on my short list of places to visit while in Moscow. I decided to do a day trip from the bustling city. Sergiev Posad was distinctly different from Moscow, the pace was slow, the houses beautiful, it had a small town charm and had historical feel to it.

Saint Petersburg is one of my favorite cities so far, it has a mix of old and new with many buildings that represented a design aesthetic of its epoch and palaces turned into museums. I also had this impression that the entire city is one big museum. During my visit, I went on a day trip to Peterhof Palace.

I was in Russia for almost a month and one of my stops was Vladimir, the latter is one of the Golden Ring Cities. I was looking for a small town vibe away from the bustling city of Moscow, and I got just what I was looking for with my trip here.