The 2018 World Cup in Russia offers travellers the perfect opportunity to visit some beautiful cities.
While fans will be focused on the football, spending time in between the games taking in some of Russia’s most famous sights would be hugely rewarding.
Read on to find out our top five cities to visit during the tournament.
1. Moscow
Moscow is the capital of Russia and one of the largest cities in the world. It is the main political, economic and cultural centre of Russia and will host several matches during the tournament.
There are plenty of different places of interest in the city including The Kremlin, the Bolshoi Theater, A.S. Pushkin Fine Arts Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery.
Check out Hold Your Horses Online before embarking on your trip to boost your budget and go on to enjoy the delights of Red Square or some of the city’s world-class restaurants.
2. Nizhny Novgorod
There are over 600 historic, architectural and cultural monuments in Nizhny Novgorod including the Kremlin (yes, there is more than one).
The two-kilometre brick fortress with 13 towers features the beautiful the Cathedral of Archangel which was rebuilt during the 17th century.
Narodnogo Edinstva Square is situated the Volga River and here you can find a monument to Minin and Pozharsky – a smaller version of the monument standing on Red Square in Moscow.
3. St Petersburg
St Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and contains thousands of cultural heritage monuments.
The city is defined by its design of large squares, straight streets, rivers and canals. There are also numerous gardens and parks worth visiting.
Fountains are amongst the other famous sights of the city, with the most spectacular being a delightful complex of fountains in Peterhof.
4. Sochi
The host venue for the 2014 Winter Olympics has become famous for the doping scandal that has engulfed Russian sport, but that shouldn’t detract from what is a beautiful city.
Tourism is Sochi’s main industry, offering visitors plenty of restaurants, bars, entertainment centres and water attractions.
There are also a wide range of museums including Stalin’s Summer Residence, while the Sochi State Circus is also based in the city.
5. Kazan
Kazan has 34 state museums, along with several public and private galleries.
The largest museum is the National Museum of Tatarstan Republic, founded in 1894. The Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan and The Museum of Kazan Millennium are also worth checking out.
Opera, theatre shows and ballet will appeal to culture vultures, while a dozen movie theatres are available for any film-buffs heading to Russia.