10 ideas for a fall trip to Russia (PHOTOS)

1. Castles of Kaliningrad Region

The westernmost region of Russia is known not only for its Baltic Sea resorts and amber deposits, but also for the medieval castles of the Teutonic Order. Many of them are now ruins that are gradually being restored. Knight's armor and trophies can be seen in the castles of Waldau (Nizovye village) and Shaaken (Nekrasovo village), and in the town of Chernyakhovsk you can walk along the preserved fortress wall of Insterburg castle. There are also ruins in Neman, Bagrationovsk and Znamensk. Read more here.

2. The Chuysky Trakt

Perhaps the most beautiful road in Russia runs along the former Silk Road to China. It starts in Novosibirsk and stretches 1,000 kilometers through Altai to the border with Mongolia.

Along the way, you will see stunning landscapes: mountains, rivers and lakes of incredible beauty, especially in the Kurai Steppe region.

Find more gorgeous road views here.

3. Plyos as if from a painting

A small town in Ivanovo Region adored by artists - these views most often appeared in the works of Isaac Levitan. And it is in the fall season - with bright golden and red leaves.

Time seems frozen there and today's people can easily walk between merchant estates and ancient churches. Find out what else to do in Plyos here.

4. Tobolsk Kremlin - the only one in Siberia

Surrounded by the deep forests of Tyumen Region, there is a fairytale town with cobblestone streets, cozy coffee houses and a neo-Gothic church.

Tobolsk is the only city in Siberia, in which a white-stone kremlin of the 17th-18th centuries has been preserved. Also inside the kremlin is the oldest stone church in Siberia from 1686 - the Sophia-Assumption Cathedral, the Prikaznaya (Order) Chamber, the Gostiny Dvor and the bell tower, where the bell from Uglich “served its exile”. In 1591, it announced the death of Tsarevich Dmitry and, as a “punishment”, it was exiled to Siberia for 300 years.

5. Karelian waterfalls

Blue lakes, marble canyons and mountain forests with giant boulders - Karelia's northern vistas are captivating at first sight. For example, the Kivach waterfall - the second largest flat waterfall in Europe. And also the extinct Girvas paleovolcano, which looks like a rocky forest with lakes.

Find out what else you should definitely see in Karelia here.

6. Bridges & lighthouses of Vladivostok

Vladivostok is often dubbed the “Russian San Francisco”, because of the picturesque views from the bridges across the bays. The two most famous bridges are the Zolotoy ('Golden') and Russky ('Russian') bridges.

There is also one of the oldest lighthouses in Russia - Tokarevsky. It is located on an embankment island, onto which a narrow causeway leads.

See more beautiful Vladivostok views here.

7. Parks of the Caucasian Mineral Waters

The resorts of this region in the Caucasus are known for their healing springs, mountain parks and cozy old towns with southern flavor and Caucasian cuisine.

Kislovodsk, Essentuki, Zheleznovodsk and Pyatigorsk are the main cities of the ‘Caucasian Mineral Waters’, each of which is interesting in its own way. In Essentuki, the pre-revolutionary “ancestor” of gyms, where they practiced “mechanotherapy”, has been preserved. In Zheleznovodsk, you will find an 860-meter cascade staircase with fountains. In Kislovodsk, there is a huge park with many paths and ‘terrenekurs’ (a method of spa treatment, which provides for dosed physical activity in the form of walking, climbing in mountainous terrain on certain marked routes) of different levels of complexity. In Pyatigorsk, meanwhile, you will find‘Tsvetnik’ park and the Proval karst lake.

Find out what other interesting things this region has to offer here.

8. Vologda, the capital of the Russian North

The city famous for its lace, butter and carved platbands is the soul and unofficial capital of the Russian North. Vologda, the same age as Moscow, was historically a large trading city and many folk crafts were developed there.

The central part of the city is the kremlin from the mid-16th century with St. Sophia Cathedral and the Bishop’s Court. And the central museum, of course, is dedicated to lace.

Find out what else to do in Vologda here.

9. Velvet Season in Krasnodar Krai

If you love the sea, you can still swim in the Black Sea until October. However, there are other equally interesting activities in Krasnodar Krai.

Near Anapa, you can visit the ruins of the ancient city of Gorgippia (5th century BC) and, on the Taman Peninsula, you will find the tourist complex of the ‘Ataman’ Cossack village.

Check out some other ancient Russian cities here.

10. The ancient city of Derbent

Derbent in Dagestan is the southernmost city of Russia and one of the oldest. Derbent was founded in the 6th century BC and many antiquities have been preserved there.

Among them is the oldest fortress in Russia, Naryn-Kala, built in the 6th century. And also the Juma Mosque from the year 734 - not only the oldest in Russia, but also in the whole post-Soviet space.

In the fall, in Derbent is no longer as hot, but you can still swim in the Caspian Sea.