2019 July, we were in Russia. This is our very first couple trip.

We don’t really think that there is something special before we reached there. I think the most famous thing in Russia is Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. This is a masterpiece of Russian architecture. It was built in the middle of the 12th century. What an eye-catching building. The color use in Russian architects is bright and impressive, just like candies. Russian believe in their religions. That’s why Russia is full of churches and museums. Funny that if u go travel to Russia, most of the schedule will be visiting Churches. But I promise you won’t be bored about that. Different styles of the church will give you a ‘wow’.

I remembered the day we went to Saint Basil’s Cathedral. This Church is located near the Red Square, a World Heritage Site. People everywhere and you will capture each of the visitors on your camera. This is the city’s major street together with a shopping mall, Gum Shopping Centre. You can find some luxury brands and coffee shops there. We walked around and grabbed an ice cream here. Lenin’s Mausoleum, Ivan Square～ Ivan The Great Bell Toper, Kremlin Palaces. These are also some major viewpoints for you to go through near Red Square. A day passed for photo taking.

Special things we found while traveling in Russia

First of all, language is the biggest problem in Russia. Most of them only speak in Russian. It is difficult to communicate with local people. Everyday, We tried our best to talk. The restaurant waiters, the staff at the train stations, even the staffs working at the main sights are talking Russian. Sometimes you will feel helpless. Body language is needed.

Secondly, Russia is a northern country. In Summer, the mean local temperature will always be around 20 degrees celsius and even cooler at night. We brought all the short sleeves and shorts for the trip and finally, new clothes were bought essentially. Warning!!! Even in the Summer, the temperature can be lower than 10 degrees celsius. Small tips for you.

As I told Russia is a northern country, sunset time is extremely late. We are surprised, the sky is still being bright after we finished dinner and walked out of the restaurant. Supermarkets, Bars, and stores are still opening. Honestly, the sunset time of Russia is around 9-10 pm. This makes me feel that I have a longer time to play, to walk around. But to be aware, most of the viewpoints are close very early, like 5-6 pm.

You should book a hotel near the train station as this is the main transportation in the city. You can simply visit all the viewpoint just by taking a train. Walking slowly in the train station to see this historic underground building. Different styles in different stations. Take it as fun!!

Visiting Spots in Moscow

Another place in Moscow I want to share with you is a place called Sergiev Posad. Take the railway from Moscow to Yaroslavl. This is a small town but is really worth to visit with heart. Blue-and-gold cupolas offset by snow-white walls. In my opinion, the outlook of this church is the most beautiful, comparing with others. The smaller town, the smaller amount of visitors here. I could felt the quiet, the simple of this pleasant place, even I am not religious. Highly recommend this place to you!!

Sparrow Hill is another place that we recommend you to visit, especially for people who really love football. There is an observation platform on the top of Sparrow Hill, you can enjoy the view of the central and north part of Moscow. This is a hill on the right bank of the Moskva River and one of the highest points in Moscow. You can take a cable car to travel from Sparrow Hills across the river to the Luzhniki Stadium which is the national stadium of Russia. It is the largest football stadium in Russia. It was also the main stadium of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Eric is a big fan of football. He was very excited to be here. Besides sightseeing, Sparrow Hills is a popular site for outdoor activities in all seasons, including cycling, winter sports, or even picnic. You can rent a bike here. A day for outdoor lovers!!

The circus is a bucket list you must be finished in Moscow. It is so famous and you will know what is the real Professional. There are two main circus buildings in Moscow, the “Circus Nikulin” which is the old circus, and the “Bolshoi Circus” the new one. We went to the “Bolshoi Circus” which is near Moscow State University. The last time we came, it was amazingly full-house. It is better to buy tickets online instead of a walk-in. Russian Circus traditions include clowning, juggling, acrobatics, contortion, and animal acts. Although we don’t understand Russian, we still felt interesting in the Circus. Remember there are two sections for the whole Circus!!! We almost left the building at half loll

If you are interested in Ballet, you can watch ballet shows instead of a Circus. As ballet shows in Russia are more famous.

Ticket: https://www.greatcircus.ru/