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Overview:
In Moscow, visit the Kremlin, with the magnificent museum collection
and magnificent cathedrals. Walk in Red Square and photograph St. Basil’s
Cathedral. Moscow’s most beautiful subway
stations will unfold as you are led through the city underground.
Combinations of experiences, from the Tretyakov Gallery to the GUM
department store,
perspective of this geographic crossroad. Architectural styles change
from the impressive czarist cathedrals,
to imposing soviet government buildings.
An evening train takes
us from Moscow to St. Petersburg in sleeper cars, arriving early in the
morning. Our city tour orients us to the city on the Baltic, the “Venice of
the North” on the mouth of the Neva River. This great city of St.
Petersburg, where the Russian revolution originally inflamed the workers of
the world and royal imperial Russian families decorated their walls with
precious stones and entertained the wealthy, spreads its broad avenues along
sights important to the commerce and defense of the city-state. The Peter
and Paul Fortress and Cathedral harbor the graves of many Romanov czars.
The Hermitage Palace and Museum shows a world of affluence beginning with
the era of Katherine the Great. In addition to the famous rooms and
furniture of precious stones, its paintings come from the greatest artists
in the world. Outside of the city, our tour takes us to the Summer Palace,
where the czarist families created their own “home away from home”.
Day 1:
Meet
the RTT tour escort for the bus transfer to Frankfurt airport (not incl.) or
directly at the airport for the flight to Moscow on Lufthansa. A representative from your tour operator will
meet you at the airport and escort you to the hotel.
Day 2-4:
The city
tours include Red Square, St. Basil’s cathedral, the Kremlin Walls, Lenin’s
Mausoleum, GUM, Tverskaya Boulevard, Cathedral of the Savior, the new suburbs,
the convent of the Nativity of the Virgin, andLomonosov University. The
special program we have chosen includes visits inside the Kremlin and one of
its cathedrals, a walk on Red Square and into the old town of Kitai Gorod. You
will ride on the Moscow subway, with a guided tour of the most beautiful
stations. A visit to the Tretyakov Gallery will acquaint you with the most
famous collection of Russian paintings and Russian icons – including the
“Trinity” by Andrei Rubljov and the Vladimir’s “Mother of God”. Another
highpoint is
the visit to the New Maiden Convent (Novodevichiy), with its
famous convent buildings and elaborate churches and chapels. Founded in 1524,
it was one of Russia’s most wealth monastic houses. The exclusive preserve of
daughters of the nobility, Peter the Great had his half-sister, Sophia,
imprisoned for her part in a conspiracy against him. From any vantage point,
the ensemble of buildings presents a vision of grandeur. The Smolensk
Cathedral, with it’s golden domes, is a prime example of mid-sixteenth century
Russian ecclesiastical architecture. Buried in the public grounds are Anton
Chekov and Nikita Khrushchev, among others.On the
evening of the fourth day, you transfer from your hotel to the railway station
and board your train to St. Petersburg. Accommodations in 2nd class
4-person sleeping compartments.
Day 5-7:
Morning arrival
in St. Petersburg and transfer to your hotel for breakfast (check-in usually
isn't possible until later in the day). The city
tour will acquaint you with this Baltic city – from the Palace Square,
Winter Palace, Alexander’s Column, Decembrist’s Square, Peter I Statue and
Admiralty to St. Isaaks’s Cathedral, Nevski Prospect, Kazan Cathedral,
Smolny Institute and Convent, Artists Square, and the Field of Mars. You
will visit the Peter and Pul Fortress, which is its own city, and contains
the graves sites of many czars. A walk inside St. Isaak’s Catherdral will
show you the main church of the city. The highpoint of this city is your
visit to the famous Hermitage Museum in the Winter Palace, with its walls
and furniture of semi-precious jewels, and art collection from all of
Europe. You will tour the Alexander Nevski Monastery and its museum
cemetery with graves of famous poets, musicians, and authors. An excursion
to Pushkin, the summer palace of Czarkeselo, provides an opportunity to visit the baroque Katherine Palace with its
magnificently restored rooms. Get to know the main shopping area with a
stroll on the Nevski Prospect.
Day 8:
Transfer from your hotel to
the airport for your return flight via Lufthansa Airlines to Frankfurt.
Deadlines for tour participation: Reservations, full payment,
passports & visa applications must be received 6 weeks prior to departure
date.
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