
The State Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg) —
The Hermitage Museum houses one of the world's oldest and largest art collections, including more than 3 million items spread out in buildings such as the Winter Palace and General Staff Building.

Lake Baikal —
Lake Baikal is approximately 25 million years old and 1,637 meters at its deepest point, making it the oldest and deepest fresh water lake in the world. Half of the species at the UNESCO World Heritage Site are endemic to the lake, including the freshwater seal.

Volga River —
The Volga is the longest river in Europe, passing 11 of Russia's biggest cities. Along with river, you can see Kizhi Island's Preobranzhenskaya Church, constructed in 1714 without the use of a single nail.

Trans-Siberian Railway (Moscow to Vladivostok) —
The main route of the Trans-Siberian railway runs from Moscow to Vladivostok. It takes eight days, traveling through seven time zones, to cover the 9,258 kilometers of track.

Olympic Park (Sochi) —
The hype from the Winter Olympics has moved on, but Sochi's Olympic Park is still worth a visit. Russia's first Formula One Grand Prix brought almost 55,000 fans to the coastal park.

St. Basil's Cathedral (Moscow) —
Moscow's St. Basil's Cathedral was among the top 10 most Instagrammed places of 2014. The cathedral's colorful domes draw millions of visitors a year.

Red Square (Moscow) —
Surrounded by the State National Museum, Kremlin, the GUM Department Store and St. Basil's Cathedral, as well as traditional Russian cafes and shops, it takes days to properly explore Moscow's Red Square.

Golden Ring churches —
Yaroslavl makes up one of eight towns that are part of Russia's original Golden Ring -- ancient towns significant in forming the Russian Orthodox Church. The Golden Ring features churches with "onion" domes.

Church of All Saints (Yekaterinburg) —
The Church of All Saints, or Church on the Blood, is built on the site of Ipatiev House, where Russia's last Tsar, Nicholas II, and his family were killed in the Russian Civil War.

Moscow Kremlin —
The Moscow Kremlin includes five palaces, four cathedrals and the enclosing Kremlin wall and towers. Only a few of the areas and palaces have exhibits open to visitors.