Krasnoyarsk, Russia

Known as a top spot for rock climbing, Krasnoyarsk will thrill travellers who like to take their holidays to new heights. The impressive granite formations at Stolby nature reserve are perfect for a free climb or two. Love the drama of a hand-over-hand sweat session but prefer to keep your feet on the ground? Take in a show at the Pushkin Drama Theater, or marvel at the works of one of the country's greatest artists, at the Vasily Surikov Museum. In the summer, the flower monuments are eye-catching landmarks - fun figures made completely out of colourful blooms.

Samara, Russia

Samara is a transportation and industrial hub, as well as home to one of Russia's top engineering institutions, Samara State Aerospace University, which has helped to pioneer Russia's innovative space program. Visitors can sample some of Samara's most important products: vodka, chocolate and beer. Tour a Russian brewery before taking in a show at one of Samara's many theaters and concert halls, or beef up your knowledge of Russian history with a trip to Stalin's Bunker or the Lenin House Museum. Don't miss the sunset on the beaches along the banks of the Volga.

Kaliningrad, Russia

A little extra chunk of Russia stuck between Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic Sea, Kaliningrad was known as Königsberg from its founding by the Teutonic Knights in the 13th century until after World War II. It was renamed, repopulated with Russians and became part of the Soviet Union. Today, as it has been for centuries, it’s known for amber products, with most of the world’s harvestable amber still lying off its coast. The 14th century Königsberg Cathedral is a main city attraction.

St. Petersburg, Russia

It's hard to believe a city boasting so much great art and architecture is "only" 309 years old. (To put this in perspective, Newark, N.J., has been around a few decades longer than Saint Petersburg.) Towering cathedrals and ornate palaces fill Saint Petersburg, and the State Hermitage Museum, located in the Winter Palace, houses some of the world's greatest works of art.