Category Archives: Tourism

A look at the tourist side of things you expect from Europe

Exploring the bizarre world of VDNKh

On the outskirts of Moscow is VDNKh – originally built by an exhibition centre to show off the achievements of the Soviet Union, by the time I visited in 2013 it was a bizarre mix of fairground meets flea market, set amongst a collection of Soviet architecture.

Pavilions 58 and 59 - 'Ukraine' and 'Moscow, Tula and Ryazan region' Continue reading

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‘Exit via the gift shop’ at the Church of the Savior on Blood

Exiting via the gift shop is something you expect to do at a museum – but what about at a church? However when I paid a visit to the Church of the Savior on Blood in Saint Petersburg, that is […]

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Riding the Kiev Funicular

Funicular railways seem to be quite common in European cities, and the Ukranian capital is no different. The Kiev Funicular is a 238 meter long railway opened in 1905 that links the top and bottom of a hill. Here is […]

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Australian souvenirs in Russia at «Kangaroo»

Russia may be a crazy country, but there is one thing I never expected to see in a St Petersburg shopping mall – a shop selling Australian themed souvenirs called «Kangaroo».

'Kangaroo' - an Australian themed store in Saint Petersburg Continue reading

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Repair work at Lenin’s Mausoleum in 2013

In 2013 I visited Moscow and did visited all of the usual tourist trams, but there was one I couldn’t for the life of me find – Lenin’s Mausoleum in Red Square.

Lenin's Mausoleum covered with a plastic dome during repair work Continue reading

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Farewell to the Chernobyl sarcophagus

For thirty years Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant has lay beneath a massive steel and concrete sarcophagus, protecting the outside world from any further radioactive contamination following the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. But 2016 has seen this iconic scene change forever, with the completion of the New Safe Confinement structure.

Standing 300 metres from the sarcophagus over Chernobyl reactor 4 Continue reading

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Riding the Nizhny Novgorod cable car

Cable cars are usually something associated with tourist resorts and snowfields, but they can be used for public transport – with the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod being one example.

Looking down ~80 metres to an ice covered Volga River Continue reading

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Travelling first class on the Russian Railways

On our visit to Russia we spent most of the time travelling in second class, but for Christmas Eve we decided to spend the extra money and book out a Spalny Vagon (1st class) compartment for just us.

Boarding the train, our first class compartment ready for our night crossing Russia Continue reading

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Staying the night at Brasov railway station

When arriving into a new city late at night, the last thing you want to do is traipse all over town in an attempt to find your hotel. I found myself in this situation when travelling to the Romanian city of Brașov, but my solution didn’t quite work as well as planned.

Street frontage of Brașov railway station Continue reading

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Russian tourists, a Budapest hotel, and the Swedish table

Forking out big money for a fancy hotel when travelling isn’t my style, but neither was pinching pennies by staying a a youth hostel. However when I visited Budapest, at sign outside the hotel restaurant was what caught my eye.

'No taking food from the Swedish table' sign in Russian Continue reading

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