Moscow: Introduction

Moscow has been at the heart of all things Russian for over five hundred years. It is home to the iconic fortress, The Kremlin and also Red Square. Since the fall of communism in the late eighties, Russia’s policy of glasnost allowed a whole world of information buried by previous governments to come to light – and Moscow is at the centre of this reform. The city simply oozes culture and there are un-missable attractions celebrating the country’s legacy such as the Statue Park and Lenin’s mausoleum, where you can see the socialist pioneer’s embalmed body.

Getting to Moscow couldn’t be easier. The city has five major airports that serve it and nine major train terminals that offer fantastic value travel covering vast distances from Europe, Asia, Siberia and other parts of Russia, such as the picturesque St. Petersburg. Within Moscow there is a comprehensive underground travel facility, the Moscow Metro and a monorail service – as well as an advanced inner-city motorway system.

The city plays host to three major football sides – CSKA, Lokomotiv and Spartak Moscow and hosted the 2008 UEFA Champions’ League final. It is famous for its sporting excellence and has world-class sporting stadia for a vast range of sport, particularly winter ones, due to its famously harsh winters.

While the city is known for being remotely cold around winter, its summer temperatures are respectably high, making it the perfect location for a true seasonal break.