Standing on a roof in central Saint Petersburg, Marta Granadeiro gasped as she watched the statues on the Hermitage Museum’s facade gleam in the sunset. “We wanted to see something extraordinary in Saint Petersburg and now we have,” said Granadeiro, a 23-year-old Spanish tourist who climbed onto the roof of an apartment building on a tour organised by a local …

Majestic lakes, mountains, history and even ecotourism resorts, opt for Russia’s lesser-known cities and nature parks and there’s enough to keep you exploring for weeks. Share your Russia tips in the comments below Marvel at … Marble canyon, Ruskeala, Karelia. Photograph: Shamukov Ruslan/Corbis Ruskeala, Karelia Why go? Karelia, a republic in north-west Russia, is known as one the country’s most …

Majestic lakes, mountains, history and even ecotourism resorts, opt for Russia’s lesser-known cities and nature parks and there’s enough to keep you exploring for weeks. Share your Russia tips in the comments below Marvel at … Marble canyon, Ruskeala, Karelia. Photograph: Shamukov Ruslan/Corbis Ruskeala, Karelia Why go? Karelia, a republic in north-west Russia, is known as one the country’s most …