Dear Travel Friends,

Russia is a destination for all seasons. Winter builds the Russian character and becomes a wonderland of Doctor Zhivago. Summer is the other side of the coin, verdant and grassy, lazy and relaxing, it is a perfect time to visit the docks, workshops and monasteries of the countryside. If your schedule needs an exciting summer journey, make it The Best of Russia for 2008!

This 13-day trip will follow Russia through an historical time line. First we’ll visit the Golden Ring and the Medieval towns of Vladimir and Suzdal. We’ll stop in Fedoskino to step into a picture-perfect village made famous by the exquisite papier-mâché boxes. Then we’ll visit Moscow, established 200 years later than the founding of Vladimir – the capital of Russia. You will marvel at Red Square; step inside the Kremlin; shop in GUM; see St. Basil’s Cathedral and delight at the world-famous Moscow Circus. Then, we’re whisked off by overnight train to St. Petersburg, the Venice of the North, Peter the Great’s “window on the west.” We’ll visit the Hermitage, one of the world’s most amazing museums; step inside the Peter and Paul Fortress; marvel at Catherine the Great’s palace; see the Admiralty Building and Smolny Convent.

Please enjoy our brochure. If you need additional copies for family and friends, please let us know. We’ll be happy to send them. But don’t delay – we’re limiting our group to only 15.

Gwen

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Discovery Highlights

• Fly roundtrip from New York via FINNAIR
• Travel in comfort and security with our favorite guide, Ludmila
• Explore the countryside and the medieval towns of Vladimir and Suzdal
• See artists produce authentic Russian lacquer boxes and have the opportunity to make purchases
• Stand in Moscow’s Red Square in the shadow of St. Basil’s Cathedral
• Venture inside the walls of the formidable Kremlin to discover hidden treasures
• Enjoy a guided tour of the Armory
• Delight in a show of the Moscow Circus
• Meet with the Women’s Union of Russia
• Travel first class by overnight train
  to St. Petersburg
• Visit the Hermitage, one of the world’s great museums, in the Winter Palace
• Visit the mysterious Usipov Palace
• Take an excursion into the Russian countryside to Tsarskoe Selo to see the exquisite Catherine Palace
• Stroll the fashionable Nevsky Prospekt, marveling at the grand neoclassical architecture
• Enjoy convenience – All tips prepaid