Travel Guide

the Chuya Tract in Altai as a road journey can easily become a checklist if nobody protects the pace. A stronger day begins with the road itself as valleys, rivers and passes begin to change scale and treats the rest of Altai as a living setting[...]

The useful version of Kizhi Island and wooden architecture on Lake Onega feels as if it has been tested in the street, not assembled from a list of sights. In Karelia and Lake Onega, that means starting with the boat approach to Kizhi and the[...]

The useful version of Ruskeala Marble Canyon and a Karelia nature day feels as if it has been tested in the street, not assembled from a list of sights. In Karelia, that means starting with the marble canyon water and forest paths near[...]

The useful thing about Yaroslavl and the Volga Embankment at walking pace is that it does not need to be inflated. Start with the high embankment where the Volga gives the city its scale, give the route a clean shape, and the character of[...]

The notes I would give a first-time visitor are not complicated: begin with the first snowy view of monastery walls, wooden houses and the Kamenka River, keep the route honest, and do not make Suzdal carry more stops than the day can hold. The[...]