Russia was the first place I visited in Eastern Europe. In hindsight, I had no idea what I was getting myself into!

When we arrived in Moscow, the whole city was covered in smog due to wildfires. Everyone was wearing masks to protect their noses and mouths, and it was unbearably hot.

We spent a few days in the capital, trying to make the best of it. We visited the main highlights…

…such as the Red Square, the Kremlin, and St Basil’s Cathedral (which is amazing!).

Everything was different from what I expected!

The architecture was especially unusual.

We then took a fast train to St Petersburg, where the weather was much better – sunny days which weren’t too hot (and no smog!).

Again we stumbled upon domed roofs on every corner!

St Petersburg is sometimes called ‘Venice of the North’ because of the many canals around the city. And although both places are beautiful, I think they’re both quite different.

The city is also the home of the Hermitage Museum, one of the great museums of the world, with highlights that include two Da Vinci paintings.

You can spend a whole day there.

St Petersburg was definitely my favourite of the two cities we visited, but I should definitely go back to Moscow when the weather is better and reassess!