My trips to Russia: where to go, what to see, things to do
Barentsburg (in Russian language Баренцбург) in winter is reachable by snowmobile, in summer is the first stop of the Hurtigruten expeditions but you could visit it also with a daily tour from Longyearbyen.
This is the only mining settlement dating back to the Soviet period still operating on the Svalbard Islands and has an important geopolitical value.
After the polar expedition with Hurtigruten to overcome the 80th parallel north, I chose a full day tour from Longyearbyen to Pyramiden and the Nordenskiöldbree Glacier, the last chance to see animals, absent in the previous days.
And incredibly it was the perfect choice.
In the common imagination, Siberia is always a very cold and inhospitable place.
For this reason, going to Siberia was my objective.
The Siberian region occupies almost 75% of the Russian territory, going from the Urals to the Pacific and from the borders with Mongolia and China to Arctic Ocean.
Crucial was one of the many travel proposals that are received daily by email: “Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Beijing”. I was 16 and it seemed only a dream. But a spark started in my head…
An excellent air offer convinced me to go to the German capital.
I will also talk about a not too conventional Berlin, with attractions away from traditional destinations.
The German capital certainly has much to show, given the events that have marked its history.
