Table of Contents
“Every country has its national river and Russia has the Volga — the longest river in Europe, the Queen of rivers — “and I was one of the many who went to bow to her Majesty River Volga” — said the prominent writer Alexandre Dumas.
Every Russian, when Volga is mentioned, imagines the wide clean water, huge ships and green, flower-covered banks. Volga has its own special place in people’s hearts, which is shown through a well-known song “Mighty stream so deep and wide, Volga, Volga, our pride”, dedicated to the river.
Rich history of river Volga
Thousands of years ago Volga was at the origins of Eurasian culture, as it played an important role in Russian development. The river was also a territory of Kazak bandit Stenka Razin and the place which had seen the great Pugachev revolt, depicted in Pushkin’s novel “The Captain’s Daughter”. Nowadays around 50 million people have settled down in Volga’s plains and plenty of towns and cities are situated on the banks of the river. Today it is an international transportation path formed with small canals and big rocks.
The nature surrounding river Volga
Volga takes its start from a tiny spring in the Valdai Hills not far from Moscow and then goes in an arc of more than 3690 km until it flows into the Caspian Sea. Even though its beauty hasn’t been left unaffected by modern technologies, it is still a gorgeous river with blue clear water and green banks. All nature lovers should visit the Volga Delta, as has some a wonderful examples of the region’s wildlife. A lot of wild animals and birds, including beavers, otters, herons and eagles have found their home in the marshy climate of the river. Moreover, you can enjoy the nature at Samara Bend National Park that have long forested hikes with marvelous views of the Volga.
Visit Volga River in summer
For those who want to visit Volga during the summer, there are plenty of sandy banks where you can sit and enjoy the stunning beauty of the nature. Its unspeakable serenity and power have inspired various artists and we can all enjoy astonishing paintings of the sunrise and sunsets on the river. During the day you may refresh yourself by swimming in Volga or just relax and sunbathe on the clean sandy beaches.
To enjoy the river to the fullest, it is better to take a cruise down Volga. You will spend an interesting time (about 2 days) in comfortable transit cruise ships with 2- or 4-berth cabins. It will be hard to forget such a bright experience like a cruise on the Volga River. While traveling down the river you can get the real perception of Russian culture and its wild beauty, get a chance to meet locals and make friends with people from all over the world and get a chance to completely refresh your body and mind. So don’t miss the chance of a lifetime to enjoy the Russian soul!