Russia is by far the largest country in the world, with a landmass consisting of vast plains in the west and north, and a discontinuous belt of mountains and plateaus in the south and east. This is a land of snow and deadly winters, but also of rivers that meander across meadows and a midsummer sun that never sets. Its people generous and hospitable.

St Petersburg has been dubbed the Venice of the North for its palace-lined waterways. It managed to escape the architectural incursions of Stalinism and its grandiose relics of tsarist days are largely intact.

The Vologda Lake region is the land of monasteries and churches, magical white nights, rivers and blue lakes. With the country's vastness comes diversity and what better way to discover its hidden treasures than from horseback.

Snow Adventure