The quadrennial World Cup soccer tournament will make its grand debut from June 14 to July 15 at 12 stadiums in 11 Russian cities. It is estimated that Russia has budgeted more than $100 billion for the World Cup's infrastructure, ranging from stadiums, fan plazas and special trains to mobile networks, sports science and video assistant referees, to name just a few. Of course, in addition to watching the matches in these places, TripAdvisor Catwalk suggests that you can't miss these great oh-so-exciting moments!
Kaliningrad
Must-see match: England vs. Belgium, June 29
The venue: the Kaliningrad Stadium
The Kaliningrad Stadium, equipped with an ultra-modern security system. The venue has a current seating capacity of 35,212.The stadium will become a 25,000-seat stadium after the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with part of the roof to be removed, and is the home arena of Russian professional team Kaliningrad Baltic Football Club.
Playing experience:
The Kurskaya Spit is the most popular tourist destination in the Kaliningrad Oblast, shuttling between the Baltic Sea and the Kurs Lagoon, and it's a beloved mecca of inspiration for many artists. Interestingly, one side of the peninsula belongs to Russia and the other to Lithuania. The Kurs Sand Spit National Park has specially created six hiking routes that are worth experiencing. After exploring the history of the city, watching a World Cup match, a chic hike on the peninsula, and finally taking a chance on the Baltic Sea and picking up amber, it's definitely worth the trip.
Volgograd
Must-see match: Saudi Arabia vs. Rabat Egypt, June 25
Game: Volgograd Arena
Volgograd's Victory Stadium is located next to a giant statue on the famous Mamaev Plateau on the banks of the Volga River. The stadium's fa?ade is an inverted truncated conical structure with an open lattice shape that enhances the sturdiness of the whole building, and the roof is constructed in a special way that is reminiscent of the spokes on a bicycle wheel.
Tour Experience:
Volgograd is a neat and beautifully rebuilt city after the war. High-rise buildings line both sides of Lenin Street, and between Volga Street along the river and Marshal Trekov Street is a green lawn, Heroes' Boulevard is lined with aspens, pines, birches and lilacs, and the roadside flower beds are especially moving with colorful tulips in bloom.
Ekaterinburg
Must-see match: Mexico vs. Sweden, June 28
Game: Yekaterinburg Central Stadium
Yekaterinburg Central Stadium, which has been remodeled since 2006 for the 2018 FIFA World Cup tournament, has been fitted with a video surveillance system, a television broadcast system and a stadium security system. The spectator stands will be equipped with seats that can be moved quickly and specially set up for restricted seating.
Tourist experience:
Ekaterinburg is Russia's fourth-largest city and is on the Europe-Asia divide. The base of the boundary marker is constructed of dark red marble, with off-white marble in the center serving as the dividing line, with Europe and Asia marked on either side.
Moscow
MUST SEE MATCH: Russia vs. Saudi Arabia, June 14
FIELD: Luzhniki Stadium
Located in downtown Moscow, Russia, the Luzhniki Stadium is Russia's largest stadium, with a total **** of 84,745 seats. On weekdays, Luzhniki Stadium is less exciting and more historical. The statue of Vladimir Lenin at the north gate of the stadium seems to tell people about the history of that time.
Tour experience:
The city is no stranger to you. The solemn Kremlin, the brightly colored St. Vasiliy's Cathedral, the gorgeous palace-like subway, the heavy and powerful beats you can somehow hear standing on Red Square, and the windy "Evening Outside Moscow". The closer you get, the more you feel its depth.
St. Petersburg
Must-see match: Brazil vs. Costa Rica, June 22
Game: St. Petersburg Stadium
The St. Petersburg Stadium can be called the cradle of Russian soccer, and it was here that the first officially recorded soccer match in Russia's history took place on October 24, 1897. Four years later, the country's first soccer league was founded in St. Petersburg, which existed for more than 20 years. Today Zenit St. Petersburg Football Club is one of the most famous clubs in Russia.
Experience of the tour:
It is said that Moscow is the city that makes you feel good slowly, while St. Petersburg is the city that makes you fall in love at first sight. St. Petersburg was built on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea at the mouth of the Neva River, the entire city is distributed in the Neva River delta on the islands, many rivers through the past, distinctive water city style, so it is the "Venice of the North" called. Here is Peter the Great with the dream of building a masterpiece, a city that once carried the dream of renaissance, but also Russia's most Europeanized city, the scenery is winding, the river, many bridges, a variety of architectural style meandering.
Rostov-on-Don
Must-see match: Brazil vs. Switzerland, June 18
Game: Rostov-on-Don Stadium
The original design of the Rostov Arena blended with the picturesque landscape, the shape of the stadium's roof mimicked the twists and turns of the River Don, and the varying heights of the grandstand allowed spectators to experience everything that was going on in the stadium as well as to a great view of Rostov, on the left bank of the Don River.
Tour experience:
The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is one of the landmarks of Rostov-on-Don, which is more than 230 years old and belongs to the Russian Byzantine style. The church still performs its religious function and is one of the important religious and cultural educational centers of Rostov-on-Don. In addition, there are numerous churches in Russia, such as the famous Petersburg's church, Kazan Cathedral, Cathedral of the Dripping Blood, Issa Cathedral and so on, which are worth visiting if you have enough time.
Kazan
Must-see match: South Korea vs. Germany, June 27
Field: Kazan Central Stadium
Kazan Central Stadium is currently the home of Kazan Ruby Football Club of the Russian Football Premier League. The Kazan Central Stadium has a capacity of 30,133 spectators. The building has four total **** levels and is divided into four zones. Each zone has decorative parts of the corresponding color and doors and signs facing that direction. The roof above the spectator stands is sea-wave teal, and the soccer field in the center remains open-air.
Tourist experience:
In Kazan, there are European-style churches, Arab-style mosques and Asian-style lamaseries, so visitors can experience the rare sight of multidenominational harmony coexisting side by side. In the Kazan architectural complex, there are Slavic arches, Romanesque spires, yurt-shaped domes and Chinese carved beams, as well as monuments such as ancient towers and churches from the 16th to 18th centuries.
Samara
Must-see match: Costa Rica vs. Serbia, June 17
Game: Samara Stadium
Built on an island south of the city of Samara, near the entire stadium is a sporting community of about 24 hectares, with a stadium investment of US$320 million and a seating capacity of up to 44,000 people.
Tourist experience:
Samara has a rich cultural tradition. It is home to Russia's only House of Friendship of Nationalities, which preserves the customs and artistic traditions of more than 100 nationalities and was opened in 2001. There are also two model theaters in Samara - the Samara Opera and Ballet Model Theater and the Gorky Model Theater, a children's theater. The oldest comprehensive library in Samara was built in 1860, and the Samara State Historical Museum, the Samara State Art Gallery and many other cultural and educational institutions are also worth visiting.
Saransk
Must-see match: Iran vs Portugal, June 26
Stadium: Mordovia Arena
The Mordovia Arena was designed by German designer Tim Huppe, and the styling has taken a proposal from the local design firm, Saransk Grazhdan Design. The total investment is about 300 million dollars. When completed, it will be the home stadium of the Saransk Mordovia soccer club. The stadium has a capacity of 44,442 spectators.
Playing experience:
Salansk is located in the central part of the European part of Russia, and the city is not very large. Strolling through the streets of Saransk, a musical fountain plays melodious piano music, the golden dome of a distant church shines brightly under the sun, a black statue of Pushkin extends a golden palm to passers-by, and street vendors carefully take out handicrafts from their bags and place them on shelves one by one. ...... There is no rush of pedestrians here, only permanent beauty.
Nizhny Novgorod City
Must-see match: Argentina vs Croatia, June 21
Game: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium
Nizhny Novgorod Stadium is situated in the Strelka district, chosen for its site at the forks of the Oka and Volga rivers, on the right bank of the Volga, with an excellent view over Nizhny Novgorod city center,... It is closely connected to the historical architectural district where the famous Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is located.
Experience:
In Nizhny Novgorod, the most famous attractions can't be wrapped around that brilliant name - Gorky. There are as many as three museums named after Gorky: Gorky's House, Gorky's Literary Museum and Gorky's Childhood Home Museum. This shows how much Gorky meant to the city. The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is one of the most magnificent fortresses of medieval Russia. It was built in the 16th century and sits on a hill in the center of Nizhny Novgorod and in the old historic district, along the Volga River. Climb up to the Kremlin for a beautiful view of the city. The silent flow of the Volga River, the buildings and the colorful "onion tops" are a sight to behold and a sight to behold.
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