Cities of Mundial-2018

Saransk, Samara and Volgograd are the cities of the Volga cluster. To be truthful, Saransk is not located right on the Volga but in its basin; and it is next to a river - the Insar.

Of course, you can get to any of the cities of Mundial-2018 by fast train. But consider for a moment that a cruise down the Volga - the great Russian river - is an excellent adventure. And if you have such an opportunity, why not use it? Just imagine: it is summer, the blindingly smooth surface of the huge river, the white steamship, and on board you are in the company of friends, passionate football fans like yourself. Ahead of you is a fascinating match. But in the meantime, why not arrange a holiday of real men: after all, you are on the Volga and the Volga means fish. Not just fish, but the very best fishing!

En route from Samara to Volgograd, you must pay attention to the magnificent Saratov bridge across the Volga, which is the longest bridge for automobile traffic in Europe. From far away, you can see the symbol of Volgograd - the figure of the Mother of the Homeland on Mamaev Kurgan - the tallest female statue in the world.

And now we have reached the quay we need. All these cities can take pride not only in their glorious history but in their sporting traditions. The entire world

The Nizhny Novgorod phase of the 2018 world football championships will be held in one of the most picturesque parts of the Volga. A modern beauty of a stadium with room for more than 40,000 spectators will be built on the Pecherskie Peski peninsula opposite an ancient monastery in an historic district of Nizhny Novgorod. Not far away, a cableway across the Volga is being completed, and this will be a superb attraction for fans. Drawbridges will be erected across the Grebnoy Canal to the peninsula. In this way, thousands of visitors who have arrived for a match can easily get to the city centre. And there, they will find a great deal to see! Nizhny Novgorod has been included in the UNESCO list of one hundred "monument cities". The city has more than 600 monuments of architecture and culture. Among them is the Kremlin complex, an outstanding work of medieval architects. The noisy, mer-ry crowds of football fans will pass along the pedestrian zone of Bolshaya Pokrovskaya. Here there are a multitude of restaurants, bars and cafes, as well as the best shops in Nizhny. You can travel the city from end to end not only via the usual municipal public transport but also using one of the river trams plying the rivers Oka and Volga. And if you are considering riding on them in the evening, then you will be very impressed by the view of the Nizhny Novgorod promontory Strelka in the radiance of night lights. Fan areas will be arranged on Minin Square and in the Nizhny Novgorod Fair district, which deserves a word of its own. Airy lace, fiery Khokhloma painted wooden vessels, the Gorodetsky horse and rider, delicately made boxes: all of these souvenirs are not commodities but works of art. If people back home are expecting presents from you on your return, then you can bring them not just football jerseys with team logos but elegant souvenirs in the Russian style.