Novosibirsk

Novosibirsk is a city that thinks big. Stretching along the banks of the mighty Ob River deep in the heart of Siberia, it is the largest city in this vast, frozen region and buzzes with an energy that might surprise you. It feels like a place always on the move, always curious, always building something new.

And speaking of curious — just outside the city centre sits one of the most unusual neighbourhoods on Earth, a community designed from scratch so that brilliant scientists could live, work, and make discoveries together, surrounded by peaceful birch forests. That same spirit of wonder fills the rest of Novosibirsk too. The city is home to a spectacular opera and ballet theatre so enormous its stage is unmatched anywhere in Russia, and a fantastic zoo where snow leopards and polar bears roam impressive enclosures.

Whether you are sailing on the vast man-made lake locals lovingly call their sea or stumbling upon a tiny chapel that once marked the empire’s centre, Novosibirsk is full of surprises.