Onion domes of a Russian cathedral silhouetted against the evening sky beside the river

Route 07 · Northern and Eastern Europe Expedition 1 of 2

Russia and the Baltic

Expedition 1 · From Amsterdam to the Kremlin

Saint Petersburg and Moscow, Russia · Route 07-A

The first expedition of the Northern and Eastern Europe route: Amsterdam, Copenhagen —including Christiania—, Malmö, Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki before the final journey to Saint Petersburg and Moscow.

The expedition begins in Amsterdam and continues north on a series of flights: Copenhagen, where the stage includes the Christiania district, and the short crossing to Malmö, in Sweden. Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki follow, with the Nordic light stretching the afternoons and the cities arranged around the water.

Palace Square in Saint Petersburg, with the General Staff Building arch — Saint Petersburg: Palace SquareLandscapetemporary image

The passage into Russia changes the scale. Saint Petersburg unfolds its canals and domes beside the Neva; Moscow responds with the red stone of the Kremlin and a marble metro that functions as an underground museum. Moscow closes this expedition and opens the next chapter of the same route.

Saint Petersburg canal with neoclassical façades and a cast-iron bridge — The canals of the NevaLandscapetemporary image

Visual chronicle

Red Square in Moscow, with the brick wall and domes beyond in winter — Moscow and the red stone of the KremlinLandscapetemporary image

Vaulted marble-and-mosaic hall in a Moscow Metro station — The metro as an underground museumDocumenttemporary image

Red rooftops and a bell tower in Tallinn’s medieval old town beneath a grey sky — TallinnPersonal presencetemporary image

Art Nouveau façades on a Riga street, with stone ornamentation — Riga and its Art Nouveau architectureLandscapetemporary image

Baroque towers in Vilnius seen through autumn trees — Vilnius in autumnLandscapetemporary image

Snow-covered birch forest with a wooden house in the distance — Russian countryside in winterPersonal presencetemporary image

Red-tiled rooftops and church towers in Riga’s old town beneath an overcast sky — Riga · Latvia — Route 07-ALandscapetemporary image

Medieval walls and towers in Tallinn’s old town beside a cobbled street — Tallinn · Estonia — the medieval wallsCompanionstemporary image

Saint Petersburg canal embankment with an iron street lamp and neoclassical façades — Saint Petersburg · Russia — canal embankmentPersonal presencetemporary image

Baltic Sea shore with dunes, pines and grey water in winter light — The Baltic, the axis of the entire legLandscapetemporary image

Cartography

Map of the flights across Northern Europe linking Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Malmö, Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, Saint Petersburg and MoscowOriginal maps retain Spanish, English and local-language labels, as well as embedded distances and travel times.

Physical map of Russia showing Saint Petersburg, Moscow and other citiesOriginal maps retain Spanish, English and local-language labels, as well as embedded distances and travel times.

Next expedition

Eastern Europe

Warsaw, Budapest and Prague · Route 07-B

Read the journey