Ekaterinburg

Ekaterinburg is located in the heart of Siberia, on the border of Europe and Asia. This city of 1.5 million people is a hub of business and industry, with new high-rise buildings and luxury shopping centres continuously being erected next to its historic buildings. You can get a great overview of the rapidly reforming city from the top of the 273-metre-tall Antei building.

Outside business circles, Ekaterinburg is known as the place where Russia's last Czar Nicholas II and his family were assassinated in the basement of the Ipatiev house after 78 days of imprisonment. In memory of the Romanovs, a stunning Cathedral on the Blood now stands on the very spot where the house was. This is the birthplace of the Ural rock music style, and the home of a world-class circus is also one of the stops along the Trans-Siberian Railway. The world-famous luxury train takes travellers all the way to Vladivostok, Beijing or Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia.