Ekaterinburg Travel Guide

Ekaterinburg, or, Yekaterinburg, is the fifth largest city in the Russian Federation and the economic centre of the Urals, the natural border between Europe and Asia.

Founded in 1723, the city witnessed the death of the last Russian Czar, Nicolas II in 1918 at the hands of the Bolsheviks. It was the centre of an American spy scandal in 1960 and was the birthplace of Boris Yeltsin, as well as many famous ice hockey players!

Rich in architectural monuments of Russian classicism of the 18th and 19th centuries, see the city's Estate of Rastorguev-Kharitonov and Church of Alexander Nevsky. The Geological Museum houses interesting gems while the Fine Arts Museum has impressive Kasly castings. The Opera House is worth visiting for its architecture alone.

Winters are long and cold (sometimes dipping to -40 degrees C!) and the thaw means April and May make the streets muddy. Warm summers (64 degrees Centigrade and more) begin in June until late August, when swimming in the lakes is popular. By early November however, the streets are covered in snow again.