For travellers, the best thing about Latvia is that it is so compact. Its 500 km of sandy beaches are easily reached from historical towns, where medieval hanseatic foundations support baroque and art nouveau buildings, that become venues for cultural festivals during the summer. Families of storks happily give their seal of approval to the unspoilt nature, fresh air and clean water around them. In addition to Riga, its spectacular gateway, there are 6 other UNESCO world heritage listed sites. A

Russian banya At first glance, the Russian banya looks like an extreme sport. Friends and strangers beat each other with branches from birch trees in a devilishly hot atmosphere. When this is finished, they  run for the exit to jump into an icy-cold pool. If you're alone, you can always hire an attendant to give you a beating. It is not only a wondrous feeling (trust me), but unbelievably good for you. You get a special burst of energy after taking a steam in a Russian bathhouse, because all

This modern, luxury hotel is located on Tverskaya, the main street of Moscow, leading straight into the Kremlin. Contemporary design of Chekhonte Restaurant with open show kitchen offers modern variations on traditional Russian dishes. Elegant, air-conditioned rooms with dark woods and luxurious fabrics are offered at the Intercontinental Moscow Tverskaya. Modern comforts include iPod docking stations, 42-inch flat-screen TVs, and laptop safes. Well-arranged luxury suites include private terraces

Today Lenexpo is one of the biggest specialized exhibition complexes in Russia and the largest conference and exhibition centre in the North-West of our country. It is situated on the shore of the Gulf of Finland in the centre of international trade ways. Such unique location makes possible the demonstration of watercrafts and vessels in specialized water exhibition quarters. Lenexpo complex has a territory of 15 hectares, including 6 hectares of open area. A total of 9 pavilions with 40 000 sq.