Four UNESCO World Heritage sites you may never have even heard of
By Jack Stacey
18 April 2018
There's nothing which quite imbues us with existentialist wonder as an ancient monument from a lost civilisation.
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Located on the eastern side of the Ural Mountains, Yekaterinburg was founded in 1723 by the prominent statesmen Vasily Tatischev and Georg Wilhelm de Gennin. It was named for Tsar Peter the Great's wife, Catherine, and the settlement was granted the status of a town in 1796. Easily the most famous episode in Yekaterinburg's history occurred in July 1918, when the Imperial family of Romanov was executed by the Bolsheviks at Ipatiev House.
Tsar Nicholas II had abdicated the previous year, and was being held under house arrest in the city. When it was discovered that Tsarist forces were approaching Yekaterinburg, the decision was made to kill the Tsar, his wife, their four daughters and only son, to prevent them from becoming figureheads for rebellion. Their remains were finally given a proper burial in 1998. Ipatiev House was never used after these events, and was demolished in 1977.
In later years it was decided that a more fitting tribute to the Romanov family was needed. With the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, it was also reckoned that the new building had to be less of a focal point. The Cathedral of the Blood was completed in 2000, and is a magnificent symbol of peace and worship.
Step on board the Golden Eagle and be transported back to the romantic age of travel as we wend our way across Russia, Mongolia and Siberia in unprecedented luxury. This rail adventure takes you on a journey of over 8,000 miles; a true odyssey to the other side of the world.
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Witness the true splendour of Dr Zhivago landscapes from the warmth of your luxurious carriage, enjoying sleigh rides and choirs, saunas and yurts en-route to Vladivostok. Travel on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express train for an unforgettable 8,000-mile winter adventure.
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Let the Tsar's Gold Train take you on an incredible adventure across almost half of the surface of the world from the ornate splendor of Moscow to the bustling beauty of modern Beijing, through remote Siberia, beautiful Mongolia and the vast landscapes of the Gobi Desert.
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Beginning and ending in London, we travel just under 23,000 miles across the globe on this incredible worldwide adventure. Starting in the iconic 'Big Apple', we chart a course across the heartland of America, to the West Coast. From there, we cross the Pacific into Asia and immerse ourselves in the rich legacies of China, before boarding the iconic Tsar's Gold Train for the journey across Russia. For the final leg of the journey, we head into central Europe, south through the imperial cities to Venice, boarding the luxurious Simplon-Orient- Express for the journey home.
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A brilliant experience - enjoyed every minute of it - except at border controls !
There is no need to say more - this holiday was excellent and exceeded our very high expectations.
By Jack Stacey
18 April 2018
There's nothing which quite imbues us with existentialist wonder as an ancient monument from a lost civilisation.
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By Sukie Chapman
5 April 2018
When I started working for Great Rail Journeys, I could never have guessed how much train knowledge and expertise I would pick up over the course of four short years.
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By Sukie Chapman
18 January 2018
You love rail travel but also want to explore further afield than Europe; this is a conundrum many of our customers call us about.
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By Jack Stacey
11 October 2017
Has there ever been a finer example of luxury, glamour and class than the Orient Express? Possibly the first luxury train in the world, the Orient Express combines a refined heritage, elegant carriages and the highest class of on board service to offer passengers a once-in-a-lifetime experience on history’s greatest rail journey.
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All activities were well planned out. Our tour manager was wonderful.