Samara Private Jet Charters

Don't be fooled by the industrial facade of Samara for just beyond it lies the mighty Volga River and the beautiful Zhiguli Mountains.

It is a city of two faces, known for being the heart of the Soviet space program as well as the country's second capital during World War II when all the government departments were transferred there from Moscow.

The Vostok rocket, the first to be launched into space, was built in Samara and visitors to the Samara Cosmos Museum can see an authentic replica out front. The museum also has rotating exhibits about space and space travel, from Vostok to modern-day technology. Also on display in Samara is a monument of the Soyuz rocket, built in honor of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. Historians can visit Stalin's massive bunker - one of 37 he had throughout Russia - located 120 feet underground. Discovered in the 1990s, 40 years after Stalin's death, the bunker was airtight vault is big enough to house 115 people for five days.

The sandy beaches along the Volga River that stretch along the length of the city are a welcome respite for locals and visitors when spring finally breaks. With winter temperatures reaching into negative double-digits, the spring thaw is welcome and celebrated by the city's 1.1 million inhabitants. A popular nature preserve, Zhigulevskie Hills, is also located on the Volga, the largest river in Europe.

If you are looking to immerse yourself in nature, there are plenty of hikes and day trips visitors can take into the Zhiguli Mountains to look at the hills and valleys that provided cover for river pirates long ago. The nearby village of Shiryaevo is built around huge limestone caves.

Thirsty? Samara is also known as a brew town and affectionately called Russia's beer capital. Austrian Alfred von Vacano opened the the brewery that produced Zhigulevskoye, the beer of choice in the Soviet era. It is served along with dishes made from the fish of the Volga River.