Kazan, Russia - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Kazan, Russia

Weather: Partly cloudy, 58/76F.

Route: From Vladimir 643 km east on E22 and M7.

Population: 1,143,535

Significance: Kazan is exactly the kind of place that I hope to find in my dream trip. A city of over 1 million people that I didn't even know existed. It developed into a large city under the Golden Horde from Mongolia in the 13th and 14th centuries. It is the capital of Tatarstan, a culture that has many Arabic elements in their language and culture. The city has many Islamic buildings. The city has been part of Russia since Ivan the Terrible conquered it in 1552. The UNESCO status is specific to the Kremlin, a fortress dating back to the era of the Golden Horde.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Image: 

The Kazan Kremlin (from whc.unesco.org)