Travel Tips 24 > Europe > Eastern Europe > Russia >

Urals

The Urals is a common geographical name of the area of Russia around the Ural Mountains. It is a vast territory which includes major cities like Yekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk, as well as parts of the polar areas. The Ural mountains are among the oldest mountains on Earth and are generally not very high, more often looking like large hills, though there are some taller ones, too. Travellers to Urals should not miss Yekaterinburg; usually it is a starting point of any trip to the Urals.

Regions

Chelyabinsk Oblast
Kurgan Oblast
Khantia-Mansia
Sverdlovsk Oblast
Tyumen Oblast
Yamalia

Cities

The most significant city in the Ural region is Yekaterinburg (Екатеринбург). Other major cities that have a population of over one million people include Chelyabinsk (Челябинск).

Culture and History

Talk

Travel to Urals, visa requirements

Get around

The major forms of transportation between cities in the Ural region include train, bus, electric train, and airplane.

For inner-city travel, most cities offer a combination of these services: bus, trolleybus, and tramvai.

In any Russian city, however, you can find a taxi with great ease. Simply stand on the side of the road, and hold your hand out at waist level. Within a minute or two, someone will stop to ask you where you're going. In the Urals, short trips generally cost between 50 and 80 rubles (USD2-3), while longer, cross-town trips may cost over 100 rubles (over USD3). Always be wary, however, when flagging down a taxi in Russia. It is not recommended to get into a car with two or more males or with suspicious-looking individuals. You shouldn't expect to run into problems, but it's always better to play it safe in Russia.

Urals travel guide

City tours

Good restaurants and cheap meals

The Urals region is famous for its pelmeni, small dumplings usually stuffed with beef and eaten in large quantities topped with butter, vinegar, sour cream, or a combination of the three.