Visa and entry requirements Russia:
Passport required
A visa is required for German citizens. The visa must be applied for and obtained from the responsible Russian diplomatic mission before entering the country.
Visa costs 60 euros

Information from the Foreign Office about your trip to Russia:
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Laenderinformationen/00-SiHi/RussischeFoederationSicherheit.html?nn=332636?nnm=332636

Russia or the Russian Federation is an intercontinental state in northeastern Eurasia and the largest country in the world in terms of area, covering 11% of the world's land area. With around 146 million inhabitants on around 17 million square kilometers, Russia is one of the world's most sparsely populated countries. Of the population, around 105 million people live in the European part of the country; the Asian East is significantly less populated. From west to east, the country stretches over two continents over a total length of 9,000 km. Europe accounts for 23% of land area and Asia accounts for 77%. From south to north the extent is up to 4,000 km.

Russia is home to some of the longest rivers in the world, such as the Volga, the Ob, the Irtysh or the Lena, as well as the deepest inland lake in the world, Lake Baikal. Around 40% of the country is covered by mountains, the best known are the Urals, the Caucasus, Sayan, Altai, the Baikal Mountains and the Central Siberian Mountains.

Russia has the largest number of neighboring states with 14 and borders Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea. In addition to the heartland, Russia also has an exclave, the northern part of the former East Prussia, today's Kaliningrad Oblast. The area is adjacent Lithuania and Poland and is therefore completely surrounded by EU countries. The Russian Federation is the successor state to the Soviet Union and the sixth largest economy in the world.

The capital of Russia is Moscow with 12.4 million inhabitants and is also the second largest city in Europe. The main sights of Moscow are St. Basil's Cathedral, the Ostankino Tower, the Seven Sisters, the Kremlin, the Danilov Monastery, the Bolshoi Theater, Gorky Park, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Red Square, the Resurrection Gate, the House at the Red Gate, the GUM department store and the Lenin Mausoleum.

Another important center is Saint Petersburg, which was the capital between 1712 and 1918 and forms an architectural and cultural bridge from Russia to Western Europe. The city is considered the Venice of the North and has a rich cultural offering and a historic city center that is fully UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The other eleven megacities are Novosibirsk in Siberia, Yekaterinburg in the Urals, Nizhny Novgorod on the Volga, Samara, Omsk in Siberia, Kazan on the Volga, Chelyabinsk, Rostov on Don, Ufa, Volgograd and Perm.

The only official language used everywhere is Russian and is spoken by around 82% of the population. The national currency is the Russian ruble, where 1 euro corresponds to around 70 RUB.

Russia has impressive natural landscapes as well as numerous cultural attractions, such as the Hermitage and the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, the Solovetsky Islands, Lake Baikal, the Volga Delta, the island of Kizhi, the Trans-Siberian Railway, Nevsky Prospect and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood St. Petersburg, the Black Sea coast around Sochi, Novgorod - the oldest city in Russia, Mamayev Hill in Volgograd, Smolensk Cathedral, Galileo Park in Samara, Stolby National Park in Krasnoyarsk, the Weapons Museum in Tula, the Kazan Kremlin, the Motherland Monument in Volgograd and the Limpopo Zoo in Nizhny Novgorod.

Tourism in Russia is primarily concentrated in the two metropolises of Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Ski tourism is becoming increasingly popular in the North Caucasus. The infrastructure in Rosa Khutor was significantly expanded, especially in connection with the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

I myself visited Sochi in the summer for a week for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017. I had a wonderful time in the popular seaside and health resort, even outside of football. The city is very diverse, has a lot to offer, my stay and the weather were super pleasant and I had a lot of fun.

During this time I also traveled to the city of Kazan for three days. This beautiful old town with the Kazan Kremlin is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen in Europe.

Back in July 2014, I spent a week in Moscow to explore all the sights and beautiful corners of the city. I was particularly impressed by Russian hospitality and Russian cuisine; shashlik, borscht and solyanka were at the top of my daily menu.

I also visited Russia for ten days for the 2018 World Cup. After three days in Moscow for our first group game against Mexico, I then spent another week in Sochi, where I felt so comfortable last year.

Sochi, with over 250 square kilometers the largest small town in terms of area and the second largest city in the world after Mexico City, is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The almost 100 km long city along the Black Sea has something unique and a flair like that of the French Riviera.

Despite beating Sweden in the second group game at the Sochi stadium, the German team is known to have subsequently been eliminated after their inter-terrestrial football.

However, the unforgettable days beforehand in Sochi will remain fond memories forever.