The World Cup is the biggest sporting event on the planet. Every four years, the qualifying teams come together and compete for the biggest prize in international football and the World Cup is a tournament which means so much, to so many people.
Fans of the competing nations can apply for tickets to follow their team at the 2018 World Cup, which will be staged in Russia. This not only gives fans the chance to watch their country in action on the biggest stage but also the opportunity to see a different country.
For many people attending the 2018 World Cup, it will be their first time visiting Russia. Obtaining a World Cup guide ahead of Russia is a good idea and there are some fantastic cities to visit during the month-long tournament.
Moscow is the capital city of Russia and will stage the opening match of the 2018 World Cup plus one semi-final and the final, the latter of which will be played in the Luzhniki Stadium. Boasting the Kremlin, Saint Basil's Cathedral, Red Square and GUM, which is Russia's most famous department store, there is plenty to enjoy in Moscow for visiting fans.
The other semi-final will take place at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg and this is a fabulous city. Here, fans can take in the delights of the Hermitage Museum, Catherine Palace and Kizhi Island. The architecture in Saint Petersburg is tremendous and fans who have tickets to games in Russia's second largest city are in for a real treat.
However, despite Moscow and Saint Petersburg being two of Russia's most famous cities, there are several other cities hosting games at the 2018 World Cup.
Having access to a World Cup guide ahead of Russia will allow visitors to get familiar with the cities but arguably one of the most intriguing is Kaliningrad.
Kaliningrad will host four games in the tournament, including some popular teams such as England, Belgium and Spain. Interestingly, Kaliningrad is not part of mainland Russia but is located between Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic Sea.
It was once part of Germany until the end of World War II, when the city was annexed by the USSR. It plays a vital role for Russia as their only ice-free port and trade and distribution is a key element of Kaliningrad. For fans visiting in the World Cup, Kaliningrad has a deep maritime history which can be discovered at the Museum of the World Ocean and the Konigsberg Cathedral cannot be missed.
Moving back to mainland Russia and for those wanting to travel as far east as possible during the 2018 World Cup, the city of Yekaterinburg is the best option.
Yekaterinburg will host four games during the event and is located on the border of Europe and Asia. However, with a total of 11 cities to choose from at the 2018 World Cup, including Kazan, Krasnodar, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Saransk, Sochi, Volgograd and Yaroslavl, football fans are spoilt for choice.
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