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ew Americans have had the opportunity to explore Russia’s heartland along the Volga waterways. But as New Republic correspondent Ernest Poole reported during his visit there in 1917, “All the real things in Russia are done in the villages.”

The 2007 debut of the Volga Dream, a new riverboat, makes this part of the country accessible in a most comfortable way. We urge you to get there now.

Begin in mighty Moscow, barometer of the changes sweeping through today’s Russia. Although this journey takes you directly from the airport onto the Volga Dream, we strongly recommend that you extend your visit to spend a few days in this fascinating city. An R. Crusoe tour specialist can easily make these arrangements for you.

Aboard the ship, head for Uglich, one of the Golden Ring of fortified cities surrounding Moscow. The Church of St. Dimitri on the Blood awaits - along with a colorful history that explains its unusual name. (Warning: Ivan the Terrible was involved.) Prince Yaroslav the Wise founded Yaroslavl in 1010. Remarkably, World War II left the town and its important churches unscathed. In Goritzy, the fortress-like Kirillov-Belozersky Museum has an irresistible collection of icons, murals, manuscripts, and regional folk art. Cruise Lake Onega for a visit to Kizhi Island, where an open-air museum of traditional wooden architecture awaits. The Svir River leads us through a cluster of quiet hamlets. Visit one for a close look at Russian rural life, untouched. Then enter Lake Lagoda for time in Valaam, where the 14th-century Monastery of the Transfiguration was built as a defensive fortress against Lutheran Swedes.

End up in St. Petersburg, 18th-century masterpiece of Czar Peter the Great. The entire city was designed to be his “window on Europe.” Once again, we urge you to add a few days to your journey to scope out the incredible sites here.

Since Russia got its start in Ukraine, why not extend your journey to include a few days in this interesting and historic country? Start in Kiev, HQ of Russian Orthodox Christianity. Find evidence at St. Sophia Cathedral and elsewhere. The Crimea was a summer getaway for imperial Russian families. See why. And at Yalta, F.D.R., Stalin, and Churchilll gathered in 1945 to divvy up postwar Europe. You won’t want to miss Ukraine.

Interested in adding time in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and/or Ukraine? If so, click here for more information.

On the Volga Through Russia’s Heartland. 9 Days.