The names that people in Russia call St Petersburg often give visitors the wrong impression. “Venice of the North” makes it sound dainty, when around its elegant streets and mesmerizing art is a chaotic city of five million people. “Window to Europe” doesn’t fit either, as its days of looking at Europe from the outside are long gone. Russians have another name for their city of beauty and commotion, history and innovation: simply “Piter”. Here’s how to best experience Piter in a couple of days.

From an early age, children are often enthralled by the natural world, and the chance to see the animals they’ve learned about in their natural habitat can lead to an incredible family trip. However, venturing into the wild typically involves significant travel, substantial patience, and a firm understanding of safety instructions, making the idea of a safari feel better suited to adults and older teenagers.

The elaborate etiquette of the Ottoman Empire lingers in many day-to-day rituals still observed in its greatest creation, the city of Istanbul. A good example is the ubiquitous and highly formalised system of greetings used by all locals, which harks back to the courtly manners refined in the imperial palaces of Topkapi and Dolmabahçe. Moreover, the practice of doing business over numerous glasses of tea is as common in today’s fiercely competitive and ultra-modern Turkish banking system as it was back in the days when the sultans received sacks of gold from the turbaned representatives of their far-flung colonies.