Saint Petersburg is a very young city in comparison with old European capitals and probably the only city in the world that has acquired so much historic significance in such a short time. After spending 3 days in this beutiful city you will see the ancient Russian towns like Pskov, being first mentioned in a chronicle of the year 903 as Pleskov. The town became important in the Middle Ages as a centre for trade between the interior of Russia and the Hanseatic seaports of the Baltic.<br>Old Izborsk, a sleepy village is indeed ancient – it celebrated its 1150th anniversary in 2012. The main attraction here is the ruined stone fortress, which overlooks lovely countryside, and there's the peaceful Gorodishchenskoye Lake further afield. <br>Pechory is derived from the Russian word for a cave “pesсhеra” and relates to the system of caves here. In 15th century these caves became part of the Pskovo-Pechorsky Svyato-Uspensky Monastery, which is today the city’s most famous sight.