Growing up, I dreamed of being a spy. In fact, GoldenEye and The Saint were my favorite movies to binge watch. Not only did it seem glamorous and fun, but the cities and stories espionage movies were based on were compelling to me. As I grew older, I faced a harsh reality: being a spy wasn’t as seductive as movies made it seem. However, the dark cities dusted with snow and enshrouded with mystery were real, and they were in Russia.

You may or may not feel like James Bond while you’re walking down Nevsky Prospekt, but I guarantee you’ll feel something more exciting as you explore one of the largest countries in the world. Every street you step into is a whole new domain: a large, colorful block with a live band or a dimly lit basement bar with cozy groups drinking vodka. Of course, you can take a beach vacation in Mykonos. Or, you can explore gilded palaces filled with the stories that consumed you with wonder as a child, and I’ll tell you why.

1. The Cities Aren’t All Grey and Gloomy

Picture this: intricate and old buildings washed in pastel colors, canals dotted with boats between every other street, lights strung around bustling cafes, and the smell of freshly baked bread and ripe fruit wafting from the stands on the streets. No, I’m not describing an idealistic city in Italy or France; instead, it’s the city of Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Take a guided city tour through historical fortresses, experience a brisk boat ride down the all-encompassing Neva River, or enjoy the iconic Swan Lake at the theater it was composed in. If you’re more of a country person, it only takes a few hours to arrive at the Summer Palace. While there, you can wander through a maze of trimmed trees, ornate bathhouses, and the vibrant red and black posts dotted along the Gulf of Finland.

On the other hand, nestled in the south is a city that creates a sharper balance of light and dark—and I’m talking about the enchanting Moscow. The city boasts iconic cornerstones of Russian history, such as Saint Basil’s, the Kremlin, and Lenin’s Mausoleum. You can stand in the middle of the Red Square where different tsars have been coronated, where Napoleon rode on the stone streets during his invasion, where Stalin and Yuri Gagarin found their final resting places, and where millions of souls have walked, consumed with the same awe you will feel.

You can also add meeting souls to your Russia to-do list. For me, history isn’t exciting unless it’s haunted. And that’s exactly what cities in Russia capture—that feeling of mystery covered in fantastical colors. It may not be Rome, but these places are that leap of faith into the unknown that is worth every risk.

2. Borsht Is Better Than It Looks

When discussing favorite types of food, any sensible person would not think of Russian cuisine. It’s true; the meals prepared in Russia don’t have a delicious reputation. However, any native Russian can tell you about the countless foods they enjoy. For them, it is a taste that narrows down into a unique feeling of home. This feeling has existed for centuries but was washed with a grey, bleak film when communist rule “destroyed Russian cuisine.”

However, when the Berlin Wall fell, many Russian cities became oversaturated with Western-style dishes, which only further prompted the disappearance of authentic and delicious Russian cooking. Thankfully, there has been a reemergence of authentic Slavic dishes but with a modern and delicious twist.

Because I lived in Saint Petersburg, all my favorite restaurants are centered in that city and its surrounding neighborhoods. The best donut I’ve ever eaten—which was still hot and dusted with powdered sugar—was from a tiny cafe called Pushchnaya hidden in the winding streets of the city. Also, before a night at the Mikhailovsky Theater, make sure to secure reservations at the Dvoryanskoe Sobranie, which serves you new twists on the classics, such as stroganoff.

Last but certainly not least is Biblioteka. Thinking about the cafe makes me want to buy a plane ticket and go back to Russia as soon as possible. Bright, clean, and serving the best blini and ikra (pancakes with caviar), the cafe sits above the bustling main street in Nevsky. Step outside of your comfort zone and learn to love the taste of savory pelmeni, bright red borscht, and copious amounts of dill.

3. Yes, Russians Are Unfriendly—Get Over It

Whether someone is shoving past you abruptly or sitting in stony silence, don’t be surprised if surrounding Russians act coldly as you’re riding on a metro that is ricocheting through the underground tunnels of snowy Saint Petersburg. Also, don’t take it too personally.

As someone who grew up in Midwest America, grinning at a stranger is basic instinct for me. However, those who live in Russia don’t give away their smiles that easily. Unless you’re oblivious to world history, those who have lived in Russia have gone through a lot. For decades, even the wrong glance could cause someone to end up in serious trouble. Fear tactics by the Soviet Union created generational habits that have evolved into the same feeling I feel when my mouth curves up at the nearest person; it’s just their instinct.

However, that unfriendly habit that most Russians still inherently use in public slips away behind closed doors. There are those who will not be accepting of non-natives, but in private spaces, there will be those who want to know everything about you and your far less traumatic life. And maybe afterward, you might earn a full-blown smile and a raucous hug. So, as I said before, those cold faces shouldn’t be taken personally. Instead, you should consider the life others have lived and how it has affected them enough to make them wary of the simplest interactions.

4. And the World’s Most Romantic Language Goes to…

Have you ever considered that Russian is a love language? Because you should. Sweeping words that roll at the most unexpected moment are what makes the language not only beautiful but incredibly interesting. While other Slavic languages may sound short and butchered, Russian intertwines every word with each other until it sounds like honey.

Granted, that does make understanding the language hard unless you know how to separate each word. So, if you decide to make a trip to Russia after reading this article, it would do you a lot of good to take a few Russian language lessons along the way.

While it took me two and a half years to be able to grasp a short conversation in Russian, it was worth every second. As with every language, the words are rooted in similar ideas that form the foundation of their history. Words may have the same technical meaning, but they express a deeper emotion than any other language I’ve listened to.

It’s a journey worth going on and will help you blend in with a Russian crowd. And after you have that first conversation with a native Russian, you’ll be filled with emotion and adrenaline—and a lot of gratitude for giving something different a chance.