Taganrog: Russia's Little Petersburg by the Azov Sea

Discover Taganrog, one of southern Russia's most interesting cities. It's the homeland of famous writer Anton Chekhov and the place where Emperor Alexander I died. The Azov Sea is fresh and shallow – walk to the horizon and you'll be chest-high at most. Try the local delicacy: Taganrog seeds, small fried fish eaten whole without cleaning. Visit Bogudonia, an old fishing settlement once home to many smugglers.