Outdoor recreation is a significant part of Russian culture, deeply rooted in the tradition of spending weekends at a *dacha* (country house) to garden, forage for mushrooms and berries, and enjoy the banya (traditional sauna).
* **Winter Sports:** Skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating are incredibly popular. **Rosa Khutor** in Sochi (site of the 2014 Winter Olympics) is a premier alpine resort. Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus offers challenging high-altitude skiing. * **Hiking and Trekking:** Enthusiasts flock to the dramatic landscapes of the **Altai Mountains**, the volcanic terrain of **Kamchatka**, and the dense forests of the Urals. * **Fishing and Boating:** The extensive river systems, particularly the Volga, are popular for fishing (sturgeon, pike). Ice fishing is a beloved, albeit freezing, winter pastime. * **Beaches:** Summer beach recreation is centered along the Black Sea coast, particularly in and around the resort city of Sochi.
