Close to the Kazakhstan border, Orenburg sits on the Ural River some 1,478 km southeast of Moscow. The area is awash in more than 80 different nationalities and Orenburg is considered a transcontinental city straddling countries. Located in the southern Ural steppes, it was founded as a military outpost, but today it is a big industrial city. Established in 1743 when Kurland's politicians played a significant role in the Russian Empire, it sits at the feet of the Ural Mountains.

To get a feel for the history of the area, you should head down by the river to the Elizabethan Gate and a monument to Chkalov, the name of the city during the Soviet regime. The old fort and its gate built in 1743, or rather "the remnants" should be on the list of things to see, which will be quite short unless you are into museums. You can see a gothic building with a tower and a clock at the Museum of the City's History, there is a Museum of regional studies, Museum of the Arts, Museum of the Rostropovich Family and a "Memory House" Museum to walk around. If you need to pop into a religious venue for some prayer time, you have a choice of St Nikolay Cathedral, the Mosque "Karavan Sarai" or you can go Orthodox at the Church of Sergiy of Radonezh. Traditional housing can be seen at the National Village or you can take in the hall of the Union of Artists, if that sounds exciting to you.

When all else fails, go to the park "Zauralnaya Roscha" within the city limits and get yourself in a "Zen" frame of mind.

To find a coworking space in Orenburg, browse through our interactive map below.