The North-Western Federal District of Russia is located to the north and north-west of the Central Federal District, a portion of it beyond the Arctic Circle.  This district is associated with  white nights in the summer and long dark nights in the winter, with the possibility of the Northern Lights in the very north.  It comprises 11 federal subjects: nine regions, the Nenets Autonomous Region and the Federal City of St Petersburg, which is the administrative centre.  The district also includes Russia’s only enclave - the Kaliningrad Region - which means that the North-Western Federal District shares borders with Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Norway.

  There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the district: the Kizhi Pogost, the Ferapontov Monastery, the Solovetsky Islands, the Historic Centre of St Petersburg, the Historic Centre of Novgorod, the Curonian Spit National Park, plus one point of the Struve Geodetic Arc.  St Petersburg is the most popular destination for tourists who flock to the northern capital famous for its palaces and canals which has led to it being dubbed the Venice of the North.  The district is also famous for its forests including the Valdaisky, Kenozersky, Paanajärvi, Russky Sever and Sebezhsky national parks.