Explore the city of Irkutsk, founded in the mid-17th century by settlers and fur traders. With the help of your expert guide, learn how this city came to prominence in the 1800s when the Decembrists were exiled to Siberia, turning Irkutsk into their cultural center. Explore the city comfortably, with private pickup and drop-off from your hotel. See the remains of the Irkutsk Fortress and visit the Spasskaya Church, which formed part of Irkutsk Kremlin. Explore the city and feel the spirit of the time admiring the fancy designs of the wooden homes, once frequented by successful fur traders. Your journey through the centuries will take you to the houses where the Decembrists, Russian noble rebels, lived in exile after the revolt against Tsar Nicholas I. Admire the History Museum, a beautiful gingerbread-like 19th-century building, and continue to the memorial grave of Alexander Kolchak, the legendary general of the Russian Civil War.