The southern city of Sochi, with it's long, languid sandy beaches set on the black sea is the unofficial summer capital of Russia. To set off the beautiful subtropic climate, Sochi is also located at the base of the Caucasus Mountains, which make for perfect winter sports. Surprisingly, despite the low latitude, Sochi has been chosen to host the 2014 winter Olympic games. Sochi originally became popular when Joseph Stalin built his summer resort here. It's also popular for its healing mineral springs and spa resorts.