Mount Elbrus

Looming atop the horizon at a whopping 5,642 meters above sea level, Mount Elbrus has the distinction of being the single highest peak in both Russia and Europe – sorry Mont Blanc, but this one's got almost 1,000 meters on you! And while it is hardly as well-known as its ice-carved, ski-heavy French cousin, it's still been inspiring the awe of humans since ancient times. The Greeks certainly knew of its hulking outline – they thought it the place where Zeus punished Prometheus for stealing the knowledge of fire. Back then, the peak was still an active volcano (hence the association with pyrotechnics); magma and lava flows still occasionally spewed from its duo of cracked and gnarled summits. Today, the mighty massif on the Russian side of the Caucasus Mountains is a magnet for adventure travelers and outdoorsy types. Packages to conquer the summit are run regularly by trained Mount Elbrus tour guides, while annual competitions pit American climbers against Slavic climbers to see who can climb to the top the fastest.