Belgorod Oblast is a relatively unpopulated provincial area of the Russian-Ukrainian borderlands. The city of Belgorod is by no means a major tourist destination, but that in itself might make it more attractive to travelers favoring the less beaten path, and it has a good deal to offer a tourist interested in a more slowly paced, small, provincial capital. The region's biggest attraction, however, is its battlefield legacy as one of the principal stages of the Battle of Kursk, a WWII battle of an extraordinary scale and importance that is one of the principal turning points of the war. Military buffs, relatives of the deceased, and curious travelers will find that, although there is a museum dedicated to the battle in Belgorod, the majority of interesting sites are in and around the northern town of Prokhorovka.
Some knowledge of Russian will be very useful, unless you are traveling with a guide.
Flights arrive to Belgorod from Moscow. Trains arrive from Moscow through Kursk and Voronezh; from Ukraine principally via Kharkov.
Travelers can easily reach Prokhorovka via the rail line running between Kursk and Belgorod.
Belgorod Oblast is a convenient last stop in Russia on your way to destinations in Ukraine; in particular, travelers heading from Central Russia overland to the Crimea will likely pass through.