St. Petersburg, Russia
Russia's most amazing city
St. Petersburg is located on the banks of the Neva River, which flows into the Gulf of Finland. It is the northernmost city, with over four million inhabitants. It is also one of the world's most beautiful destinations, with lavish palaces, beautiful parks and canals, hundreds of bridges and world-class museums that hold the treasures of Russian emperors and the history of the entire nation. Millions of travelers head to St. Petersburg each summer making it one of the top 10 travel destinations in the world.
Peter the Great established the city and hoped that it would propel Russia into modernity and 'open the window to Europe.' Peter was so obsessed in establishing the Russian navy that he moved the seat of his young empire from Moscow to the banks of the Neva River and St. Petersburg has been the crown jewel of European cities ever since.
The city's architects didn't hesitate to take the features of some of Europe's leading cities to combine and reproduce them in St. Petersburg's architecture. So, the city has canals like Venice, palaces like Versailles, cathedrals like Rome and Moscow, and streets like Amsterdam and Vienna.
Although St. Petersburg is relatively young by European standards, the events that took place here shook empires. The city, itself, was besieged by some of the most powerful armies in history, but has still not fallen.
In the very center of the city stands the Winter Palace. One side of the palace is faced by the Palace Square, with the Alexander Column in the middle of it. The column was erected to celebrate the victory over Napoleon (what is known in Russia as the First Patriotic War). To the rear of the palace is the Neva River, in the middle of which you will find the Peter and Paul Fortress, designed to defend the city from the water. The Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress is the burial place of the Russian Emperors.
The Winter Palace is home to the Hermitage Museum – the largest collection of Russian art in the world. The Hermitage started as the private art collection of Catherine the Great and over time became the largest collection of Russian art in the world. These art works are displayed in the Palace’s numerous halls -- many of which are works of art themselves.
Next to the Winter Palace stands the grandiose St. Isaac's Cathedral -- the largest orthodox cathedral in the world. Built in the classic Roman style, it took over 40 years to complete. St. Isaac’s cupolas, alone, are made of 100 kilograms of pure gold. A few blocks from the Palace Square you will find the Savior-on-the-Blood Cathedral, built in the place where czar Alexander II was murdered by a bomb being thrown into his carriage. On the outskirts of the city you will find luxurious royal palaces -- such as Catherine’s Palace in Tsarskoe Selo (Pushkin) and Peterhof.
The best time to visit St. Petersburg is during summer and the best way to travel to St. Petersburg is with one of our package tours.
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