This is our opportunity to visit St Petersburg’s most famous museum, the Hermitage – Russia’s largest collection of art, with over 2.8 million works.

 Founded by Catherine II in 1764 as a private museum, to which only Catherine and her courtiers had access, it has evolved into one of the most prestigious museums in the world. The Hermitage is composed of a number of buildings, the most impressive being the Winter Palace – the former residence of the Tsars. The Jordan Staircase is the grand entrance to the Winter Palace.

Reaching the upper landing we walk through the Winter Palace’s superb staterooms. These include the Field Marshall’s Hall, Small Throne Room dedicated to the memory of Peter the Great, Armorial Hall with its vast gilded columns, 1812 Gallery displaying portraits of Russian military heroes of the Napoleonic War and the Hall of St George bedecked with cararra marble and gilt bronze. The parquet floor is made up of 16 varieties of wood and repeats the ceiling motif.

We proceed to the Small Hermitage to find ourselves in the Pavilion Hall. Here, marble columns support an elegant gallery and 28 sparkling cut-glass chandeliers. Exhibits include the unusual Peacock Clock in its glass cage. Turning right takes us to the Old Hermitage, devoted to 13th - 18th century Italian art. On proud display are two paintings by Leonardo da Vinci (Madonna with a Flower and Litta Madonna), an early work by Rafael (Connestabile Madonna) and a later work by him (Holy Family).

Other names simply roll off the tongue: Titian, El Greco, Velasquez, Goya, Rubens, the list goes on. The Hermitage is proud of its vast Rembrandt collection. Within a short period of time Rembrandt produced the dramatic Abraham’s Sacrifice, the gentle Flora and the brilliant Descent from the Cross. One of his last works was The Return of the Prodigal Son – painted with an emotional depth unseen before. After the 1917 Revolution some private collections were incorporated into the Hermitage. Through two collectors, Ivan Morozov and Sergey Schukine, the Hermitage acquired its superb array of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings.

See paintings by Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse and Picasso. After a thoroughly fascinating tour, we return to our ship.

TOUR NOTES: This tour involves a lot of walking and standing (there are no seats) and many steps will be encountered. A certain pace is required to keep up with the group. Although there is one small lift we cannot guarantee that the room in which the lift deposits passengers will be open during our visit. If the lift is used, you will have to leave the tour group. Please note that special collections will not be viewed in the Hermitage, and some rooms may not always be accessible. Paintings are occasionally loaned to other museums, so those detailed may not be on display. Realistically we appreciate that you will not see as much as you would like – it would take years to view the whole Hermitage collection! The drive to and from the Hermitage takes approximately 30 minutes each way.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR 2009 SCANDINAVIA & BALTIC CRUISES