St Petersburg

One of St Petersburg’s most visited attractions, the Hermitage was founded by Catherine the Great in 1764 after she acquired a collection of paintings. Today the Hermitage is home to over three million works of art and artefacts, including paintings, sculptures and archaeological items, making it the largest art gallery in Russia and one of the biggest in the world. It is said that visitors would need 11 years to fully explore every single exhibit.

The impressive Church of our Saviour on Spilled Blood is one of the most iconic sites in St Petersburg, renowned for its elaborately decorated onion domes. This lavish church was built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. Construction began in 1883 and took 24 years to complete.

The large golden dome of St Isaac’s Cathedral dominates St Petersburg’s city skyline. Construction on this impressive building was ordered by Tsar Alexander I, and it took over 40 years. Today the building – the largest cathedral in Russia – is open as a museum, with services taking place on important religious holidays, while the colonnade offers breathtaking views over the city.

Named after Catherine I, the wife of Peter the Great, Catherine Palace was originally a modest two-storey building, however Empress Elizabeth, Catherine’s daughter, ensured it would be much more lavish. The former summer residence of the Tsars, known as the 'Russian Versailles', is home to the impressive Amber Room, which took over 20 years to create and cost more than $12 million. The remaining interior of the palace is no less spectacular. The Great Hall, often referred to as the 'Hall of Light', measures almost 1,000 square metres, occupying the full width of the palace.