St. Petersburg

St Petersburg is an artistic and romantic city, crammed with opulent palaces yet resonating with overtones of the Revolution. Lovers of art and nature will lose themselves in the 3 million works of art in the cavernous Hermitage museum, and outside the city at the Imperial estates at Petrodvorets and Pavlovsk, inspiring natural settings in summer or winter.

The Peterhof Palace at Petrodvorets is the great summer estate of Peter and Catherine the Great and an artistic gem. The park complex features numerous ornate palaces, perfectly manicured gardens, summer houses and pavilions, specifically designed for holding Imperial dinner parties. A highlight is the delightful sequence of 37 gilded bronze sculptures, 64 fountains and 142 water jets known as the Grand Cascscade.