Moscow is Russia's official capital but colourful, sophisticated St.
Petersburg is the country's cultural core. While affectionately called the
'Venice of the North' and the 'Paris of the East', elegant St. Petersburg has an
identity of its own. Tchaikovsky, Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky were among a handful
of Russian greats that called the city 'home' and the attraction doesn't take as
long as War and Peace to grasp. Brimming with splendid palaces, baroque
buildings, canals, parks and museums, this Russian city is beautiful, walkable
and deeply cultured.
Tour St. Petersburg
There are a plethora of sights to see on a St Petersburg tour but if time is
limited, the sculptured Mariinsky Theatre boasting top-class
opera and ballet, and the gold-domed St. Isaac's Cathedral are
musts. The deceivingly un-gory Church of Our Saviour on the Spilled
Blood is also a popular choice with tourists, but St Petersburg's trump
card is the Hermitage Museum on par with the World's best.
Housed in the amazing Winter Palace, the Museum offers over 1000 rooms of
exquisite art and with over 3 million works on display, visitors will need to
plan their museum itinerary carefully.
- Asides from being a cultural hotspot, the city is well known for its 'White
Night' twilights in the summer, and is why many visit St Petersburg.