Winter Palace & Hermitage
The Winter Palace on Palace Square houses the Hermitage, one of the largest art museums in the world. Its green‑and‑white façade and richly decorated rooms are as impressive as the collection itself.
Historic highlights
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
This church, with its colorful onion domes and mosaics, stands on the site where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated. The interior is covered in detailed mosaics from floor to ceiling.
Peterhof Palace & Fountains
Often called the “Russian Versailles”, Peterhof is famous for its Grand Cascade of fountains, golden statues, and formal gardens stretching to the Gulf of Finland.
Along the Neva and canals
Canal cruises
The city is built on dozens of islands linked by bridges. A canal cruise under the bridges of the Fontanka, Moika, and Griboyedov Canal is one of the best ways to see the façades and embankments.
Neva River embankments
Walking along the granite embankments of the Neva gives views of the Admiralty, Peter and Paul Fortress, the Bronze Horseman, and the drawbridges that open at night.