Few cities can offer so many stunning attractions and intriguing moods as St. Petersburg - City of the Tsars. It is a real museum under open air. From the vibrant colours of spring, through the sunny summer days and endless twilights of the famous White Nights, the brilliant golden sun of autumn, and into the crisp and brittle brightness of a St. Petersburg winter, the City casts its own unique spell over visitors.

Founded by Peter the Great in 1703 to be his "window into Europe", St Petersburg combines its fascinating Russian heritage with a distinctly European outlook. Considered one of the most  beautiful cities in the world St. Petersburg is often referred to as the Venice of the North ("Northern Venice€) or the Paris of the East, but its beauty is really a brand of its own.

So let us take a virtual Tour around Russia's "Northern Capital", crammed with splendid palaces, impressive historical monuments, tree-lined avenues, beautiful channels and bridges. Just sit back, wander around the virtual sights of the tour and discover the unparalleled beauty of St. Petersburg, Russia. 

The main avenue of St. Petersburg, the centre of business, trade activities, cultural life, shopping, entertainment and nightlife is the famous Nevsky Prospect. It runs right through the heart of the city from the austere Alexander Nevsky Monastery to the Baroque splendors of the Rastrelli's Winter Palace. The Winter Palace served as the tsarist residence and nowadays the building belongs to the State Hermitage - the largest artistic, historical and cultural museum. It exhibits the paintings of Rubens, Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, Titian and works of many other masters, relics of the past culture of many countries of the world. In addition to the many churches of different denominations there are many other attractions around: the largest department store in the city Gostiny Dvor, the National Library of Russia, the monument to Catherine the Great, Anichkov Bridge with its beautiful statues and much more.

Having left the Winter Palace you will find yourself in the city's main square - Palace Square, where Rossi's imposing General Staff Building, the Building of the Ministries and centered on the impressive, 155 foot-tall Alexander Column are situated. The historical home of the Russian Navy - the Admiralty, a marvelous example of the Russian Empire style, complete with white columns, stucco relief and a gleaming spire is also included in this ensemble.

Among other palaces which are worth visiting there is also the Palace-and-Park Ensemble of Petergof (Petrodvorets), a jewel of the Russian art, a town of parks, palaces, and fountains. It is often called the Baltic Versailles. In the past it used to be an exquisite summer residence of Russian tsars. Verkhniy (Upper) Garden and Nizhniy (Lower) Park, genuine masterpieces of landscape design, number over 150 fountains, 5 monumental cascades. On the territory of the reserve there are also 9 museums.  

Summer Palace of Peter the Great - was intended only for summer time use, hence its name "Summer Palace", as opposed to the "Winter Palace" that Peter had built just down the same embankment of the Neva. It is always a great pleasure to take a stroll down the alleys of the Summer Garden, passing by the palace, the marvelous marble statues and the pond. A pair of white swans returns every year to the Karpiev pond in the Summer Garden, even though the park is located in the middle of a bustling city...

Other famous palaces are: The Menshikov Palace, a stunning mansion built in the early 1700s now hosting a branch of the State Hermitage Museum and a magnificent collection of Russian cultural artifacts from the 18th century; The Mikhailovsky (St. Michael's) Castle, an impressive, fortified redbrick palace, built in the late 18th century for the paranoid and ill-fated son of Catherine the Great, Emperor Paul I.

 
The oldest building in St.Petersburg - The Peter and Paul Fortress was founded in 1703 and up to 1917 was used as a political prison. Today it is the emblem of the city and the resting place of many of the Russian Tsars. Most worth seeing is the Cathedral of Sts Peter & Paul, with its landmark needle-thin spire and the weather-vane on top in the form of Angel with a Cross.

The city of St. Petersburg is a real Open-Air Museum. There are more than 140 museums here and St.Petersburg's theatres are a celebration of beauty, refinement, good taste, and accomplished professionalism. Apart from this there are many many more other places to explore in this unique city: impressive equestrian monument "The Bronze Horseman€, built to honor Peter the Great; The Cruiser "Aurora", veteran Russian Battleship; The Blue Bridge, the widest bridge in the world with an impressive 319-foot span encompassing the entire width of St. Isaac's Square.

The Venice of the North wins the leading position in Russia in the quantity of bridges. There is no wonder, because the city is situated on more than 45 islands. St.Petersburg boasts over 500 bridges ranging from the very narrow pedestrian Lions and Bank chain bridges to the unique Medieval and Modern styled Bolshoi Okhtinsky Bridge and the giant drawbridges, which span the wide Neva River.

The former center of a vast and diverse empire, St. Petersburg is home to hundreds of different churches representing many denominations and faiths, though we believe that it is probably most famous for its collection of Russian Orthodox cathedrals. The Savior on the Blood Church offers an amazing contrast to the Baroque, Classical, and Modernist styles predominant in the Northern Capital. Its unique decorations include icons and panels made from majolica and mosaic, which were created from drawings by the leading Russian artists of last century. Restorers say the church contains more mosaics than any other church in the world.

St. Petersburg is an open modern city and among the other types of entertainment it offers a wide range of places for physical activities, relaxation and simply hanging out and having fun. Following the wise statement that says: leisure is just the change of activity, you can choose where and how you want to spend your time: wandering in a beautiful park or gazing at the unique works of art in some museum.

If you are fond of games of hazard or wish to listen to a good music and dance with your lady, night-time of St. Petersburg has a lot to offer. The city of St. Petersburg is one of Russia's main entertainment centers. The music scene is diverse and colorful: the majority of most well-known Russian rock bands have originated from here. Movie theatres equipped with advanced sound reproduction systems demonstrate the latest Western films. The city also has a great diversity of high-quality restaurants, bars and night clubs. The prices are very affordable in comparison to those in any other large European city, including Moscow. 

You would be especially lucky if you happened to come to St. Petersburg during the famous time of "White Nights€. At that period it turns into the most extraordinary, fantastic city on Earth. What could be more romantic than walking along rivers and canals when night is as bright as early evening? It is the world's only metropolis where such a phenomenon takes place every summer. Every year there are days when the downtown is full of people, even at night. It is a great time for those who are in love...

Fall in love in St. Petersburg!