St. Petersburg Russia

For first time travellers to Russia, St. Petersburg is the ideal holiday destination. The former capital combines the raw taste of Russia with classic Russian architecture and culture.

For first time visitors it is highly recommended that you take an organised tour or use a personal local guide to help familiarise yourself with the more than 60 rivers and canals across the city which are spanned by more than 300 bridges. You wouldn't be the first traveller to lose their way in St. Petersburg!

A stroll down Nevsky Prospekt, the main boulevard which runs for 5km through the heart of St. Petersburg's commercial and cultural center, offers every Western franchise imaginable from Versace to McDonald's mixed in with sushi bars and five-star restaurants.

On the nearby banks of the Neva River, stands the Tsar's winter palace, now called the State Hermitage Museum, a grandiose 1000+ room monument to the Russia of old. More than 20km of hallways are there to explore, much of which are adorned with spectacular artworks from the likes of Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Picasso and Rubens. Allow yourself a full day at the minimum to explore this fascinating cultural and artistic wonderland.

For those with an interest in the darker side of Russian history, pay a visit to the Blockade Museum, the old KGB headquarters, the Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad or the Yusupov Palace, where Rasputin ate his last, poisoned meal.

The best time to travel to St. Petersburg (and much of Russia for that matter) is between April and October. Outside of those months St. Petersburg is like a Russian ice palace, covered in snow brought on by below-freezing temperatures.

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