Unveil the sparkling glory of 340 cathedrals and churches with golden domes and elegant cupolas. You'll see that the city richly deserved its Saint name. Admire the glamour and glitz of the imperial past of Russia. Explore majestic lavishly decorated palaces. Come to a dazzling ball or gala royal reception staged at a palace. You'll fall in love with the City of Emperors. Cruise the waters of 140 canals and waterways, go around 44 islands and islets beneath 360 bridges. Sailing past beautiful buildings and lacework of metal railings, you'll understand why St. Petersburg is called Northern Venice.

Explore any of 120 museums and art galleries. Walk through the 400 glamorous chambers of the Hermitage the second largest museum in the world - and appreciate over 2,5 million works of art: paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and items of applied art. A veritable treasure-house of Russian art - the Russian museum - can offer you over 320,000 items. Take your choice from amazing kaleidoscope of theatres, opera and ballet houses, concert halls, jazz clubs, music halls and night clubs. A thrilling performance at the world-famous Mariinsky Theatre will make the night unforgettable. Enjoy the unique spirit of the city combining ancient Russian heritage with European elegance. St. Petersburg looks like Paris - with its dreamy embankments and buildings, its round towers and narrow windows;

St. Petersburg looks like Venice - with its canals, arching bridges and pastel horizons under a milky-blue sky;

St. Petersburg looks like Prague - with its sumptuous baroque and enchanting gardens, its seagulls over the embankment and its majestic palaces.

St. Petersburg is true to itself as no other city anywhere in the world. It was built according to preconceived plans envisaging the ensemble principle of construction. You'll be awed by the harmony of its imitable architectural ensembles of streets and squares and cherish this symphony in stone.

   Emerald necklace of St. Petersburg

The former Imperial residences encircle St.Petersburg like an elegant emerald necklace. Their perfect architectural shapes and landscape scenes bear witness to the majesty and luxury of the Russian Court. Savor the beauty of Peterhof the Kingdom - of Fountains. Walk along shady brick-red paths of its fantastic park, breathe its pungent salty air, admire 142 fountains sparkling in the sun, the gilded marble sculptures and other masterpieces washed by crystal-clear waters. Explore the Great Palace - the summer residence of Russian tsars - which surpass Versailles in splendor and luxury of interior and exterior decoration. Take a walk in the bountiful gardens and parks of Tsarskoye Selo filled with marble statues, bridges and towers, ponds and channels, amazing summer-houses and numerous pleasure pavilions. Experience the beauty of the Catherine Palace. The dazzling splendor of its outer appearance is in tune with its rich and striking interior. Enjoy the lovely scenery of 1,500 acres of the park in Pavlovsk - one of the largest in the world. Explore the beauty of Russian nature. There are undulating hills and valleys, ponds and bridges, summer-houses and pavilions, numerous towers, decorative stairs and terraces, Greek temples and ruins of a castle scattered in the huge park. The Great/Grand Palace - a sumptuous country residence distinguished for the opulent interiors of the chambers - is a charming impression for the eye.

Celebrities about Russia and St.Petersburg

“ Russia seems so interesting to me! You just get out of the hotel and look at beautiful St.Petersburg buildings. There are some nice buildings in Moscow, but there are much more in St.Petersburg. Everything is so special here! I mean amazing panoramic views, fantastic architecture, painting, music – they are all so exotic for me. And the people – they are so kind, warm … In fact, St.Petersburg is a very romantic city – just like Venice.”   Elton John

“ Russia is a place where you are not always planning to go. They say on TV that everything there is under the Mafia control. But I received such a warm welcome, and the girls around were so beautiful. I think there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Enrique Iglesias

“Wandering along the streets of St.Petersburg, I felt as if the spirits of the past were talking to me. It seemed I dissolved into it. I was both Anna Karenina and myself – at the same time… And I felt so happy…”  Sophie Marceau