St Petersburg

Catherine Palace is a perfect example of Russian Baroque was named for Catherine I, Peter the Greats second wife. 7 ul. Sadovaya, town of Pushkin.

The Hermitage Museum is one of the world's richest repositories of art. The Hermitage extends through the lavish Winter Palace, as well as the various buildings later annexed to it to house the private art galleries of the czars. The ground floor covers prehistoric times. On the second floor you will find many rooms that were part of the former Winter Palace and a wealth of Russian and European art. The third floor houses art from the 19th century. Also in the museum is the Osobaya Kladovaya or (Special Collection) a spectacular collection of gold, silver and royal jewels.

St. Petersburg's most famous avenue was laid out in 1710 making it one of the city's first streets. On the last few blocks of Nevsky Prospect are a few buildings of historical importance, the Literary Café at No. 18, Chicherin's House (No. 15), one of Empress Elizabeth's palaces, and, at No. 14, one of the rare buildings on Nevsky Prospect built after the Bolshevik Revolution. Nevsky Prospect boasts the city's finest hotels and shops.

Palace Square is one of the world's most magnificent plazas the lively square is home to several imperial buildings. The square was also the scene of several important events in the revolution--among them Bloody Sunday in 1905. Children enjoy the horseback and carriage rides for hire.

The Pavlovsk is situated high on a bluff overlooking the river and a 1,500-acre park. The Great Palace was built as a summer residence for Paul I. In contrast to the dramatically Baroque palaces of Pushkin and Peterhof, Pavlovsk is a tribute to the reserved beauty of Classicism.

The Peterhof is the former imperial palace on the shores of the Baltic Sea, complete with lush parks, monumental cascades and gilded fountains which will fill you with wonderment. Half encircled by the sea and filled with fountains and other water monuments and the Marine Canal running straight from the foot of the palace into the bay, Peter's place was also his loving tribute to the role of water in the life and strength of his city.

The Russian Museum is one of the countries most important art galleries and has been housed in the Mikhailovsky Palace since 1896. Its collection includes masterpieces from the 14th through the 20th century.

Smolny Convent and Cathedral
Smolny Convent and Cathedral is a magnificent five domed, blue-and-whitemasterpiece by Bartolomeo Rastrelli and seems to have come from the pages of a fairy tale. Its five white onion domes, crowned with gilded globes supporting crosses of gold, convey a sense of magic. Rastrelli started building in 1748, though the cathedral was not completed until the 1830s, by architect Vasily Stasov. It is now open to the public but unfortunately few traces of the original interior have survived.

ST Isaac's Cathedral is of the grandest proportions. It is the world's third largest domed cathedral. The interior is lavishly decorated with malachite and other precious stones.