St. Petersburg, the city of the tsars, is a perfect destination for people looking for a cultural city trip. St. Petersburg’s history and rich cultural traditions have inspired some of the modern world’s greatest literature, music and visual art.
Grand Hotel Europe
We stayed at the Grand Hotel Europe, one of St. Petersburg’s premier hotels. The hotel is situated on the famous Nevsky Prospekt, which is just a short walk away from St. Petersburg’s most famous attractions. The rooms at the Grand Hotel Europe are spacious and classically elegant.
St. Isaac’s Cathedral
St. Isaac’s Cathedral is the largest Russian orthodox cathedral in the city and impresses with its facades which are decorated with sculptures and massive granite columns, while the interior is decorated with incredibly detailed mosaic icons. While we were visiting the cathedral we had the chance to listen to a beautiful choir concert.
The Church of the Savior on Blood
The Church of the Savior on Blood (or known as “Erlöserkirche” in German) is one of the main sights of the city. It was built between 1883 and 1907 and was officially called the Resurrection of Christ Church. It has an outstanding and varied collection of mosaic icons. Very impressive! Don’t miss to see this masterpiece.
Russian Folklore Night at Belosselsky-Belozersky Palace
On our first night in St. Petersburg we visited a Russian folklore night at Belosselsky-Belozersky Palace, a neo-baroque palace at Nevsky Prospekt. The show was very impressive and colourful with all the classic Russian costumes.
The Hermitage Museum
The State Hermitage Museum is a “must” when visiting St. Petersburg! With more than three million works of art the Hermitage is one of the largest and oldest museums of the world!
Four out of six buildings of the main museum complex are open to the public. The main building of the Hermitage Museum is Winter Palace, which was once the main residence of the Russian tsars.
The museum is especially strong in Italian renaissance and French impressionist paintings, as well as possessing outstanding collections of works by Rembrandt, Picasso, and Matisse. Experts say that if you spend only a minute looking at each exhibit in the Hermitage, you would need 11 years to see them all! Well … we suggest you take a guided tour instead!
Private Opera and Ballet Performance at Yusupov Palace
On our last night in St. Petersburg we had the chance to visit the Yusupov Palace (also known as Moika Palace). This yellow building along the Moika river was once the residence of the wealthy and respected Yusupov family. The history of the palace dates back to the epoch of Peter the Great, and apparently this palace has seen one of the most dramatic episodes in Russia’s history – the murder of Grigory Rasputin! However, the story about Rasputin’s death is much in dispute…
Nevertheless, this palace full of history is worth a visit. We had a very impressive and fascinating tour leading through the beatifully recreated interiors of the palace. The evening was crowned by a private opera performance followed by a russian gala dinner. What an awesome experience!
Catherine’s Palace in Pushkin
Before our trip to St. Petersburg ended, we went to Pushkin, to visit Catherine’s Palace which is named after Catherine I, the wife of Peter the Great, who ruled Russia for two years after her husband’s death.
With its size, the blue and white facades and the Russian baroque style the palace is quite impressive. But the interior of the Catherine Palace is no less spectacular! Especially the renowned Amber room is very extraordinary, but also the Great Hall, also known as the Hall of Light, is not less impressive.
St. Petersburg with all its cultural and architectural attractions is really a tip for people interested in history and culture! Get some more impressions from our Flickr photo gallery below
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